Cab Pierce Dies of Long Illness Saturday Night

Abner Cab Pierce lifelong resident of Dyer County highly esteemed citizen and former member of the Dyer County Court, died here Saturday night at 8 o'clock at Parkview Hospital. He was eighty -- two.

Born in Dyer County, Mr. Pierce was the son of the late John F. Pierce and the late Mrs. Ozella Stephenson Pierce, members of prominent pioneer families. A land owner, he farmed for many years and his family was known throughout West Tennessee for the breeding of fine horses. Mr. Pierce attended public schools in Dyer County and Dyersburg and later took a course in business administration at the well known Fowling Green Business College at Bowling Green, Kentucky.

After his retirement from his vocation as a farmer, Mr. Pierce moved to Dyersburg forty -- six years ago where he had resided since. As a member of the Dyer County Court, he was a City of Dyersburg magistrate. He maintained a trail docket and during his administration conducted hundreds of preliminary hearings in criminal cases and also heard civil suits under his jurisdiction. His court was one of the most active and best known in West Tennessee, and his reputation as a trail magistrate was the highest standard. Mr. Pierce was a member of the First Christian Church here.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Kate Claiborne Pierce; two daughters, Mrs. Virginia Johnson and Miss. Zelda Pierce, both of Dyersburg; a granddaughter, Mrs. James B. Pirtle of Miami, Florida; two great - grandchildren, James B. Pirtle Jr., Kathryn Daryle Pirtle, both of Miami; three sisters, Mrs. Clabe Ray of Dyersburg, Mrs. Bill Hackney of Memphis and Mrs. Bryant Shaw of Leachville, Arkansas; and one brother, W. T. Pierce of Memphis. Funeral services were held at three o'clock this afternoon in the chapel of Curry Funeral Home. The rites were said by the Reverend Orby Beard, minister of the First Christian Church. Burial was in Fairview cemetery here. Serving as pallbearers were, Carl McDonald, Fred Johnson, Joe P. Ray, John Henry Ray, Woodrow Pierce and Bobby Diggs.