MRS. ROBERT BOWSHER; MARY JANE (DRAKE) BOWSHER

DRAKE, SNEATH, BOWSHER, KOHLER, MILLER, MCKINLEY, MUNTER, PAINTER, KOLIER

Posted By: Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert (email)
Date: 3/14/2002 at 15:58:02

Decatur County Journal
Thursday, July l3, l9l6

MARY JANE BOWSHER was born at Cooks Corners, Erie County, Ohio, October l9th, l839, was the daughter of JAMES DRAKE and CATHERINE SNEATH, of Tiffin, Ohio. The deceased was married to ROBERT BOWSHER at Wingers Corner, Ohio, February l4th, l860, Valentine's Day.
To this union were born J.R. BOWSHER, MRS. KATE KOHLER and GEORGE BOWSHER, who died in l897. In l866, the BOWSHER family moved to Princeton, Missouri, where they went into the Hotel business, keeping the Buckeye House. MRS. BOWSHER was landlady, cook, chamber maid and sometimes landlord and it was greatly due to her ambition that the BOWSHERS have been a success in life. In the hotel she spent 20 years and retired to private life in Princeton, Missouri, on Hickland Street for a few years.

In l885 she moved to their farm north of Princeton to a new hotel and summer resort, known as BOWSHER's Springs. Here she remained until January l0th, l896, then they came to Leon, Iowa, and rented the Peter Cruickshank property in east Leon where they lived while building their new home in west Leon, where they lived until last fall when on account of her health they sold their home and lived at Hotel Leon until a few weeks ago. She came to her son's home and was here during her sickness and death. Her new home which is almost completed in the new Hotel she looked forward to with a great deal of pleasure but she left this life before having the pleasure of enjoying this new luxury.

She leaves two brothers, JEROME DRAKE, of Ravanna, Missouri, and CHARLES DRAKE, of Centerville, Washington, and four sisters, MRS. SARAH MILLER, of Ravanna, Mo., MRS. EMMA MCKINLEY, of Ravanna, Mo., MRS. MATILDA MUNTER, of Mill Grove, Mo., MRS. BESSIE PAINTER, of Texas, her husband, ROBERT BOWSHER, son, J.R. BOWSHER, of Leon, Iowa and MRS. KATE KOLIER, of Butte, Montana, her daughter.

MRS. BOWSHER was a member of the local Methodist Church where she was held in high esteem. She was a woman of beautiful Christian character and of devotional habits; and always looked on the bright side of Life's problems.

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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
March l4, 2002