Marietta was born on Christmas day to John and Emily Skinner in Hardwick, Vermont, where John worked as an attorney and justice of the peace. When Marietta was fourteen years old, the family traveled by wagon to their new home in Valparaiso, Indiana. Only two years later, her father died after a short illness, and Marietta, her mother, and siblings were on their own.
Several of the Skinner children went by their middle names. In the Hardwick birth records, Marietta’s name was given as “Adelaide Mariette Skinner” though throughout her life she was known as Marietta.
Education was important to Marietta’s mother, Emily Ward Skinner, and Marietta must have received an excellent education. Throughout her life, Marietta worked as a schoolteacher. In fact, at the age of only 21, Marietta, along with Ashley Peirce and a Miss Fifield, opened the Union School of Valparaiso.
In 1856, Marietta married William Hays Peirce, a schoolteacher and son of another of Valparaiso’s pioneer families. William also worked part-time for the local train company. William and Marietta had three children, Hollis Andrew, Keziah McKibbin, and Wilhemena Rebecca, "Minnie".
In 1862, tragedy struck the family when William was killed in a freak railroad accident. Marietta was left to support three children all on her own.
After her husband's tragic death, Marietta remained in Valparaiso, working as a schoolteacher to support the family. In 1878, however, she decided to leave the area to make a new start. The records of the Presbyterian Church at Valparaiso indicated that she initially moved to Chicago. How long the family stayed there is not certain; however, Marietta eventually homesteaded in Minnesota, in Dunn Township, Otter Tail County, where she continued her work as a teacher and established a homestead.
Marietta must have been a strong woman, supporting her family while carving out a new life for herself on the frontier. According to family tradition, she was proud of her Vermont heritage; her Yankee spirit must have seen her through many tough times.
On 13 October 1893, her hard work paid off when her homestead claim was approved. Marietta secured a homestead in Dunn Township, Otter County consisting of "Lots numbered one, two, and three of Section eight in Township 137 North of Range 42 West, of the 5th Principal Meridian in Minnesota containing fifty-six acres."
A few years later, Marietta lived with her son, Hollis, and his family, at the Pierce family farm in Bemidji, Minnesota. Throughout her life, she would continue working as a teacher. In 1900, at the age of 67, Marietta was mentioned in the local newspaper: “Here is an item that few counties can equal. Last week, Mrs. A. M. Peirce, a lady nearly 70 years of age, finished teaching a successful term of school southeast of Bemidji.”
Marietta had a strong personality, and, as her grandchildren recalled, she “ruled the roost.” She was strict. Her granddaughter, Mabel Plummer, told her family that Marietta would not allow her granddaughters to wear pants--they had to always wear dresses with long-sleeves. The girls were not allowed to climb trees or engage in other rough play. She expected all of her grandchildren to live up to being the descendants of an old New England family that went back to the Mayflower.
In about 1912, Marietta moved to the Bay Area to live with her daughter Kezzie and Kezzie’s family. There she lived out the remainder of her years with her daughter and grandchildren. She lived to be 83 years, eight months, and twenty-six days old.
Biography written by her great-great grandson, David Pierce, September 7, 2014. If you decide to use the biography in your family history work, please give credit to me for writing the biography. Thank you.
Several of the Skinner children went by their middle names. In the Hardwick birth records, Marietta’s name was given as “Adelaide Mariette Skinner” though throughout her life she was known as Marietta.
Education was important to Marietta’s mother, Emily Ward Skinner, and Marietta must have received an excellent education. Throughout her life, Marietta worked as a schoolteacher. In fact, at the age of only 21, Marietta, along with Ashley Peirce and a Miss Fifield, opened the Union School of Valparaiso.
In 1856, Marietta married William Hays Peirce, a schoolteacher and son of another of Valparaiso’s pioneer families. William also worked part-time for the local train company. William and Marietta had three children, Hollis Andrew, Keziah McKibbin, and Wilhemena Rebecca, "Minnie".
In 1862, tragedy struck the family when William was killed in a freak railroad accident. Marietta was left to support three children all on her own.
After her husband's tragic death, Marietta remained in Valparaiso, working as a schoolteacher to support the family. In 1878, however, she decided to leave the area to make a new start. The records of the Presbyterian Church at Valparaiso indicated that she initially moved to Chicago. How long the family stayed there is not certain; however, Marietta eventually homesteaded in Minnesota, in Dunn Township, Otter Tail County, where she continued her work as a teacher and established a homestead.
Marietta must have been a strong woman, supporting her family while carving out a new life for herself on the frontier. According to family tradition, she was proud of her Vermont heritage; her Yankee spirit must have seen her through many tough times.
On 13 October 1893, her hard work paid off when her homestead claim was approved. Marietta secured a homestead in Dunn Township, Otter County consisting of "Lots numbered one, two, and three of Section eight in Township 137 North of Range 42 West, of the 5th Principal Meridian in Minnesota containing fifty-six acres."
A few years later, Marietta lived with her son, Hollis, and his family, at the Pierce family farm in Bemidji, Minnesota. Throughout her life, she would continue working as a teacher. In 1900, at the age of 67, Marietta was mentioned in the local newspaper: “Here is an item that few counties can equal. Last week, Mrs. A. M. Peirce, a lady nearly 70 years of age, finished teaching a successful term of school southeast of Bemidji.”
Marietta had a strong personality, and, as her grandchildren recalled, she “ruled the roost.” She was strict. Her granddaughter, Mabel Plummer, told her family that Marietta would not allow her granddaughters to wear pants--they had to always wear dresses with long-sleeves. The girls were not allowed to climb trees or engage in other rough play. She expected all of her grandchildren to live up to being the descendants of an old New England family that went back to the Mayflower.
In about 1912, Marietta moved to the Bay Area to live with her daughter Kezzie and Kezzie’s family. There she lived out the remainder of her years with her daughter and grandchildren. She lived to be 83 years, eight months, and twenty-six days old.
Biography written by her great-great grandson, David Pierce, September 7, 2014. If you decide to use the biography in your family history work, please give credit to me for writing the biography. Thank you.
Marietta was born on Christmas day to John and Emily Skinner in Hardwick, Vermont, where John worked as an attorney and justice of the peace. When Marietta was fourteen years old, the family traveled by wagon to their new home in Valparaiso, Indiana. Only two years later, her father died after a short illness, and Marietta, her mother, and siblings were on their own.
Several of the Skinner children went by their middle names. In the Hardwick birth records, Marietta’s name was given as “Adelaide Mariette Skinner” though throughout her life she was known as Marietta.
Education was important to Marietta’s mother, Emily Ward Skinner, and Marietta must have received an excellent education. Throughout her life, Marietta worked as a schoolteacher. In fact, at the age of only 21, Marietta, along with Ashley Peirce and a Miss Fifield, opened the Union School of Valparaiso.
In 1856, Marietta married William Hays Peirce, a schoolteacher and son of another of Valparaiso’s pioneer families. William also worked part-time for the local train company. William and Marietta had three children, Hollis Andrew, Keziah McKibbin, and Wilhemena Rebecca, "Minnie".
In 1862, tragedy struck the family when William was killed in a freak railroad accident. Marietta was left to support three children all on her own.
After her husband's tragic death, Marietta remained in Valparaiso, working as a schoolteacher to support the family. In 1878, however, she decided to leave the area to make a new start. The records of the Presbyterian Church at Valparaiso indicated that she initially moved to Chicago. How long the family stayed there is not certain; however, Marietta eventually homesteaded in Minnesota, in Dunn Township, Otter Tail County, where she continued her work as a teacher and established a homestead.
Marietta must have been a strong woman, supporting her family while carving out a new life for herself on the frontier. According to family tradition, she was proud of her Vermont heritage; her Yankee spirit must have seen her through many tough times.
On 13 October 1893, her hard work paid off when her homestead claim was approved. Marietta secured a homestead in Dunn Township, Otter County consisting of "Lots numbered one, two, and three of Section eight in Township 137 North of Range 42 West, of the 5th Principal Meridian in Minnesota containing fifty-six acres."
A few years later, Marietta lived with her son, Hollis, and his family, at the Pierce family farm in Bemidji, Minnesota. Throughout her life, she would continue working as a teacher. In 1900, at the age of 67, Marietta was mentioned in the local newspaper: “Here is an item that few counties can equal. Last week, Mrs. A. M. Peirce, a lady nearly 70 years of age, finished teaching a successful term of school southeast of Bemidji.”
Marietta had a strong personality, and, as her grandchildren recalled, she “ruled the roost.” She was strict. Her granddaughter, Mabel Plummer, told her family that Marietta would not allow her granddaughters to wear pants--they had to always wear dresses with long-sleeves. The girls were not allowed to climb trees or engage in other rough play. She expected all of her grandchildren to live up to being the descendants of an old New England family that went back to the Mayflower.
In about 1912, Marietta moved to the Bay Area to live with her daughter Kezzie and Kezzie’s family. There she lived out the remainder of her years with her daughter and grandchildren. She lived to be 83 years, eight months, and twenty-six days old.
Biography written by her great-great grandson, David Pierce, September 7, 2014. If you decide to use the biography in your family history work, please give credit to me for writing the biography. Thank you.
Several of the Skinner children went by their middle names. In the Hardwick birth records, Marietta’s name was given as “Adelaide Mariette Skinner” though throughout her life she was known as Marietta.
Education was important to Marietta’s mother, Emily Ward Skinner, and Marietta must have received an excellent education. Throughout her life, Marietta worked as a schoolteacher. In fact, at the age of only 21, Marietta, along with Ashley Peirce and a Miss Fifield, opened the Union School of Valparaiso.
In 1856, Marietta married William Hays Peirce, a schoolteacher and son of another of Valparaiso’s pioneer families. William also worked part-time for the local train company. William and Marietta had three children, Hollis Andrew, Keziah McKibbin, and Wilhemena Rebecca, "Minnie".
In 1862, tragedy struck the family when William was killed in a freak railroad accident. Marietta was left to support three children all on her own.
After her husband's tragic death, Marietta remained in Valparaiso, working as a schoolteacher to support the family. In 1878, however, she decided to leave the area to make a new start. The records of the Presbyterian Church at Valparaiso indicated that she initially moved to Chicago. How long the family stayed there is not certain; however, Marietta eventually homesteaded in Minnesota, in Dunn Township, Otter Tail County, where she continued her work as a teacher and established a homestead.
Marietta must have been a strong woman, supporting her family while carving out a new life for herself on the frontier. According to family tradition, she was proud of her Vermont heritage; her Yankee spirit must have seen her through many tough times.
On 13 October 1893, her hard work paid off when her homestead claim was approved. Marietta secured a homestead in Dunn Township, Otter County consisting of "Lots numbered one, two, and three of Section eight in Township 137 North of Range 42 West, of the 5th Principal Meridian in Minnesota containing fifty-six acres."
A few years later, Marietta lived with her son, Hollis, and his family, at the Pierce family farm in Bemidji, Minnesota. Throughout her life, she would continue working as a teacher. In 1900, at the age of 67, Marietta was mentioned in the local newspaper: “Here is an item that few counties can equal. Last week, Mrs. A. M. Peirce, a lady nearly 70 years of age, finished teaching a successful term of school southeast of Bemidji.”
Marietta had a strong personality, and, as her grandchildren recalled, she “ruled the roost.” She was strict. Her granddaughter, Mabel Plummer, told her family that Marietta would not allow her granddaughters to wear pants--they had to always wear dresses with long-sleeves. The girls were not allowed to climb trees or engage in other rough play. She expected all of her grandchildren to live up to being the descendants of an old New England family that went back to the Mayflower.
In about 1912, Marietta moved to the Bay Area to live with her daughter Kezzie and Kezzie’s family. There she lived out the remainder of her years with her daughter and grandchildren. She lived to be 83 years, eight months, and twenty-six days old.
Biography written by her great-great grandson, David Pierce, September 7, 2014. If you decide to use the biography in your family history work, please give credit to me for writing the biography. Thank you.
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