Nolan O. Pierce was born July 19, 1930 on a farm near Gracemont, Oklahoma, the youngest of seven children of Robert Hammons Pierce and Ida May Price Pierce. As a member of a large family, he became an uncle when he was an infant. He loved his family and he thrived on the farm, working with his parents to raise crops and milk cows, doing the milking by hand. He also enjoyed his friends, and it was during an evening in the summer of 1950 that one of them introduced him to Barbara. He soon found himself falling in love with the woman he would marry and live with for 66 years. They were married on December 22, 1951. By the mid-1950’s Nolan was becoming increasingly adept as a farmer, but also became aware of another priority, discerning a call from God into the ministry. He said that he entered the ministry because of his relationship with God. It was not so much about being a minister, but about being faithful to that relationship that led him into his new vocation. He and Barbara left the farm and moved to Enid where he attended Phillips University and later, Phillips Graduate Theological Seminary. He served at the Christian Church in Brahman, Oklahoma as a student, then began his first full-time pastorate as an ordained minister at the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Berryville, Arkansas. He was drawn to social justice issues, and ably engaged in community activism with Barbara’s full support. At his second pastorate, the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Russellville, Arkansas, he supported racial integration in the church, and that congregation remains integrated and successful today. He was active in the ministry for 53 years, serving churches in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (CC-DOC) in Arkansas, Texas, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. His wife Barbara was ordained in the 1980’s, and after that he never accepted another call that did not include Barbara as a co-pastor. They served churches together for over 30 years. Their last church was a CC-DOC house church in Cozad, Nebraska, where they continued to share the love of God and an inclusive Gospel. He said the purpose of life was to realize that we are all one in God. Beloved memories include his gift of storytelling. He could make a long trip seem short by extemporaneously telling stories to match the terrain when traveling with his children or grandchildren. Additionally, you could take Nolan off of the farm, but you couldn’t take the farm out of Nolan. He had a green thumb and enjoyed working in the earth and growing vegetables and flowers. He also had a love for baseball. His team was the St. Louis Cardinals, and he often listened to the games on the radio in the car. If the kids could be attentive, they could listen with him. He attended games when he could and read many a copy of The Sporting News to keep up with his team. Barbara was his greatest love, and she preceded him in death. He is survived by their three children, Larry and his wife Gina of Estes Park, Colorado, Bonnie and her husband Gay of Muskogee, Oklahoma, and Harvey and his wife Shelly of Cozad, Nebraska, a sister-in-law, Vera Jones, of Oklahoma City, eight grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews that he dearly loved. He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings.
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