James Lee Gier (1922 - 1975)

Born 25 Sep 1922 in St John Township, Harrison, Iowa, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Elsa Mae (Higley) Williams — married 20 Aug 1950 (to 24 Sep 1975) in San Bernardino, California, United States

Descendants

Died 24 Sep 1975 at age 52 in Fort Myers, Florida

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Ivy Hernandez [send private message] and James Gervais [send private message]

Biography

I don't know what kind of MD

He had! He found out he had it

About 12 yrs old! He steadily

Lost strength as he got older!

The High School he went to in

Council Bluff Iowa had classes

Up stairs, he quit at 11th grade

Because he would fall on the Stairs!!

From what I understand he became very bitter as the

Disease progressed and blamed

It on God, (He claimed he didn't

Believe in God)! Later he hitchhiked from Iowa to California

Where his Brother and Family had

Moved! His motivation was to go

To Gamble and Live a Wild life!

He got there and,to his dismay,

They had all experienced Salvation! Nothing but Church

And Gospel Tracts!! Wow, now

He was stuck with a bunch of

Crazy Family!! They finally got

Him in church! He caught the

Same thing They Had!!

Then someone introduced him

To a Beautiful little Lady with

Three little Boys!!!! Now Life is

Really on a Roll!! They and some

Of his relatives take off one night

And get Married!!!

Later they had a little girl to

Aggravate the boys!!😍

A year and a half later they answered their call to the

Mission Field and traveled to

New Mexico to minister to

The Indians!

The Church that sent them was

Non Denominational! Pastor

Leonard and Rozella Fox in

SanBernardino CA. They were

Their first missionaries!

They founded the Mission in

SanFidel N.Mex. in the early 50s

(Daughter: Faith Suzanne Gier Fowler,12 July 2017 )

My step grandfather, James Lee Gier, was the only grandpa I knew because all my biological ones had died before I was born. He was kind and loving. My brother and I enjoyed to ride in his lap on his electric wheel chair, and get hugs from him. He was a very family orientated person and did his best to support all of us in anyway that he could.

His brother, Charley who I called Uncle Bud, told us that he was in a gang when he was younger and was a rough guy. This life landed him in prison at the age of 22. He had tattoos on his hands from those days. He met and married my grandma in California. She already had three small boys at this time, one of which was my dad. Grandpa had muscular dystrophy that set him permanently into a wheelchair after my Aunt Suzy was born. It ran in his family because his sister Helen also succumbed to this disease. I don't know which side of the family the MD came from. Grandma and Grandpa dedicated their lives to Christ and entered the mission field in New Mexico. Life there was simple and sweet, and it provided plenty of room for four growing children to roam and play. He liked to wear turquoise and silver. I think it reminded him of those years.

I'm not sure why or when, but the family ended up in Fort Myers, Florida. There, he sold real estate and did very well with it during the acreage development boon in Florida. We attended church together most of the time. at Church of God mostly. I remember us getting kicked out of one church because grandma wore lipstick. I say us, because we all left that church and never regretted it. Her argument was face powder or lipstick...same difference. That church thought a pound of face powder was acceptable, but not grandmas red lipstick. He almost always wore a colorful scarf around his neck held with a clip or ring, a long sleeve dress shirt and dress pants. Every once in a while he would dawn a silver and turquoise bolo tie instead of the scarf.

He held the title of Reverend, but I am not quite sure how or what denomination he attained it from. I just know that he did perform weddings etc. for family and friends.

He loved his grandchildren and enjoyed having them at his home. Sundays after church the family often gathered there for the rest of the day. I would love to join the adults at the table and listen to their conversations. The other kids would usually watch TV or play outside. Grandpa always sat at the head of the table.

He depended on those around him to get him in and out of his chair, bed, car, and the bathroom, so he always kept things civil. I only saw him angry once in my life. He must of made my grandmother upset, and she wouldn't get him out of the bathroom. She left him there until she settled down, but that didn't take her too long. He kept yellin at her to come get him.

They had a little brindle dog named Sheri and another little black and white pug named Pugi. They also kept a tank of fantail goldfish for my aunt Suzy. There was even room behind the house for my mom's Arab, Tinker. The canal alongside half their property afforded other creatures to play with: fiddler crabs, and minnows. One time, the family all went fishing, and I caught an angel fish. When we got home, I wanted to put it back in the water so it would live. He turned his face away from me to hide his eyes as he explained to his little granddaughter that her little fish had died and that putting it in the water would not bring it back to life.

He loved to go out on the pontoon boat with family. At first, getting his wheel chair from the shoreline to the boat was a bit tricky and scary until the guys figured out how to use an old wheel chair carrier as a ramp. It was just an example of how he didn't let MD tie him down. As an adult, I look back and think WOW how unsafe it was, but as a kid, it was the greatest thing in the world to have him with us out on the boat.

I never thought of life without him, but when I was twelve, I remember mom being on the phone talking to aunt Suzy. Grandpa was in the hospital, and my cousin, Little Charlie, was bouncing on his belly while visiting him. I was jealous because I wanted to be there too, but my mom didn't think I should see him in that state. There didn't seem to be any warning or health issues leading up to those days. It wasn't long after that he passed away, and it seemed as if the family passed with him. Each small family group splintered from whole as some ended up in Ohio, some in Arkansas, and my little family eventually moved up to Ocala, FL. It was the end of a season in my life that would be cherished forever. (step Granddaughter: Ivy Lynn Masters Hernandez, 10 July 2017)

Sources

1922

Birth 25 September 1922

Name: James Lee Gier

Event Type: Birth

Event Date: 25 Sep 1922

Event Place: St John Township, Harrison, Iowa, United States

Gender: Male

Father's Name: Chas Lee Gier

Mother's Name: Maud Cora Garner

Certificate Number: 181

GS Film Number: 1513444

Digital Folder Number: 004266195

Image Number: 00365

Citing this Record:

"Iowa, County Births, 1880-1935," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJPD-Q84H : 20 May 2016), Chas Lee Gier in entry for James Lee Gier, 25 Sep 1922; citing St John Township, Harrison, Iowa, United States; county district courts, Iowa; FHL microfilm 1,513,444.

Name: James Lee Gier [James Gier]

SSN: 558204291

Gender: Male

Race: White

Birth Date: 25 Sep 1922

Birth Place: Missouri Valley, Iowa [Missouri Val]

Death Date: Sep 1975

Father: Charles [Lee] Gier

Mother: [Cora] Maude Garner

Disability Status: Disability established - [Muscular Dystrophy]

Type of Claim: Original SSN.

Notes:

Jul 1940: Name listed as JAMES LEE GIER

04 Jan 1988: Name listed as JAMES GIER

Found online at

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=Numident&h=21090036&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Vcy487&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&rhSource=70050

Source Information

Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.

Original data: Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007.

1940

United States Census (attached)

Name: James Lee Gier

Age: 17

Estimated birth year: abt 1923

Gender: Male

Race: White

Birthplace: Iowa

Marital Status: Single

Relation to Head of House: Son

Home in 1940: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California

Map of Home in 1940: View Map

Street: Mont Clair Street

House Number: 4215

Inferred Residence in 1935: Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska

Residence in 1935: Omaha, Douglas, Nebraska

Resident on farm in 1935: No

Sheet Number: 10B

Occupation: Painter Helper

Attended School or College: No

Highest Grade Completed: High School, 2nd year

Hours Worked Week Prior to Census: 26

Class of Worker: Wage or salary worker in private work

Weeks Worked in 1939: 26

Income: 200

Income Other Sources: No

Neighbors: View others on page

Found online at

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc=Hka851&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&gss=angs-g&new=1&rank=1&msT=1&gsfn=James%20Lee&gsfn_x=0&gsln=Gier&gsln_x=1&cpxt=1&cp=12&catbucket=rstp&MSAV=1&uidh=2fj&pcat=ROOT_CATEGORY&h=74118119&dbid=2442&indiv=1&ml_rpos=1

1942

James Lee Gier from California, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945

Name: James Lee Gier

Event Type: Draft Registration

Event Date: 02 Jul 1942

Event Place: Bell Gardens, Los Angeles, California, United States

Race: White

Complexion: Dark

Employer: Unemployed

Birth Date: 25 Sep 1922

Birthplace: Missouri Valley, Iowa

Height: 5 11

Weight: 135

Eye Color: Brown

Hair Color: Brown

Relative's Name: Maude Gier

"California, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGXB-6M3W : 2 March 2020), Maude Gier in household of James Lee Gier, Bell Gardens, Los Angeles, California, United States; from "Draft Registration Cards for California, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947." Database and images. Ancestry. (www.ancestry.com : n.d.); citing Draft Registration, Bell Gardens, Los Angeles, California, United States, citing NARA Records of the Selective Service System, 1926-1975. Record Group Number 147. NAID: 7644723. Records of the Selective Service System. The National Archives at St. Louis, Missouri, n.d.

1945

Prison and Correctional Records, 1851-1950 (attached)

Name: James L. Gier

Birth Date: 25 Sep 1922

Birth Place: Iowa

Record Date: 23 Jan 1945

Place of Crime: Los Angeles, California, USA

Institution Place: San Quentin, Marin, California, USA

Age: 22

Prisoner Number: 983

Source Citation California State Archives; Sacramento, California; Secretary of State California State Archives San Quentin Prison Registers

Source Information Ancestry.com. California, Prison and Correctional Records, 1851-1950 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.

Original data: Department of Corrections. Folsom State Prison Records, 1879–1949. ID #R136, California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Department of Corrections. San Quentin State Prison Records, 1850–1950. ID #R135, California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Department of Corrections. Youth Authority Dept. Records, 1872–1950. ID #R233, California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California .

Document found online at

http://interactive.ancestry.com/8833/40476_332990-00225?pid=116023&backurl=http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26db%3DCaliforniaPrison%26h%3D116023%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3DVcy487%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26rhSource%3D2442&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Vcy487&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true

1950

Marriage

Buzz Gier married Elsie Mae Higley Masters on 20 August 1950. (documentation needed)

1951?

Child Born

Faith Suzanne Gier was born to Buzz and Elsie Gier (documentation needed)

1975

Death

Place of death: Lee Memorial Hospital, Fort Myers, Florida (as recalled by his step granddaughter, Ivy Hernandez)

Birth: Sep. 25, 1922

Death: Sep. 24, 1975

Burial: Sylamore Cemetery , Sylamore, Izard County, Arkansas, USA

Created by: Shirley Burks Wells

Record added: Nov 15, 2006

Find A Grave Memorial# 16665105

Found online at

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=16665105