Benjamin Franklin Bowlsby (1920)

BARR, BOWLSBY, DAVISSON, GREGORY, HYSKELL, WEYRANCH

Posted By: Mary Welty Hart
Date: 10/14/2007 at 19:57:55

The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, February 19, 1920

Death of B. F. BOWLSBY

The death of one of Madison county's best known men occurred on Feb. 12, 1920, at the home of his son, F. A. Bowlsby of Des Moines, following a stroke of paralysis on Wednesday. The remains were brought here for burial, services being held on Monday morning, conducted by Rev. Jackson Giddens.

Mr. Bowlsby at the age of 80 years, was quite an unusual man, and except for deafness was in full possession of his faculties. During the past winter his health had rapidly failed.

His parents came to this county in 1852 and here Mr. Bowlsby spent the most of his long life. When the Civil War broke out, he joined Company A. 39th Iowa Infantry. At Allatoona Pass, he was made prisoner, and escaped four months later and was placed in a hospital very ill from swamp fever.

He was a charter member of Pitzer Post, No. 55, G.A.R., and was always an attendant at all state encampments as a member of the drum corps and Civil War musicians.

Mr. Bowlsby was a man of strong character, devoted to church, loyal to all good things done in the community and will be greatly missed by his old comrades and friends.
___________________________

The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, March 4, 1920
Page 3

BENJAMIN F. BOWLSBY

Benjamin Franklin Bowlsby was born in Windsor, Delaware county, Ind., Sept. 30, 1839, and died Feb. 12. 1920, at Des Moines, at the age of 80 years, 4 months and 15 days. When a small boy, his father moved to Hollansburgh, Dark county, Ohio, the eldest in a family of nine children, where they resided until he was 13 years of age. Then they moved to Oskaloosa, Iowa, in May, 1852. After two years the family moved to Winterset, where they remained for two years. In March 1856, he moved with his father to a farm five miles southeast of Winterset, in Scott township. Mr. Bowlsby was a pioneer of Iowa, his father entering government land in Madison county, some time previous. He followed the occupation of farming all of his life and in the year 1860 his health began to fail, which caused him to retire from active farming, moving to Winterset.

On June 28, 1860, he was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Susanna Hyskell, who was born and reared in Pennsylvania, and to them eleven children were born, six boys and five girls, one child dying in infancy, the rest all growing to manhood and womanhood.

When Uncle Sam issued a call for volunteers in 1861, he left his wife and six months old daughter and enlisted in Co. A. 39th Regiment, as company drummer. For bravery in the battle of Parkers Cross Roads, Tenn., he was promoted to drum major of the regiment. With his regiment he was taken prisoner at the battle of Allatoona, Ga. They suffered great losses, privations and infliction, and after being moved about from place to place, he made his escape. Being unable to make his way to the Union lines safely, he gave himself up at Wilmington, N.C., was exchanged and shortly afterwards, honorably discharged at Davenport, Iowa, as the war was closed. Since his service he has been greatly in demand at the state encampments of the G.A.R.. He was a member of the Des Moines Veterans Drum Corps, National Association of Civil War Musicians, and a charter member of Pitzer Post No. 55, G.A.R. of Winterset .

Mr. Bowlsby was converted and united with the M. E. church in his early years and was faithful in discharging his religious duties in various capacities. He was the leader of music and superintendent of Sunday school for a long period of time.

Since September 1917, he made his home with his daughter, Minnie Gregory. His illness was of short duration, being less than a week. On Feb. 11, he was stricken with progressive paralysis, an evidence of the Master beckoning him homeward to meet his dear wife Catherine, who had preceded him to the heavenly abode Jan. 27, 1894. He answered this call the following evening at 6:45 p.m.

Funeral services were conducted at the Grace M. E. church in Des Moines on Feb. 15, by Dr. Shepherd from the appropriate text, 14th chapter of St. John. On the following day he was taken to Winterset, his old home town, where a short service was conducted by Rev. Jackson Giddens and the Pitzer Post. Following this, interment was made in the family lot at the Winterset cemetery.

He is survived by the following sons and daughters: Walter C. and Frank O. of North Dakota; Clarence C., Fred A., Minnie Gregory and May Davisson of Des Moines; and Bertha Weyranch of Lancaster, Wis. Also by one sister, Mrs. May Barr of Des Moines and one brother, James F., of Mason City; 19 grandchildren and a host of other relatives and friends.

Gravesite
 

Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen