Frazee’s eldest alumni passes away at age of 103

Editor’s note: The recent passing of Florence Louise Daniels Pierson was recently brought to the attention of the Forum. Florence was born in Frazee in 1920 and according to her family, she was very likely the oldest surviving alumni of Frazee High School (Class of 1938). She was always very proud of her “small town” roots and loved going back for Turkey Days and All-School reunions. Below is an autobiography and a second writing where she discussed schooling in Frazee this past January that were submitted to the Forum by her son Dan Pierson.

Florence was born October 16, 1920 in Frazee, the third child of Howard and Mary Daniels.

She had a happy carefree childhood, growing up in a small town, taking part in the usual activities at school, church, 4-H etc. Times were not too easy for her family during the depression years, but everyone was in the same boat and, as small towns do, they all hung together with a special closeness and made the best of what they had.

Florence and her brother, Ray (Buster) were best pals as kids and were referred to by some as the Bobbsey Twins….Florence wore her hair in a boyish bob and, true, they looked much the part. As the years went by and Florence outgrew being the pesty “little sister,” Dorothy and she became very close, working with youth groups and 4-H especially. 

Dorothy developed a heart condition which greatly inhibited her physical activity but not her creative ability. They frequently joked that Dorothy was the brains and Florence was the brawn! They both worked for the local telephone company….Dorothy as head operator and Florence a relief operator. When Frazee went modern, to dial telephones, in lieu of the “hello operator” days, Florence moved on to the toll center in Detroit Lakes. Dorothy manned the “Sympathetic Ear” at home answering the trouble calls in Frazee. It was in May, 1941 that Dorothy developed double pneumonia and, along with her bad heart, succumbed at the tender age of 25. 

At her funeral Bob Wells (the music director at school) sang “Oh Dry Those Tears”….a favorite of Dorothy’s. Some 50 years later, (1990) at an All-School reunion, they again met and, after much reminiscing, he agreed to record that song for Florence after he returned home. Now it is Florence’s request (if convenient) that it be played at her memorial service. Please consider the ages of Bob and his sister…they were pushing 80 at the time of the recording (1990).

In Oct. 1942, early in World War II, Florence joined the Navy….she was the first enlisted WAVE from Becker County. After 3 months of boot camp and radio training in Madison, Wisconsin, she was stationed the rest of three years in Corpus Christi, Texas. 

Those were serious times and some not so serious times….For instance, when she was picked up by the shore-patrol for being out of uniform (in civilian recreation clothes before regulation sports attire was issued) and having to ride in the brig wagon before getting cleared by the Officer of the Day! And then there was the motorcade for President Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt when they visited the Air Station…..she was chosen to drive the camera truck and almost destroyed the crew and cameras on the back while she desperately tried to clutch and shift smoothly! The rest of the WAVES lucked out, driving automatic Cadillac convertibles!

After her discharge in Oct. 1945, as a Radioman 2nd Class, she met Harold Alan Pierson (HAP) and they were married in Frazee, June 22, 1946. For the few months before their wedding, she worked in Dr. Ellingson’s office in Detroit Lakes as a receptionist and nurse’s aide, fulfilling part of a one-time dream of wanting to be a nurse.

After their marriage they moved to Denver and while Hap worked at the Denver Post, Florence enjoyed being employed at the Denver Dry Goods Store in the housewares and small appliances department. 

Two years later, with the help of the mortgage company, they bought their little home at 520 Tennyson St. for $6,300. During the next three years they were blessed with two wonderful sons, Hal Alan and Howard Daniel (Danny). This was a new, young neighborhood and each of the families moving in had children, too….Panolas, Mortensons, Guys, Pughs, Strauchs. The “kids” had a fun time playing together and the mothers took time daily for their coffee-klatches. Life was less stressful in those days.

Florence and Hap shared a number of enjoyable hobbies….raising and showing Siamese cats was one. They had some of the first Chocolate Point Siamese in Denver. They purchased an old A B Dick mimeograph to use for printing newsletters, etc. for the Cat Fanciers organization and Florence ended up doing MANY various jobs with it.

Photography turned into an avocation for them. Hap manned the cameras for weddings, school class pictures, Jr. Police band, Christmas cards, Elks, reunions, etc. and Florence manned the darkroom.

When Florence’s mother was suffering from cancer in 1954, Florence, Hal and Dan spent a couple of months in Frazee helping with her care. After her mother’s death, Florence’s Dad came to live in Denver with her family. They built an addition to their home for him and there were 7 happy years shared until his death in 1961.

As the boys were entering Jr. High and High School, Florence again started working outside their home….first in the lunchroom at North High School for three years, then for a short time at the City and County of Denver Planning Office and finally at the IRS for the next 18 years.

The dissolution of their marriage in 1975 was a difficult time, but with a lot of support from her family and friends, life did get better.

That same year, Florence, Hap and Dan went back to St. Paul to Hal and Dianne’s beautiful and fun wedding and then helped them move to Denver and eventually build their own home.

Florence invested in a 4-plex and carriage lot in 1976 and acquired a City Special Use Permit to park cars on the carriage lot for certain Mile-Hi Stadium events, such as Bronco games and concerts. She really enjoyed the excitement and friendships made from this activity until Zoning canceled all residential parking lot permits in 1997.

Dan and Ruth Ann were married in 1978 (until 1990). In 1982 Adam Oliver Pierson was born and, of course, he was “Grandma’s pride and joy!” She was delighted when he married Michele in 2012 and OVERJOYED when they blessed her with two great grandchildren, Annagrace Florence in 2015 and James Barry in 2018.

Retirement from IRS came for Florence in 1983 but her life continued to be full of activities…..enjoying her grandson, caring for her 4-plex, doing yard work, volunteering at the library, then at Newlon school (helping the first graders with their reading), sewing quilts and lap robes at the Senior Center for hospitals, nursing homes and the needy, doing volunteer mending for residents at Eaton Communities, bowling, metal detecting and fun days now and then at Central City. With the housing shortage and building boom around Denver in 2015, Florence decided it was time to sell her 4-plex and retired from that responsibility….leaving her on a gentler coaster ride, enjoying life until the end of her days.

When the coronavirus hit the world, including the U.S. in 2020, all of our lives were interrupted, staying home, major hand washing, disinfecting, wearing masks, social distancing, etc. She signed on through e-mail to volunteer with the “Mask Mavens” to sew cotton masks to be donated to nursing homes, or any organization or people who requested them. She made her goal of over 1,000 masks from April until her 100th birthday in October.

I leave you willingly and happily with love,

Mom/Florence/Grandma/Greatgrandma/and Friend

From Florence Pierson, January 2024

What was the most valuable thing you learned or gained in school?

I started first grade in 1927. We didn’t have kindergarten at Frazee Public School. Frazee was a small town, boasting around 1,000 people. My class consisted of about 32 children. I was the third child in our family and always had a number of children in the neighborhood to play with, so actually starting school was just an experience of having more children to add to my collection of friends.

Small town schools, of course, back in 1927-1938 for me, can in no way be compared to City Public Schools in the current 2000 era.

I liked all of my teachers, perhaps in different ways. I learned great respect for them. My mother always invited all the grade school teachers yearly to a dinner to say “thank you for your service.” This was so special for me, I was so in “awe” of these special individuals. Later school days found a different attraction and appreciation for the educators on an adult level. I grew to acknowledge their patience and perseverance in their responsibilities of transmitting ‘education’ to sometimes reluctant (or obnoxious, in my case,) students. Grade school teachers, Miss Lindberg, Miss Coval, Miss Edlund, Mrs. Dupont, Mrs. Bates, Miss Nelson, each personality showed patience, caring and set exemplary examples. They each made school a ‘looked forward to’ event. I’m sure my small town school didn’t compete in any way with larger schools with larger social and educational problems. Grade school more or less consisted of the whole class following the administered curriculum. Each child was involved and participated in any of the activities as they emerged. Being involved, encouraged and sharing experiences with all our classmates, I’m certain made a lasting mark on our growing years regarding cooperation, communication and consideration. One assignment in my lower grades was to write the ‘story of your life’. I don’t remember my story, but I DO remember the first lines of it –’TO BE OR NOT TO BE, THAT IS THE QUESTION. I CHOOSE TO BE’ and I got an “A” on that paper. Perhaps that encouragement led to my enjoyment of writing.

During Jr. High School and High School years, more avenues were available to choose classes that encouraged the direction we most likely preferred to pursue. More extracurricular opportunities emerged, and again, in a smaller school there were more opportunities to be involved and experience these activities. I was on the girls’ basketball team but I was not a very good player…. still, I was encouraged to do my best, because the school needed me. I played in the ‘pep band’ and was available to play my instrument at all the sporting events because I enjoyed that! Some things we do in life are because of necessity, for the good of all. I’ve learned other things you do for the good of ‘self’ and you just WANT to. Each reason is important…. I learned that in school!

School in a small town, including the surrounding country, is just like a large extended family…. Not only do most of the children interact with each other, but also, complete families interact in and outside of school activities. The educators also extend their sojourn with the related families, making ‘one on one’ opportunities more available. I am so blessed to be born and raised in Frazee with all the traits, good and not so good, of small town life. I value my relationships with good friends gleaned in school and socially, who have stayed with me my whole life. Although my life span has exceeded most of my peers (at present I am the oldest living Frazee High School graduate), the close relationships and guidance I had during my formative school years, continues to have an impact on my attitudes and the kind of life that surrounds me.

It is almost impossible to come up with a single most valuable thing I learned or gained in school, besides it being a large part of molding my life. Mostly I guess, it would be my realization that there are all kinds of people, as in the world, and that there should be ways to coexist.

If all else fails, let’s just “brighten the corner, where we are.”