Bowers, William Sr

William BOWERS (1787 - 1859) and Sabra CHRISTIE (1818 - 1862)

my 3g-grandparents

William BOWERS was born about 1787, in Virginia. We know this from the 1850 US Census (below), in which he was 63. No records have been found for William before 1842. Family lore says that he served in the War of 1812. 

William married Sabra (CHRISTIE) BARNES, a widow with 2 sons in 1842, in Newton County, AR. William was 55, Sabra was 24. Sabra was part Cherokee, born in Tennessee, about 1818. She had come to Arkansas in 1835, possibly in the infamous Trail of Tears. Sabra's sons, from her first husband, were born in Arkansas, 1838 and 1841. William and Sabra had 6 children, settling in Driggs, Logan (then Franklin), AR. William died about 1859, and Sabra in 1862, age 44, both in Logan (then Johnson) County. In 1862 the 6 children, ages 6 to 19, had lost both their parents.

DNA evidence

On AncestryDNA, I have 30 close matches who also trace their ancestry back to William BOWERS Sr and Sabra CHRISTIE. This seems to confirm that they are my ancestors.

Rory BOWERS has suggested that the parents of William BOWERS Sr were Andrew Jackson BOWERS and Catherine CAMPBELL. To support this, I have a close match who claims to be a 4g-granddaughter of George W. BOWERS, and another who claims to be a 4g-grandson of Andrew Jackson BOWERS Jr. It seems likely that William, George and Andrew Jr were all sons of Andrew Sr and Catherine. I tentatively list them:

1 Andrew Jackson BOWERS Sr b: 16 Feb 1753 in York, PA, d: 03 Nov 1833 in Grainger, TN
+ Catherine CAMPBELL
......2 George BOWERS b: 1783 in Rockingham, VA, d: 07 Apr 1856 in Carroll, VA
......  + Sarah "Sally" SHORT b: 1792 in VA, m: 25 Apr 1809 in Grayson, VA, d: 15 Jul 1877 in Carroll, VA
......2 William BOWERS b: 1787 in Rockbridge, VA, d: 1859 in Johnson (now Logan), AR
......  + Sabra CHRISTIE b: 1818 in TN, m: 1842 in Newton, AR, d: 1862 in Earls Prairie, Johnson, AR
......2 Andrew Jackson BOWERS Jr b: 06 Nov 1791 in Rockbridge, VA, d: 21 Nov 1849 in Grainger, TN
......  + Nancy DENNIS b: 1808 in NC, m: 31 Aug 1842 in Grainger, TN, d: Apr 1880 in Grainger, TN
......  + Catherine HOWETH b: 14 Aug 1800 in Grainger, TN, d: 03 Aug 1841 in Grainger, TN

Similarly, I have 2 close matches who trace their ancestry to Jane CHRISTIE, sister of Sabra. One of these is Don COFFIELD, with whom I have corresponded. AncestryDNA says we share 21 cM on 1 segment. Don and I have uploaded our AncestryDNA results to FTDNA, which takes a closer look, down to segments of length 1 cM. FTDNA finds that we share 51 cM on 12 segments. The largest one is 21.44 cM on chromosome #11. That must be what AncestryDNA referred to. Full results of comparison:

Chromosome Start Location End Location Centimorgans Matching SNPs

1 54538315 56984564 3.82 800
1 171384394 173931568 1.49 500
2 56437132 59320833 1.76 700
4 104157423 106849016 1.62 500
6 68872204 71449132 2.17 600
11 12055082 29215523 21.44 5200
12 108801346 112114038 3.67 577
15 61043957 65032861 5.12 866
16 30082427 45558655 2.76 500
17 23720820 26727500 2.87 500
18 21707096 22972083 2.11 600
19 15591034 16652443 2.02 500

Ancestry of Sabra CHRISTIE

On the death certificate of William BOWERS, Jr, his father is William BOWERS, born in VA, and his mother is Sabra CHRISTY, born in "Meggs County" TN. This is presumably Meigs County, TN, which had been part of the Cherokee Nation until 1819.

See the pages for William CHRISTIE and Ned CHRISTIE. They are related to the famous outlaw/hero, Ned CHRISTIE.

Sabra before William

As mentioned above, Sabra CHRISTIE was part Cherokee, born in the part of Old Cherokee Nation that is now in western Tennessee, about 1818. She had come to Arkansas in 1835, possibly in the infamous Trail of Tears. 

Her first two children were John R. BARNES and Redden BARNES, born 1838 and 1842 in AR. Several records veirfy this. So her first husband was BARNES. 

There was a Redden BARNES, head-of-household, in the 1840 US Census, with a family of 3, in St Francis County, AR. The family had 1 male 30-39, 1 female 20-29, and 1 male under 5. Sabra would have been 22, and John about 2, so this is probably the right family. If so, Sabra's first husband was Redden BARNES, born between1801 and 1810. Since Redden is a very unusual name, this seems likely.

St Francis County was formed in 1827, part of the Territory of Arkansas. The State of Arkansas was formed in 1836. I'm not sure if "Plain" was ever a township or place in St Francis County. 

Logan County, Arkansas

Sarber County was created from parts of Scott, Franklin, Johnson and Yell Counties in 1871. Is was renamed Logan County in 1875.

BOWERS information from the SPRINGERs

One of William and Sabra's children was Mary Sabra BOWERS Jr, born in 1850. She married James Monroe SPRINGER. Their son, William Oscar SPRINGER, wrote a document in 1842 that gives details of both SPRINGER and BOWERS ancestries. That document, which can be found on the SPRINGER page, is the main source of information that I have found on William BOWERS Sr. Thanks to Rory BOWERS for sending it to me by email.

Paraphrased from the SPRINGER document: William BOWERS was a full-blooded Frenchman, possibly born in France, and coming to Virginia. He was a maker of shoes and pottery, rumored to have a drinking problem, and also rumored to have a wife and children elsewhere. He murdered a man, and went to Mississippi, presumably to escape the law, and there he married Mary Sabra (CHRISTIE) BARNES, a widow with two sons. Mary Sabra CHRISTIE was 1/2 or more Cherokee, born in North Carolina. Around 1950 they lived in Johnson County Arkansas near Clarksville on Piney Creek. Their house was burned during the Civil War on Haigwood Prairie, where Paris now stands. Sabra (CHRISTIE)(BARNES) BOWERS' two sons by her first marriage were John R. BARNES and Redden BARNES. They joined the Union Army, and were both killed in the Civil War. Mary also had a sister, Jane CHRISTIE, who married a SCHOFIELD. The SCHOFIELD family lived at Haigwood Prairie, long before the Civil War. Jane had a daughter, Liza SCHOFIELD, who married George WOLF. During the Civil War, the WOLFS went to Kansas and the SCHOFIELDS went to Texas. The BOWERS children "were living in George Wolfs house when it was burned by Confederate Bushwhackers. 

So "their house" on Haigwood Prairie was burned during the Civil War, and also the BOWERS children were living in George Wolfs house when it was burned by Confederate Bushwhackers. These are probably referring to the same event.

The SPRINGER document says that William BOWERS and Sabra CHRISTIE were born in MS, but the biography of their son, M. J. BOWERS (below), says they were married in Newton County, AR.

1850 and 1860 Census Data

The family is found in Johnson County, AR, in the 1850 US Census, consistent with the SPRINGER information.

The 1850 Census says that Sabra was born in TN, not NC. At the time she was born, the Cherokee Nation still existed, but that doesn't usually show up in census records. Also, William was born in VA, not France. William was born about 1787, and Sabra about 1818, so there is a 31-year difference in ages. John and Redden were born about 1838 and 1841, respectively, so William and Sabra must have married after 1841, but before 1843, when their daughter Nancy was born. I suspect that they were married in AR, not MI, since Sabra lived in AR before and after the marriage. So William was 54-59 and Sabra was 23-28 when they married. The census was taken late (hard to read, but it looks like Nov), so even if Sabra Jr was born 27 Sep 1850, she would have been counted in the 1850 Census. But since she is 1 year old, the birth date Apr 1849 is probably right. John and Redden have the BOWERS name, but that is because the census taker used ditto marks for the surname. I doubt if they were formally adopted, and they used the BARNES name as adults. 

In 1860 William Sr had died or was away, Selry is Sabra Sr, John and Redden have grown and left home, and Jermiah must be Sabra Jr. The personal estate of Selry (Sabra Sr) is valued at $100, so it sounds like the family is poor. James in the 1860 Census must be M. J. BOWERS, whose biography is below.

Descendants

Information from many sources, explained below, summarized here (my direct ancestors in boldface):

Sabra CHRISTIE b: 1818 in TN, d: 1862 in Earls Prairie, Johnson, AR

+ Redden BARNES b: bet. 1800-1810
......1. John R. BARNES b: 1838 in AR, d: 1865 in Fort Smith, Sebastian, AR
......2. Redden Lafayette BARNES b: 1841 in Johnson, AR, d: Bef. 1861

+ William BOWERS b 1787 in VA, m: 1842 in Newton, AR, d: 1859 in Johnson (now Logan), AR
......3. Nancy Jane BOWERS b: Jan 1843 in AR, d: 01 Jan 1911 in Lawton, Blaine, OK
......  + Samuel MCINTYRE
...... + Josiah C. C. WOMACK b: 23 Apr 1829 in Perry, AL, m: 1 Apr 1871 in Johnson, AR, d: 13 May 1890 in Center Point, Howard, AR
......4. William M. BOWERS b: 04 Nov 1846 in Clarkesville, Johnson, AR, d: 17 Mar 1929 in Magazine, Logan, AR
...... + Mary Elizabeth ALLEN b: 7 Sep 1849 in Richmond, Covington, MS, m: 6 Aug 1865 in Fort Smith, Sebastian, AR, d: 29 Oct 1935 in Magazine, Logan, AR
......5. Mary Sabra BOWERS b: 27 Sep 1850 in Clarksville, Piney Creek, Johnson, AR, d: 23 Aug 1929 in Booneville, Logan, AR
...... + James Monroe SPRINGER b: 27 Aug 1851 in James, TN, m: Oct 1872 in Logan, AR, d: 05 Dec 1918 in Logan, AR
......6. Madison James BOWERS b: 1853 in Earls Prairie, Johnson, AR, d: 17 Mar 1932 in Logan, AR
......  + Ellen Starnes ANDERSON b: 1858 in AR, m: 1877, d: 1933 in Logan, AR
......7. Martha Elizabeth BOWERS b: 07 Sep 1855 in Earls Prairie, Johnson, AR, d: 29 Oct 1929 in Logan, AR

William BOWERS had died around 1859, age about 72, and Sabra died in 1862, age about 44. I don't know the cause of her death. Was it before or after the house was burned? Or was she also killed by the Confederate Bushwhackers?

Finding the parents of William BOWERS has proven difficult. One researcher suggests that William may be the son of Andrew and Catherine BOWERS. The evidence is slim, but it fits the known facts. This BOWERS family was German, not French. More specifically, they came from Baden, Germany, or possibly the part of Switzerland that is near Baden.

The following sections will cover each of the 7 children of Sabra CHRISTIE.

1. John R. BARNES was born about 1838, in Jackson County, AR. He appears at age 12, born in AR, in the 1850 US Census for Perry Township, Johnson County, AR, in the household of William and Sabra BOWERS. He is not listed as BARNES, and that may be because William BOWERS had adopted him, but since the census taker just listed the head-of-household as BOWERS and used ditto marks for the rest, it was probably an error in the census.

His military records, below, confirm that he was 25 when he enlisted in the Union Army on 10 Mar 1863, hence born between 11 Mar 1837 and 10 Mar 1838. The military record is also the only source I have found for his birthplace, Jackson County, AR.

The SPRINGER Family Record tells us that John and his brother Redden were Sabra's sons from a previous marriage. That makes sense because Sabra and William BOWERS were married in 1842. The record further states that John and Redden were in the Federal Army in the Civil War, and John R. BARNES "died in 1865 at Fort SMITH and is buried at the National Cemetery (Grave No. 1834, Sec. 4)." The only John BARNES in the National Cemetery is here. (I think the 1834 on the stone is the grave number, not a date.)

There were many John BARNESes in the Civil War. Several of them were born in 1838, several were born in Arkansas, and several had middle initial R. Only a few had all of these. However, only one had a brother (actually, a half-brother) named Madison J. BOWERS!

This shows that the John R. BARNES of interest is the one who served in the First Arkansas, Company H.

At age 25, John R. BARNES enlisted as a Private, on 10 March 1863, in Johnson County, AR. He served in Company H, Arkansas 1st Infantry Regiment, the same company as his half-brother, William BOWERS Jr. Somehow, he survived the war, but died in 1865.

There was also a John R BARNES on the Confederate side, also born about 1838. So it's possible that John enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1862, and then deserted and enlisted with the Union Army on 10 Mar 1863.

2. Redden/Redin BARNES was born about 1841, in Arkansas. He and his older brother, John (above), were sons of Sabra (CHRISTIE) BOWERS from a previous marriage. They both appeared in the 1850 Census (above), in the BOWERS household. I have not found either brother in any other census. The SPRINGER Family Record tells us that both brothers were in the Federal (Union) Army.

From the SPRINGER Family Record: "REDDEN BARNES was captured at the Battle of Prairie Grove, Washington County Arkansas, and with other prisoners placed on a steamboat at Van Buren, Arkansas headed for Little Rock. AUNT NAN WOMACK met the boat at Roseville and begged for them to release him. They supposed he was killed and thrown into the Arkansas River."

The Battle of Prairie Grove took place on 7 Dec 1862. Recall that Sabra (CHRISTIE) BOWERS died in 1862, at age 44, under circumstances unknown. And the family home was burned during the Civil War. It was quite a calamity for this family.

The name Redden or Redin is unusual. I have only found records for one Redin BARNES in the Civil War, but it is on the Confederate side.

It looks like Redin BARNES was in the 34th and/or 35th Arkansas Infantry, and enlisted in 1862. Coincidentally, there was a John R. BARNES with identical records (above). This seems to imply that the brothers Redden and John R were in these Confederate units. 

Perhaps they first enlisted as Confederates, then when Redden was captured and killed, and their mother Sabra had died, John R. BARNES decided to join his half-brother, on the Union side.

3. Nancy Jane BOWERS was born about 1843, in Hagarville, Johnson County, Arkansas. See [NJB]. She appears in Johnson County with her parents in the 1850 and 1860 censuses, above.

Nancy married Samuel McINTYRE/McINTIRE, who was killed in the Civil War. See [NJB]. Nancy applied for his pension.

In 1870 Nancy was a war widow, found living in the household of Jacob and Elizabeth FROST, along with her younger siblings, James and Martha. They lived in the same township where Nancy's brother, William Jr, lived with his family, and sister Mary. This township later became part of Logan County. See the William BOWERS Jr page.

Nancy married Josiah C. C. WOMACK on 4 Apr 1871, in Johnson County, as his second wife. The first wife of J. C. C. WOMACK was Mary Ann FROST, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth FROST. Mary Ann died in 1870.

Josiah WOMACK had at least 3 sons from his first marriage. In 1880, Josiah and Nancy had 3 more children. 

The gravestone for J. C. C. WOMACK in Center Point Cemetery, Magazine, Logan, AR says he was born 23 Apr 1829 and died 13 May, 1890. 

4. William BOWERS Jr was born 4 Nov 1846 and died 17 Mar 1929. He married Mary E. ALLEN. They were my gg-grandparents.

More information on their family can be found on the William BOWERS Jr page.

5. Mary Sabra BOWERS' gravestone in Carolan Cemetery, Carolan, Logan, AR says she was born 27 Sep 1850, and died 23 Aug 1929, at age 78. The birth date on the stone must be an error, since she was included in the 1850 US Census (above), taken 29 Nov 1850, and her age was 1. The family Bible has her birth date Apr 1849, which is probably correct.

Mary "was born in Johnson County Arkansas near Clarksville on Piney Creek, September 27, 1850, according to her knowledge. Their house was burned during the Civil War on Haigwood Prairie, where Paris now stands. They thought the family Bible was burned and the family record destroyed, but a few years ago Uncle BILLIE BOWERS told me he carried the Bible in the Army and still had it and that Ma was born April, 1849."  (Quoted from the SPRINGER Family Record.) "James Monroe SPRINGER, son of William SPRINGER was born August 27, 1851. He came to Logan County, Arkansas with his Uncle Joe SPRINGER, who settled at Mixon, near Sugar Creek, January 1870. He spent awhile at Elsworth, Logan County, where he met and married Mary Sabra BOWERS in October, 1872. They lived at Chiggo Creek, northeast of Magazine one year on the C.P. Anderson Farm and then to Sugar Creek. He homesteaded 160 acres of land where the Sanatorium now stands and received a U.S. Grant and moved there the fall of 1874. They sold out and moved to Driggs, Arkansas in 1890. In 1891 he moved to Magazine."

Mary appeared with her parents, as Sabra in the 1850 Census (above), and as Jermiah in the 1860 Census. (I can't explain the name change, but the 1850 Census had a girl Sabra age 1, but no Jermiah, and the 1860 Census had no Sabra, age 11, but did have female Jermiah, age 12. Later records ensure that there was a Mary Sabra, born 1849 or 1850. So this must be Sabra from 1850 and Jermiah from 1860.)

Mary Sabra BOWERS married James Monroe SPRINGER in Oct 1872, in Logan County. James was born 27 Aug 1851 near near Ooltewah, East Tennessee,   and died in Logan County, AR on 5 Dec 1918.

In 1900, James and Mary have a rented farm in Booneville. They have been married 26 years, so the marriage was in 1873-4. Mary has had 9 children, with all 9 still living. The 7 in this census, plus John and Minnie from the 1880 census, account for all 9. Mary can read but can't write.

Mary Sabra (BOWERS) SPRINGER died 23 Aug 1929, in Earls Prairie, Johnson, AR. Her father, William BOWERS Jr, had died that Spring. 

The descendants of Mary Sabra BOWERS and James Monroe SPRINGER, are shown below. For brevity, Logan refers to Logan County, AR, and Booneville is a township in Logan County.

5. Mary Sabra BOWERS b: 27 Sep 1850 in Clarksville, Piney Creek, Johnson, AR, d: 23 Aug 1929 in Booneville
... + James Monroe SPRINGER b: 27 Aug 1851 in James, TN, m: Oct 1872 in Logan, d: 05 Dec 1918 in Logan
......a. John Calvin SPRINGER b: 21 Dec 1876 in Booneville, d: 24 Jul 1919 in Logan
...... + Flora E. YOUNG b: 24 Oct 1895 in Verona, Lawrence, MO, m: 12 May 1918 in Verona, Lawrence, MO, d: 20 Oct 1953
......b. Minnie Elizabeth SPRINGER b: 11 Jun 1879 in AR, d: 04 Nov 1904 in Logan
...... + Alonzo Etny SEVERE b: 26 Aug 1875 in Magazine, Logan, m: 09 Oct 1898 in Logan, d: 1947 in Logan
......c. William Oscar SPRINGER b: 23 Jul 1873 in Logan, d: 11 Sep 1942 in Fort Smith, Sebastian, AR
......  + Lelia Ligget HOOPER b: 21 May 1874 in AR, m: 18 Sep 1897 in Logan, d: 19 Jul 1943 in AR
......d. James Robert SPRINGER b: 05 Mar 1875 in Boone, Logan, d: 28 Jan 1961 in Mississippi, AR
...... + Lelia Catherine BRICKLEY b: 23 Feb 1886 in Verona, Lawrence, MO, m: 17 Oct 1906 in Verona, Lawrence, MO, d: 16 Jul 1977 in Aurora, Lawrence, MO
......e. Lily Victoria SPRINGER b: Jun 1882 in Logan, d: 10 Sep 1965 in Booneville
...... + John Calvin YONTS b: 1863 in USA, m: 20 Jan 1909 in Logan, d: 1941 in Booneville
......f. Benjamin Harrison SPRINGER b: 07 Jun 1890 in Logan, d: 28 Nov 1960 in Booneville
......  + Gertie L. HARWELL b: 1894 in AR, m: 27 Nov 1918 in Logan, d: 1928
...... + Ona Lillian REED b: 19 Aug 1911 in Greenwood, Sebastian, AR, m: 18 Nov 1929 in Logan, d: 23 Oct 1994 in Booneville
......g. Mauda Vannia SPRINGER b: 05 Jul 1893 in AR
...... + Jefferson Major GREEN b: 24 Aug 1876 in Carolan, Logan, m: 04 Nov 1924 in Logan, d: 31 Mar 1947 in Logan
......h. Thomas Monroe SPRINGER b: 12 Sep 1884 in Logan, AR, d: Jun 1976 in Booneville
......i. Ollie Mae SPRINGER b: 23 Aug 1887 in Logan, d: 16 Jul 1950 in Lincoln, Garland, AR
......  + Harry FELTMAN

  [Thanks to Wyatt Andrew LOWERY for the photos above.]
[I have cropped and enhanced the contrast on some of them. See [WAL] for the originals.]

6. Madison James "MJ" BOWERS was born in 1852, Johnson County, AR and died in 1931.  M. J. appeared as James in the 1850 US Census (above), with his parents, and in 1870, he was with his brother and sister, living with the FROST family (above). These dates are on the shared gravestone in Oakwood Cemetery, Paris, Logan, AR. The Arkansas Death Index has his death date 17 Mar 1932.

On 13 Nov 1877, in Logan County, AR, he married Ellen S. "Ella" ANDERSON, a daughter of Capt. C. P. Anderson, of Magazine, Logan, AR. Ellen was born in 1854, and died in 1933. 

In 1880, the young couple already has 2 small children. Madison's parents were supposedly born in South Carolina, which is wrong.

In 1900 they have 8 children. M. J. is a farmer, with a rented farm. His parents are now said to have been born in Arkansas, which is still wrong. Etta in 1900 must be Martha J from 1880. The census says that Ellen has had 9 children, with 8 still living.

Timeline provided by this biography:

“an early day” – William BOWERS Sr, a native of VA, came to AR
1835 – Sabary (CHRISTY) BARNES, a native of TN, came to AR
1835-1845 – William BOWERS Sr married Sabary BARNES in Newton County, AR
1845 – William and Sabary BOWERS and family moved to Johnson County, AR
1853 – M.J. BOWERS born in Johnson County, AR, the 2nd youngest of 7.
1853-1863 – William BOWERS Sr died when M.J. was a small boy
1858 - Sabary (CHRISTY)(BARNES) moved to Logan County, AR
1862 – Sabary (CHRISTY)(BARNES) died in Logan County, AR
1874-1877 – M.J. BOWERS attended high school [At age 21-24? Maybe "entered the high school" means that he was teaching there.]
1877 – M.J. BOWERS married Ellen S. ANDERSON, a native of Logan County, and a daughter of Capt. C. P. Anderson, of Magazine, Logan, AR
1877?-1886 – M.J. BOWERS was both farming and teaching in Magazine, Logan, AR
1885-1888 – M.J. BOWERS was half owner and manager of the Paris Serpent, a Republican newspaper in Paris
1887-1888 – M.J. BOWERS was deputy sheriff of Logan County, AR
25 Jul 1889 – M.J. BOWERS appointed postmaster of Paris, Logan, AR

6. Madison James BOWERS b: 1853 in Earls Prarie, Johnson, AR, d: 17 Mar 1932 in Logan, AR
... + Ellen Starnes ANDERSON b: 1858 in AR, m: 1877, d: 1933 in Logan, AR
......a. Martha Jane "Etta" BOWERS b: Feb 1878 in Paris, Logan, AR, d: Sep 1973 in Denver, Denver, CO
......b. Lilly June BOWERS b: 23 Feb 1880 in Paris, Logan, AR, d: 16 Apr 1960 in Paris, Logan, AR
...... + William Nathaniel CULVER b: 1855 in AL, m: 23 Aug 1926 in Sebastian, AR, d: 04 Nov 1932 in Logan, AR
......c. Johnie BOWERS b: 16 Dec 1881 in Paris, Logan, AR, d: 21 Dec 1881 in Paris, Logan, AR
......d. Ellen Edna "Dolly" BOWERS b: Mar 1883 in Paris, Logan, AR, d: 08 Oct 1904 in Logan, AR
......  + W. L. "Lou" BROWN b: 06 Dec 1875, d: 19 Dec 1904 in Logan, AR
......e. Ezra James BOWERS b: Mar 1883 in Paris, Logan, AR, d: 1963
......f. Charles Dennis BOWERS b: 07 Dec 1885 in Paris, Logan, AR, d: 01 Feb 1960 in Gassville, Baxter, AR
...... + Minnie May BLACKBURN b: 10 Aug 1883 in St Louis, MO, m: Dec 1904 in St Louis, MO, d: 14 May 1968 in Tyler, Smith, TX
...... + Annie REED b: 4 Feb 1890 in Box Elder, Red River, TX, m: 27 Dec 1906 in Carter, OK, d: 24 Nov 1974 in Oklahoma City, OK
......g. Freda May BOWERS b: 27 Dec 1887 in Paris, Logan, AR, d: 31 Jul 1936 in Los Angeles, CA
......  + William Joshua JOHNSON b: 29 Feb 1880 in Robertson, TN, d: 02 Apr 1948 in Los Angeles, CA
......h. Powell Clayton BOWERS b: 13 Apr 1890 in Paris, Logan, AR, d: 01 Jun 1978 in Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
......  + Emily ROBINSON b: Abt. 1894, m: Abt. 1912
......  + Ollie Dell CECIL b: 23 Jan 1906 in OK, d: 12 Aug 1986 in Tulsa, OK
......i. Harrison McKinley BOWERS b: 03 May 1892 in AR, d: 05 Jan 1961 in Los Angeles, CA
......  + Mary Flora GRIER b: 15 Apr 1892 in AR, d: 11 Jul 1966 in Los Angeles, CA

Ezra BOWERS attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, at least from Oct 1904 to Jul 1906. In 1909 he bought and sold some property in Ada, OK. His twin sister, Ellen Edna "Dolly" BOWERS married W. L. "Lou" BROWN. They had 2 children, and lived 2 miles north of Paris. Dolly died on 8 Oct 1904, at age 21. The cause of death was swamp fever, which could refer to one of several diseases.

Charles D. Bowers was married in Dec 1904. At about the same time, he must have been working for his father, who was the Postmaster for Paris, AR. Charles stole a money order for $31 or $34, and in 1906 he was convicted, and sentenced to a year and a day at Leavenworth penitentiary. [One of the articles says the letter was mailed from Paris, TX, but surely it was Paris, AR.]

Freda BOWERS did some teaching when she was 18. She attended the Draughon Business College, at the Fort Smith campus, and in 1908, at age 20, she accepted a position as a stenographer at a law firm in Fort Smith, AR, and a month later, she worked for a real estate and insurance broker in Ada, OK, about 150 miles west of Fort Smith, in the Chickasaw Nation. She eventually married and moved to Los Angeles.

7. Martha Elizabeth BOWERS was born on 7 Sep 1855, in Arkansas. She appeared with her mother in the 1860 US Census (above), and with her siblings Nancy and James in the 1870 US Census (above). 

Martha BOWERS married James Floyd SPRINGER, a cousin of James Monroe SPRINGER, husband of Martha's sister, Mary Sabra BOWERS. I don't have direct evidence of this marriage, but it is based on information posted by other ancestors, and it does seem to fit the facts. Also see the SPRINGER page.

James Floyd SPRINGER was born 12 Nov 1850 in Hamilton County, TN, and died 19 Oct 1909 in Logan County, AR, according to his gravestone in Ephriam Davis Cemetery, Booneville, Logan, AR.

In 1900 Martha is living, with 4 of her children, at 1705 Seventh Street, Fort Smith, in a rented house. She has had 9 children, with 6 still living. Her son James appears in both censuses above. Martha is listed as a widow, but her husband is living with his parents, back in Logan County. Martha's parents were actually born in VA and TN, not AR and KY.

The 1900 census has (James) Floyd SPRINGER living with his parents. His sister Martha has been married and widowed, and she is also there. Joseph T. SPRINGER owns the farm, free of mortgage, but he is a farm laborer, not a farmer, and not retired, at age 72. His wife Nancy is the only one unable to read or write. They have been married 50 years. Nancy has had 5 children, with 4 still living, and Martha has had 3, with 2 still living. Several things are curious about this census. Charley must be a granddaughter, not a daughter. If Martha J. SPRINGER was born in Sep 1853 she would be 46, not 49. If "W'd" means widow, perhaps "GW'd" means widower? It is strange that James Floyd SPRINGER and his wife both refer to themselves as widowed.

Sources

[AZS] William Bowers, Born: Abt 1788, probably Rockbridge County, Virginia

[BPG] Battle of Prairie Grove

[COE] CHRONOLOGY OF OKLAHOMA EVENTS

[FAI] 1st Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Union)

[FTDNA] FamilyTreeDNA

[MEB] Martha Elizabeth (Bowers) Springer, on WikiTree by Rory Bowers

[NJB] Nancy Jane (Bowers) Womack, on WikiTree by Rory Bowers

[WAL] Jonathan SPRINGER, on the Wyatt Andrew Lowery tree, Ancestry.com

Updated 22 Nov 2023 by William Haloupek.  Contact haloupek at gmail dot com.