Charles Pierce

Charles R. Pierce, 87, a Kerrville resident since 1979, entered into rest July 1, 2004 at a local hospital.Mr. Pierce was born August 9, 1916 in St. Paul, Minnesota to Lawrence Raymond and Fannye M. Pierce. The family moved to Appleton, Wisconsin in 1917, where he attended grade school, high school, and Lawrence College majoring in Business Administration. He also attended the University of Wisconsin where he majored in Mechanical Engineering. After graduating he worked for the Kimberly Clark corporation doing experimental cooking and testing of products. At the beginning of WWII he began he became affiliated with the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Corporation in Wisconsin as the assistant to the Chief Marine Engineer, and worked there for five years. In 1946 he moved to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas where he taught Mathematics and Auto Mechanics. On June 13, 1947 he married Dorothy Petitjean in Corpus Christi, TX. In 1948, they purchased a restaurant business Pierces Restaurant in downtown Edinburg, TX next to Pan America College. He served on the Rio Grande Valley Restaurant Association Board of Directors for 15 years, and was chosen Restaurateur of the Year in 1969. He remained in the cafe business for 25 12 years. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, active in the Shriners Crippled Childrens program, a Rotary Club member and past secretarytreasurer for nine years. He loved to travel and also to spend time working in his garden.He is preceded in death by his wife Dorothy Pierce, a sister, and his parents.Survivors include brothersinlaw, Donald Petitjean and his wife Laverne of Wimberley Bernard Petitjean and his wife Lu of Gardena, CA and eight nieces and nephews.Interment will be at a later date at Riverside Cemetery in Appleton, Wisconsin.In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Masonic Lodge.

---