Biography: David Bower
The name Bower may have come from the German name Bauer, meaning farmer. The Bowers lived in a community of predominantly German heritage. The parents and ancestry of David Bower are unknown as yet.
David grew up the second of nine children, in a family that recognized education to be an opportunity, as his older brother became a doctor in the community. David practiced farming in Salem Township. He married Caroline Snyder, probably by 1852, and they had six children. When they had been married less that ten years, the Civil War began, and a combination of unfortunate choice and fate led to family tragedy.
Family tradition has it that before the war was over David was drafted to serve. He paid another man to go in his place, as was acceptable practice at the time. The war ended shortly after this agreement was made. Furthermore, David soon fell ill and in 1866 died of "white swelling". His wife Caroline was left with six children to raise, a farm to run, and the overwhelming $400 debt to repay. Her two sons were only eight and thirteen years old. Caroline gave the children to be raised by other families. Daughter Olive Bower was subsequently raised as a foster child in the home of Jacob and Clara Beals.
Both David and Caroline were buried at Salem Lutheran cemetery. Nearby is the stone of a child of "J. and M.E. Bower Died Mar. 1, 18(55/35)". This child belonged to to David's brother John, suggesting that he also lived in Salem township. The fact that the names of the other siblings of David Bower were known to the cemetery association suggests that his parents and entire family may have lived in the area. However it is also possible that the parents remained in (eastern PA)and that a descendant of John or David Bower, not knowning their names, provided the other information.
Interestingly, by the name of Caroline Snyder in the cemetery record is the unexplained notation "exhumed". It is not known whether her final burial was at Salem or elsewhere.
Olive Bower's granddaughter Ella Wilson wrote memories of the children of Paris Bower and Maria Rugh, who would have been her father's cousins. "Arthur Bower married Mattie and had twin daughters Zoe and Zora. One was a doctor; the other trained in elocution and entertained the troops during World War II. Effie Bower married Arthur Kaltenborn. He was a salesman for a company that made catalogues and they lived in Pittsburgh. They often spent weekends at our farm in Richland township, and sent us fantastic boxes of gifts. My first coat with hat to match came from them. Aunt Effie had been a telelphone operator when she was younger. Minnie Bower married Jake Minich; they had no children. Loy Bower married Lettie; they had no chldren. He worked for the railroad all his life. They lived in Canton, Ohio, and we visited them there while I was in high school. Later they lived in Pittsburgh. He had been hurt at his job and was retired. He made a miss-step between trains and had a bad leg injury. I adored them. Uncle Loy once carved a monkey out of a peach seed for me. Later they moved to Florida."
She also noted that six of the twelve children of Tacy Bower and Peter Shakely died in infancy, of diphtheria; and that their daughter Ila Shakely and Rex McElhatten resided at the Peter Shakely homestead at Crossorads, between Salem and Nickleville.
The above notes were compiled from the sources presented and from family sources by Olive Bower's great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Wilson Williams, who now has the peach seed monkey.
