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W.C. Bowers
W. C. BOWERS, of Kittanning, has been in the service of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company for the last forty years, being now engaged as conductor on
the through run between Oil City and Pittsburgh. Mr. Bowers was born at
Manorville, Armstrong county, March 1, 1852, son of George Bowers and grandson
of Henry Bowers. The family is of German extraction, his great-grandfather
having been a native of Germany, whence he came to America before his
marriage, and spent the remainder of his life in Armstrong county, Pa.,
engaged in farming. He died here in old age.Henry Bowers was reared in Armstrong county and received such education as
the common schools of the day afforded. He spent his life on a farm in this
county, where he married, and he and his wife had a family of six children:
Barbara, Susan, Sarah, Rebecca, George, and Henry, all of whom are now
deceased. The father was originally a Democrat in politics, but afterward
became a Republican. He was a member of the M. E. Church, devoted in its work.George Bowers, son of Henry, was born at Pine Creek, Armstrong county, and
received his education in the local public schools. After his marriage he
settled at Kittanning, where he followed his trade of tanner for ten years,
thence moving to Manorville, this county, where he had his home for
twenty-five years. His wife, Mary (Giben), was a native of Westmoreland
county, this State, daughter of William Giben. She is buried with her husband
in the Manor cemetery. They were members of the M. E. Church, in which she was
particularly active as a worker. Politically he was a Republican. They had
children as follows: Johnston, Nancy, Robert, Henry, Mary, W. Chambers, George
and Edward, twins (both deceased), and Sarah.W. Chambers Bowers grew up at Manorville, and there received his education.
After his school days were over he engaged in boating on the Allegheny river,
and then went to Johnstown, where he was employed in a mill for two years. At
the end of that time he entered the employ of the Allegheny Railroad Company,
now the Allegheny division of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, beginning
work as a brakeman. He received promotions until he became passenger
conductor, which position he has held for the last thirty-two years. For
twenty-two years he was a conductor on the accommodation train between
Kittanning and Pittsburgh, and he has been on his present run between Oil City
and Pittsburgh for the last four years, working every other day. He is a
member of the Railroad Association, and fraternally of the Royal Arcanum. Mr.
Bowers has been a lifelong Republican on political questions and, like his
parents, he belongs to the M. E. Church.Mr. Bowers married Elizabeth Starr, a native of Armstrong county, daughter
of Andrew Starr, and thirteen children were born to this union, namely: Harry,
Charles, Edward, Gus, Robert and Roy (twins), Benjamin, Clifford (died in
infancy), Fred (deceased in infancy), Frank (deceased in infancy), Mabel,
Carrie, and Mary. The mother died in December, 1896, and is buried in the
Manor cemetery. Mr. Bowers married (second) Lottie Storey, daughter of William
C. and Elizabeth Storey, and they have had four children: Wilbert, M. Bowers,
Ruth, and George.After his first marriage Mr. Bowers resided at Manorville, thence moving to
East Brady, Pa., and from there to Kittanning, where his home is at No. 138
Queen street.Source: Pages 940-941, Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and
Present, J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed November 1998 by Kathy Zagorac for the Armstrong County Beers
Project
Contributed for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)Armstrong County Genealogy Project Notice:
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