Unknown Bower
| Date | Location | Notes | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | PA | [1] | ||
| Marriage | wife b. PA | [1] | ||
| Death | ||||
| Burial |
Ancestry chart segment
Generation 4 Generation 5 Generation 6
+-- Unknown Bower
| (????-????)
+-- David Bower --+
| (1825-1866) |
Olive Samantha Bower --+ +-- [unknown]
(1862-1895) | (????-????)
+-- Caroline Snyder
(1831-1905)
Sources: [6][7]
Children
| Name | Gender | Date of Birth | Birthplace | Spouse | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. John Bower | M | ~1823 | PA | Mary Giltner | [2][6] | |
| Rachel Bower | F | John August | [2] | |||
| David Bower | M | 1826 | PA | Caroline Snyder | [2][6] | |
| Barbara Bower | F | ~1830 | PA | Reuben Disler | [2][3] | |
| Reuben N. Bower | M | ~1835 | PA | Lydia Disler | [2][4] | |
| Jesse Bower | M | [2] | ||||
| Charles Bower | M | ~1840 | Matilda unknown | per 1880 census [2][5] | ||
| Elizabeth Bower | F | [2] | ||||
| Samuel Bower | M | [2] |
Places of Residence
| Location | Dates | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| PA | birth, expect ~ in 1800 +/- | [1] | |
| expect Clarion Co, PA | by 1840-1850 | children known to community | [2] |
| possibly went to IA | son's family went to IA; grave not yet found in PA |
[1]
|
Sources
| Ref. Num. | Description | Image of original |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1880 United States Federal Census, District 77, Jackson Twp, Guthrie Co, IA, page 28. Guthrie Center, Valley Fork. Census dated 5-6 June, 1880. Lines 45 -49: John Bower, 57, physician, born PA (parents born PA); Ella, 42, wife, keeping house, b. Ohio, (parents born PA); Mary Lockmiller, 13, step-dau., at school, b. Ohio,( father b. VA, mother OH); John R. Lockmiller, 9, step-son, b. Iowa,(father b. VA, mother b. OH), attended school; David Bower, 3, son, b. IA, (father b. PA, mother b. OH). |
 |
| 2 | Cemetery Association Record listing the siblings of David Bower, 1826-1856. | transcription |
| 3 | 1860 U.S. Census Venango Co. PA, Richland Twp., pg. 28. Date of census 22 June 1860. Rheuben Disler age 28, farmer, $4000 real estate, $150 personal estate; Barbara age 30; Children: Catherin 5, Melinda R, Maria 3, John 1. All born in PA. |
 |
| 4 | 1860 U.S. Census Clarion Co. PA,Salem Twp., pg 13. Date of census 29 June 1860. Lines 30-32 list Reuben N. Bower age 25, blacksmith, no real estate value, personal estate value $130; Lydia age 21, Elura, female 9 mos. All born in PA. |
 |
| 5 | 1880 U.S. Census Venango Co. PA, Jackson Twp, pg. 8. Date of census 7 June 1880. Lines 24-26: Charles Bower, age 40, laborer; wife Matilda, age 41; son Orva, age 3. All, and all parents, born PA. |  |
| 6 | Research Manuscript of Ella May Beals (Wilson) researched 1975-1985, including personal knowledge and interviews of her siblings Robert Beals and Bertha Beals (Chambers), and of her aunt Mary P. Kline (Fillgrove). | |
| 7 | Personal correspondence from Elizabeth Wilson Williams. | N/A
|
Conjecture
Since so many families is the Clarion-Venango Counties border area migrated from Lehigh County, it is worth noting that Michael Brey, (whose daughter married Olive Bower's father-in-law), owned land in Upper Milford township, (in then Northampton, later Lehigh County) in 1806, near land of a Henry Bauer. Also a land transaction by one Joseph Klein in October of 1865 mentions land of the "late John Bower', in Salisbury township.
Research
1850 U.S. Census, Reserve T., Allegheny Co. PA, Pg 4 line 42 & pg 5 line 1-4. Sarah Bower, 41, no occupation listed, $1200 real estate. Children: Samuel E. , 11; Albert ?, 9; Charles, 8; Mary E., 6. Sarah Bower born in England, all children born PA.
If the father were dead and the older children migrated to Clarion Co. area from elsewhere, this family might be the mother and younger children. It would require that Mary E. be Elizabeth, and that Albert be Jesse, to match the names listed by the Salem Lutheran Cemetery Assoc. , for which the ages/birth dates are unknown.
No matching Jesse Bower, Charles Bower, Samuel Bower, Elizabeth Bower, Rachel Bower, or John August has been found in 1850 or 1860 for Clarion or Venango Counties.
*1850 Census Farmington Twp., Clarion Co. pg 20, Aug. 14 or 17, 1850. Ln. 7-11: John Bower, age 56 farmer, $500 real estate; wife Anna Marie age 55; children: Frederick age 25, farmer, $800 real estate; Barbara age 19; Joseph age 17. All born in Germany except Joseph born in PA.
Note: The child Barbara is a match to the children listed by the Salem Lutheran cemetery board, the other 2 children are not; the location in Farmington Twp. is in the northeast corner of Clarion Co.; the German origins are expected.
*1850 census Fairfield Twp., Crawford Co. PA, pg. 11, Oct. 1850 (no day listed). Ln 1-2: Henry Bower age 66, farmer, $300 real estate. Wife Elizabeth age 62. Both born in Germany. Note: Crawford Co. PA is in northwestern corner of the state (south of Erie), main city is Meadville. It shares a boundary with Venango Co.
* 1850 census Columbia Co. PA, Briar Creek Twp., 9Aug. 1850, ancestry.com pages 12-13 shows several Bower families living in proximity. Pg. 12, ln 21-25 Michael Bower age 69 , wife Mary 62, son George M. 27 & his wife, & a grandson. Pg. 12 ln 41-42 Solomon Bower age 62, wife, & on pg 13 ln 1-8, their 8 children (do not match siblings in Salem Lutheran Cemetery Assoc. record). Other Bowers in proximity: Pg. 12 ln.10 Isaiah Bower, 21; ln. 11 Solomon Bower, 44 & family; ln. 26 John Bower 29, wife Elizabeth Ann 23,& family; ln. 32 Reuben Bower 35 & family; pg 13 ln 35 Jacob Bower 37 & family.
All Bowers on these 2 pages born in PA. The most likely possibility for parents of John Bower, David Bower, & siblings are the Michael & Mary Bower on pg.12, line 21-22. Their son George appears to be the same age as our direct line David Bower's oldest known brother John, b. 1823. George could have married in Columbia Co. and stayed behind while the rest of siblings migrated to Clarion Co., but this scenario seems unlikely. It is unusual for an entire family of sons & daughters to migrate together, without parents.
