28. Isabella "Belle" Grieve

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Daughter of Henry "Harry" Grieve & Margaret Speedy. Born 26 Jan 1862 in Harvey. Died 15 Nov 1957 in St. Joseph's Hospital, Comox, BC. Buried in Courtenay Civic Cemetery, Section A.

Isabella was born in New Brunswick and moved to Vancouver Island with her parents, siblings and other relatives, and the Piercy family in 1875.

Isabella was one of the oldest old-timers in the Comox Valley at the time of her death at age 96.

Copied from newspaper obituary (1957)
Mrs S. Piercy
Courtenay Resident 82 years
Courtenay - Comox Valley's oldest pioneer, Mrs Sam Piercy, died Friday in St. Joseph's Hospital after a month's illness.
   

Mrs Piercy, who would have been 96 in January, came to the Courtenay district 82 years ago from New Brunswick with her parents, the late Mr and Mrs Henry Grieve.  The family took up residence on the back road, then homesteaded at Grantham six miles north of Courtenay.
   

Mrs Piercy was married 75 years ago in Victoria and she and her husband created one of the finest farms on Vancouver Island on Headquarters Road.
   

Predeceased by her husband in 1914, Mrs Piercy remained at the farm until moving to Courtenay about 1942.
   

In her active years, Mrs Piercy served for a long period as secretary of the Ladies Aid of the former St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church; was a charter member of the Canadian Daughters' Assembly and later in the Old Age Pensioners Organization.
   

Of a family of 11, three daughters are the only survivors, Mrs M. Annand, Sandwick, Mrs Maida McKenzie, Courtenay, and Mrs Ethel Harding, Portland.
   

A granddaughter Mrs Piercy raised since whe was one year old, Mrs Dorothy Martinell, now lives in Montana.
   

There are also 20 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren.

She married Samuel Johnson Piercy, son of Matthew Piercy & Agnes Moffitt, 28 Jan 1884 in Victoria, B.C. Born 23 Dec 1855 in Harvey, NB. Died 30 Dec 1914 in Los Angeles, California. Buried 7 Jan 1915 in Courtenay Civic Cemetery, Section A. Occupation Farmer. Religion Presbyterian.

Sam was the ninth of twelve children of Matthew Piercy (1814-1889) and Agnes (Nan) Moffitt (1815-1886).  He came to the Comox Valley, Vancouver Island in 1875 with his family and later married Belle Grieve who had come to the Valley with her family.  Sam and Belle farmed on the lower Sandwick Road where they raised seven children of the eleven born.  Sam started the first milk route to Cumberland, a job he carried out for nine years.  He cut ice blocks from Maple Lake, Cumberland, to supply the cooling system for his dairy products.

Copied from newspaper obituary - 1914:
Funeral of S. J. Piercy
Mr S. J. Piercy was born in New Brunswick in the year 1855.  His parents came from the Old Country and settled in N.B. in the year 1837.  There was a large family of children, some which still live in the east.  In 1875, Mr Piercy came to Comox and settled on "Oak Hill" farm, where he lived to his death.
   

He was a successful farmer and an obliging neighbour, and took a deep interest in the welfare of the community.  Failing health compelled him, in company with Mrs Piercy, to seek the warmer climate of California, but in vain, for on Dec 30th, he quietly passed away in Los Angeles.  His remains were brought to Comox for interment, which took place on Jan 7th.  In spite of the very inclement weather a very large company of people assembled at the home of the deceased, and the Courtenay L.O.L. of which Mr Piercy was a member, turned out in a body to pay their last respects to their deceased Bro.
   

St. Andrew's Presbyterian church was filled to overflowing by a congregation which listened with wrapt attention to the solemn and impressive service, conducted by Rev. Thos. Menzies, after which the body was interred, with Mr Menzies officiating for the church, which was followed by the service of the Orange Association.
   

He leaves to mourn his loss, his widow, Mrs Piercy, and five children, Mrs Annard, Mrs J. W. McKenzie Jr., Matt, Ethel, and Edna, besides two sisters living in N.B., a brother, Mr John Piercy, of Courtenay, two sisters, Mrs Jos. McPhee, of Courtenay, and Mrs W. H. Grieve, of Sandwick.
   

Among those who attended the funeral were Mr Isaac Grieve, of Kamloops, Mr and Mrs Isaac Parkin, of Nanaimo, and Mrs Woodus of Oyster River.

Notes from the book, "Piercy -- A Family Tree, 1814 - 1979":
Sam and Isabella, his parents and a brother and family moved into the first frame house in the district.  He was an industrious pioneer and cleared land to build a large home and farm on the lower Sandwick Road, where they raised seven children; two sons and five daughters surviving the original eleven born.
   

He had a dairy, stock animals, fine horses and farm produce which made a good living for the family.  Most of the early Sandwick teachers boarded there, enjoying the good farm fare and the happy, well organized home.  It was the gathering place of the community, full of hospitality and good times.
   

He and his father deeded an acre of land on the hill which is part of the cemetery and helped the pioneers build the church which is now restored.  He was an elder there for many years.

Belle and Sam had a large family.   

They had the following children:
132 i. Agnes Margaret "Maggie" Piercy
133 ii. Sarah "Fanny" Piercy
134 iii. Matthew Fraser Piercy
135 iv. Ellen Isabelle Piercy
136 v. Mary Jane "Maida" Piercy
137 vi. Alvin Henry Piercy
138 vii. Ethel Annie Piercy
139 viii. Archie Lister Piercy
140 ix. Edna Adeline Piercy
141 x. Jean Piercy