James W Sowers 1848 - 1927

SOWERS, BALLARD, BOYES, MONTGOMERY, CAREY, YOUNG, HUGHES

Posted By: Linda H Meyers (email)
Date: 6/2/2008 at 21:07:54

JAMES SOWERS DIES SUDDENLY
Long-Time Resident of Story County

Nevada, May 23 - James W. Sowers, 79-years-old, one of the oldest and best known of Story county residents, died yesterday about 1 o'clock in the afternoon at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Homer Boyes.
He had been in good health and was sitting on the porch reading when the family went to church about 10:45 a. m. He was discovered later in an unconscious condition by friends, who carried him into the house, where he died without regaining consciousness. Death was due to apoplexy.
Funeral services will be held Thursday at 2 o'clock at the home with the Rev. L. E. Watson of the Methodist church in charge. It will be a Masonic funeral.
Mr. Sowers came here with his father in 1853, settling near Fairview, which is now Story City. In 1870 he married Miss Alice Ballard and settled in Milford township on a farm which he still owns, and on which he lived until moving to Nevada in 1908. Since that time he has served as overseer of the poor. He has been a member of the Masonic lodge for many years.
He is survived by eight of his 12 children. They are George who lives on the home farm, Mrs. Homer Boyes of Nevada, Mrs. Frank Montgomery of Mason City, James of Buffalo Center, Henry of Minneapolis, Mrs. Carey of northeast of Ames, Irma of Des Moines, and Mildred, a librarian in Los Angeles. Mrs. Sowers died in 1917.
Mr. Sowers leaves also two brothers, E. E. Sowers of Ames, Charles of Hereford, Tex., and two sisters, Mrs. G. K. Young of Primghar and Mrs. W. S. Hughes of Perry.

---from the Daily Tribune and Evening Times May 23, 1927