Obituary of Elaine Pierce

Buren Elaine Magruder Pierce, an 88-year-old resident of St. Charles, MO, died December 25, 2013, at the Breeze Park Lutheran Care Center in St. Charles. Mrs. Pierce was born on August 19, 1925, in Poynor, MO, to the late Willie and Celia May Pennington Magruder. She lived in Poynor, worshipped at the Poynor Baptist Church, and graduated from Doniphan High School in 1943. During World War II, she worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation classifying fingerprints in Washington, DC. She married Leslie Lee Pierce in Pochahontas, AR, when he was on leave from the war, and they eventually settled in St. Louis after Leslie began working for Monsanto. They had four children, three sons and one daughter, although the oldest son only lived one day. Elaine was a homemaker and professional seamstress who enjoyed reading, sewing, and spending time with family and friends. She was gregarious and loved to laugh. She was preceded in death by her husband, Leslie, who died on January 7, 1988. Also preceding her in death were one brother - Ward Deford Magruder - and two sisters - Lila Irene Dennis and Hilda Martin. She is survived by one brother, Arriel Clifton Magruder of Decatur, IL; two sons - Thomas Leslie Pierce and his wife Catherine Phillips of Atlanta, GA, and Jeff Pierce and his wife Jennifer of St. Louis; and one daughter, Andrea Elaine Haynes, and her husband Michael of Arlington, VA; two grand-daughters, Karen Pierce and Celeste Haynes; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Visitation and funeral will be Friday, January 3, 2014, at Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan, MO. Visitation will be from 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. with funeral services immediately following and burial at Poynor Cemetery.