George Ray Bawden

BAWDEN, DUVALL, HANSMEYER

Posted By: Carol Bawden (email)
Date: 4/3/2007 at 11:36:43

GEORGE RAY BAWDEN was born 27 November 1890 in Muscatine, Muscatine County, Iowa, the son of George Washington and Jennie Eldridge Bawden. He attended Davenport schools and the University of Wisconsin @ Madison where he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta social fraternity.

In 1912, after 2 years at Madison, Ray returned to Davenport to work with his older brother, Albert, in the rapidly-growing Davenport Postcard and Novelty Company ca 1910 - 1915. This originated from an I & I Interurban train ticket office at 113 - 115 Brady Street

On 18 June 1918, “Ray” enlisted in the Army, serving as a sergeant in the Quartermaster Corps; first, with Co 7 at Camp Meigs, Washington, D.C.; later with Co 11, 163 Depot Brigade at Camp Dodge, Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa. After WWI, Albert, Ray and Harry decided to form Bawden Brothers. Ray served as first office manager and bookkeeper.

Ray married Viola Katherine Duvall on 16 February 1921 at her parents home in Bennett, Madison County, Iowa. Viola Katherine was born 7 April 1895 in Beardstown, Cass County, Illinois, the daughter of John Frederick and Katherine Hansmeyer Duvall. Both sides of her family were from Prussia Vi's father changed the spelling of Duvall from one L to two Ls shortly before he married Katherine in Prussia.

They had 2 sons:

George Ray Bawden, Jr. “Binc” b. 7 March 1924 in Davenport, Scott Cnty, IA.

John Duvall Bawden “Tim” b. 23 September 1929 in Davenport, Scott Cnty, IA

After attending high school in Taylorville, Cass County, Illinois, Vi came to Davenport where she lived with family friends and was employed by Abraham‘s ladies ready-to-wear-store [no longer exists] until her marriage. Ready-to-wear was a fairly new concept and Vi was an excellent seamstress. She knew how to smock and tat. She also played the piano in a Davenport theater before the “talkies“.

Vi was president of Visiting Nurse Association and active in Republican women‘s activities. At 90 yo, she was able to live in the home Ray built for her before they were married at 161 Forest Road in Davenport which was not in the Davenport city limits.

George Ray died in this home of a heart attack after supper on the couch 13 April 1954. He was president of Bawden Bros., Inc at the time of his death. [Albert died in 1949]. The family were members of First Presbyterian Church in Davenport at the corner of Kirkwood Blvd and Iowa Street.- across the street from his mother Jennie’s family home.
Ray and Vi are buried in Davenport’s Oakdale Memorial Gardens: (Sect 26 lot 96)