James Nelson Pierce

At an earlier age, James worked at International Harvester for several years and later drove from California to Indiana to pick up his four sons in a 1965 Corvair, drove back with them and got a job managing a chicken ranch with them that had 50,000 laying hens.

He loved nature and flowers and was very interested in becoming a writer. One of his fondest memories was the horseback trip he took in 1981 on Menlo to the Sierra Mountains where he met Larry Mills Sr. and his family at Fraser Flat.

James is survived by his sons, Joseph Allen Pierce of Fort Wayne, Indiana; Jonathon J. Pierce and Jerry Lee Pierce both of California; grandchildren, Jim Pierce, Nicole Wagner-Pickering, Maxwell Pierce, Matthew Pierce, William Pierce; and several great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a son, James Pierce; brother, Richard Pierce; and his sister, Rosemary.

A memorial gathering will be held from 1:00 – 3:00 pm on Friday May 29, 2026, at D.O. McComb and Sons Lakeside Park Funeral Home, 1140 Lake Avenue, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Memorial contributions may be made to Camp Care, P.O. Box 35072, Charlotte, North Carolina 28235.