Uncle Crigley Pierce

Uncle Crigley Pierce, and no I am not sure that is how it is spelled, was Pap Pierce’s youngest brother.  He is the reason Pap came to Texas from Tennessee.  Crigley came to Texas looking for a job.  He found work in Big Springs Texas.  So, Pap was having a hard time making a living.  Crigley told him to move to Texas and Pap moved to Texas in about nineteen twelve.  They both worked for the railroad for while.  Pap got a chance to move to Jonah Texas and work as share cropper.  Crigley eventually moved to Eola Texas close to San Angelo Texas.  So, I guess there were several years that they didn’t live close together. 

Daddy was very fond of Uncle Crigley.  He said he was one of the most likeable guys you would ever meet.  He had a wonderful personality.  He was always joking.  There was never a serious moment when you were around Uncle Crigley.  He never saw a stranger.  He would see some old dirty old man and he would ask daddy, “Frank, how would like to play him a game of dog?”  Now who would ever think to see the humor in the way dogs normally greet each other.  But Crigley saw humor in everything.  He borrowed money from every one he knew.  He used his gregarious personality to borrow money from every banker, every friend, every relative, and every church member he could find.  He owed money to virtually every one he knew.  He even talked daddy into letting him borrow money on his tractor and plow.  When he died, the bank confiscated daddy’s tractor and plow.  Crigley was an alcoholic.  This was during the prohibition, so the only thing Crigley could find to drink was vanilla extract.  Daddy said when you went in Crigleys outdoor toilet, it smelled just like vanilla pudding.  He was once asked what he would do if he inherited a million dollars, and he said, he would pay it on his debts as far as it went and the rest would have to do without.  I don’t know what year he died.  He wasn’t very old.  He was probably in his late forties or early fifties.  He committed suicide by drinking poison.  Daddy was the one that found him dead.  The empty bottle of poison was laying by his body and his lips had turned blue from the poison.  His wife and family would never accept the fact that he committed suicide.  Daddy said his wife went to grave believing he died of natural causes.  Daddy said he was the last person  you would expect to commit suicide.  Although daddy lost his tractor and plow because of Uncle Crigley, for some reason he never seemed to hold it against Crigley.  He always spoke fondly of Crigley.