This is my g-grandmother, Sarah A. Callender. She was the wife of William Randall Pierce. They married 11 November 1867 in Copiah County, MS.; shortly after his return from the Civil War. She died of typhoid fever. My grandfather was only 6 years old.

The lower two photos were taken in September 2001 when we visited her grave for the first time. Many thanks go to a distant cousin, John Townsend of Louisiana, who back in 2001 found it for me. Thank you so very much cousin John.

And the new one here by Dan Johnson shows her marker cleaned, up-righted and cemented in place with new parameters around the entire cemetery. Thanks to the Copiah Sons of the Revolution including Mike Webb & Dan Johnson who made this possible in 2009.

Dearest Sarah,
Your tombstone stands among the rest;
neglected and alone
The name and date are chiseled out
on polished, marbled stone
It reaches out to all who care
It is too late to mourn
You did not know that I exist
You died and I was born.
Yet each of us are cells of you
in flesh, in blood, in bone.
Our blood contracts and beats a pulse
entirely not our own.
Dear Ancestor, the place you filled
one hundred years ago
Spreads out among the ones you left
who would have loved you so.
I wonder if you lived and loved,
I wonder if you knew
That someday I would find this spot,
and come to visit you
Author: Unknown

All my love, Leslie Pierce Royce.

CENSUS: 1850 United States Federal Census
Name: Sarah A H Callendar
Age: 6
Birth Year: abt 1844
Birthplace: Mississippi
Home in 1850: Copiah, Mississippi
Gender: Female
Family Number: 863
Household Members: Name Age
Robert S Callendar 40
Jamima Callendar 32
Elizabeth J Callendar 15
William A Callendar 11
Evan L Callendar 9
Sarah A H Callendar 6 **
Mary M Callendar 3

CENSUS: 1860 United States Federal Census
Name: Sarah Callender
Age in 1860: 16
Birth Year: abt 1844
Birthplace: Mississippi
Home in 1860: Copiah, Mississippi
Gender: Female
Value of real estate:
Household Members: Name Age
R S Callender 50
Even Callender 18
Sarah Callender 16 **
Mary Callender 12
Nancy Callender 8

CENSUS:1870 United States Federal Census
Name: Sarah Pierce
Age in 1870: 25
Birth Year: abt 1845
Birthplace: Mississippi
Home in 1870: Townships 9 and 10 west of RR, Copiah, Mississippi
Race: White
Gender: Female
Post Office: Linden
Value of real estate: View image
Household Members:
Name Age
Randle Pierce 26
Sarah Pierce 25 **
Henry A Pierce 1

1880 United States Federal Census
Name: Sarah A. Pierce
Age: 33
Birth Year: abt 1847
Birthplace: Mississippi
Home in 1880: Beat 3, Copiah, Mississippi
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Wife
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: W. R. Pierce
Father's Birthplace: Louisiana
Mother's Birthplace: Louisiana
Neighbors: View others on page
Occupation: Keeping House
Cannot read/write:
Blind:
Deaf and Dumb:
Otherwise disabled:
Idiotic or insane:
View image
Household Members:
Name Age
W. R. Pierce 34
Sarah A. Pierce 33 **
Henry A. Pierce 11
James J. Pierce 9
William A. Pierce 7
Connelious Pierce 4
Anna J. Pierce 1