Thursday, August 25, 2022

Joseph E. Bowen, Jr., Research Report, the As It Is Series

Copyright 2022, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

This continues a series of posts, done in a very efficient (make that speedy fast) manner to share some research on the ancestors.  This is NOT intended to be the end all to end all report.  It's a work in progress, to show you what I have found, right or wrong. Kind feedback is welcomed via comments.

So, let's meet Joseph E. Bowen, Jr.  We will note that one time we found his middle name stated to be "Eddy".



Joseph E Bowen Jr
in the 1900 United States Federal Census
Name: Joseph E Bowen Jr
Age: 2
Birth Date: Aug 1898
Birthplace: Georgia, USA
Home in 1900: Militia District 5, Chatham, Georgia
House Number: 213
Sheet Number: 16
Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation: 382
Family Number: 417
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Son
Marital Status: Single
Father's Name: Joseph E Bowen
Father's Birthplace: Georgia, USA
Mother's Name: Minnie Bowen
Mother's Birthplace: South Carolina, USA
Household Members Age Relationship
Joseph E Bowen   30 Head
Minnie Bowen   29 Wife
Hayden E Bowen   4 Son
Joseph E Bowen Jr 2 Son
Harley Bowen   27 Brother
Johnnie Bowen   22 Brother

Joseph E Bowen
in the 1910 United States Federal Census
Name: Joseph E Bowen
Age in 1910: 11
Birth Date: 1899
[1899]
Birthplace: Georgia
Home in 1910: Militia District 1515, McIntosh, Georgia, USA
Street: Cowhorn Road Cowhorn
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Son
Marital Status: Single
Father's Name: Joseph E Bowen
Father's Birthplace: Georgia
Mother's Name: Minnie Bowen
Mother's Birthplace: Georgia
Native Tongue: English
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Household Members Age Relationship
Joseph E Bowen   40 Head
Minnie Bowen   37 Wife
Hayden E Bowen   14 Son
Joseph E Bowen 11 Son, note, he is not marked as blind in this census.

Joseph Eddie Bowen
in the U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
Name: Joseph Eddie Bowen
Race: White
Birth Date: 12 Aug 1898
Residence Date: 1917-1918
Residence Place: McIntosh County, Georgia, USA
Physical Build: Medium
Height: Medium
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Blue
Relative: J E Bowen


We note that the draft registration states he is blind in one eye and the other eye is defective, he signs by his mark.

Joseph E Bowen
in the 1920 United States Federal Census
Name: Joseph E Bowen
Age: 21
Birth Year: abt 1899
Birthplace: Georgia
Home in 1920: Militia District 271, McIntosh, Georgia
Street: Ridgeville on Dixie Highway
Residence Date: 1920
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Son
Marital Status: Single
Father's Name: Joseph Bowen
Father's Birthplace: Georgia
Mother's Name: Minnie Bowen
Mother's Birthplace: Georgia
Able to Speak English: Yes
Occupation: Merchant
Industry: Groceries
Employment Field: Own Account
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Household Members Age Relationship
Joseph Bowen   53 Head
Minnie Bowen   43 Wife
Joseph E Bowen 21 Son

Joseph died of pneumonia that developed after he was hospitalized. Joseph was hospitalized after being "run over on the Ridge" on March 15th at the Oglethorpe Sanitarium, Savannah, Georgia.

Joseph E. Bowen
in the Georgia, U.S., Death Index, 1919-1998
Name: Joseph E. Bowen
Death Date: 18 Mar 1921
Death Place: Chatham, Georgia, USA
Certificate Number: 5822-C


There are no newspapers for Darien, McIntosh County, Georgia for the year Joseph died, a check of the newspaper printed in Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia was done, and no mention of the accident could be found, no obituary was found. However the following were found in his mother's bible, owned in 1998 by Carol A. Bowen Stevens, newspapers unknown:

"Blind Man is Dead of Injuries
     Jos. E. Bowen, struck by Motor Car at Ridgeville, Died Today
     Joseph E. Bowen, the Ridgeville, Ga. youth, who was struck by a motor car Tuesday, died this morning in a local hospital.
     Bowen was 22 years old, was blind and the fatal accident was due to this infirmity.  He was brought to the local hospital immediately after the accident.  He developed pneumonia while there, which resulted fatally.
     Bowen is survived by his father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Bowen of Ridgeville, and by one brother, H. E. Bowen of Norfolk, Va.
     His remains will be shipped tonight by Fox & Weeks over the Seaboard to Darien, where funeral services will be held tomorrow morning from the Methodist Church there.  Rev. Dr. Williams will officiate and interment will be in St. Andrew's Cemetery."

"Joe E. Bowen, Jr.
     Has Passed Away
     Joe. E. Bowen Jr., who was run over on the Ridge on the night of the 15th and who was taken to a hospital in Savan died on Friday morning. Pneumonia developed after the young man was take to the  hospital and in his weakened condition he was unable to overcome the attack.
     Mr. Bowen was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Bowen Sr., and was 22 years of age.  He was a general favorite with all who knew him and there are many outside of his own family who are saddened at his passing.  Though blind he bore his affliction cheerfully.
     The funeral was conducted by Rev. L. E. Williams and interment was in St. Andrews cemetery."

"Card of Thanks
     We dsiere (sic) to express our sincere appreciation to our friends and neighbors for their extreme and thoughtful kindness to us in the death of our son Joseph E. Bowen, Jr.  We have not words to express our gratitude.
     Very Kindly
Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Bowen
      Ridgeville, GA.
March 19th, 1921"

A copy of this was NOT in the family bible:
From the Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, Georgia, published on March 20, 1921, in a column of articles that appear to originate from Savannah, Georgia:
     "Joseph E. Bowen, the Ridgeville, Ga., youth who was struck by a motor car Tuesday, died Friday at local hospital.  He was blind and the fatal accident was due to that inform."

Fox & Weeks Funeral Home of Savannah, Georgia was contacted and they report that Joseph's funeral was billed to H.E. Bowen, of Buell, Virginia.

Joseph has no Find A Grave memorial.  

His birth and death are recorded in the family bible which is in my possession, August 2022.  Images of those entries can be found on the Research As It Is Series report on his sister, Annie Belle Bowen.



* Disclaimers, I use Find A Grave, Ancestry dot com, FamilySearch, several newspaper subscriptions, free sites, such as Virginia Chronicles, Virginia Chancery Cases online at the Library of Virginia and more to research my ancestors.  I pay for subscriptions, full price.

** My judgements may or may not be correct.  Transcriptions may or may not have errors.

*** Links, URL's, for the most part will not be included henceforth on my posts, as so many of them change and then I have to come back and try to re-discover and relink.  Frankly folks, I have no desire to spend my limited time here on this side of the sod with those kinds of do overs.  As researchers, or just members of the internet community, sites such as Find A Grave are easy to find, some are free to use and with the information I am sharing with you, hopefully, you can duplicate the research/findings. That said, I have seen memorials at Find A Grave be removed.  If you have questions, I suggest you leave a nice comment for me. OR find the method I have outlined on my blog for contacting me.

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