John William Bowen

    John William Bowen, an agriculturist of Fairbanks Township, was born in Ballard County, Kentucky, September 27, 1872, and attended the public schools of Prairie Creek Township, Vigo County, Indiana. He is the son of James A. and Charity (Davidson) Bowen, the father a native of Ohio and the mother of Tennessee. The grandfather was John Bowen, of Ohio, and a pioneer of Kosciusko County, Indiana. James A. and Charity (Davidson) Bowen were united in marriage in 1864 in Tennessee, and three years later moved to Kentucky, where they resided until the spring of 1878, when they moved to Vigo County, Indiana. They continued to live there until 1901, when they moved to Brazil, remained there two years and then located in Fairbanks Township. The children of this family consisted of two sons and four daughters, of which family the subject, John William Bowen, was the third child. He spent his youthful days with his parents, and when nineteen years of age commenced farming on his own account in Vigo County, within Prairie Township. After one year at that point he moved to Fairbanks Township, Sullivan County, where he rented land and resided on property owned by his wife. In 1895 he moved to the village of Fairbanks, where he was employed with C. M. Welsh until August, 1903, and then traded town lots he owned for more land in Fairbanks Township suitable for farming purposes -twenty acres in Section 8 and fifty acres in Section 7. In the spring of 1904 he erected a house and barn and is now fully prepared to conduct successful farming. He raises hogs and deals some in cattle.

    Politically Mr. Bowen is a Democrat, and he was elected in the fall of 1904 to the office of Township Trustee of Fairbanks Township. He is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being a member of Fairbanks Lodge No. 763, and also of the Rebekah Lodge No. 650. Concerning his domestic relations let it be said that he was united in marriage, February 21, 1892, to Sindora De Camp, born in Fairbanks Township, July 5, 1874, a daughter of Moses and Margaret (Hutchison) De Camp. The father was born in Ohio and the mother was born in Kentucky. The grandparents were William and Mary A. (Reynolds) Hutchison, of Kentucky. The issue of the union of Mr. Bowen and wife is as follows:

• Florence Myrtle, born March 3, 1893.
• Opal, born March 23, 1896, and died October 14, 1900.
• Geneva Ellen, born November 14, 1900.
• Jerome Othos, born September 8, 1903.

Source: A History of Sullivan County, Indiana. Closing of the first century’s history of the county and showing the growth of its people, institutions, industries and wealth. Thomas J. Wolfe, Editor. The Lewis Publishing Company, 1909, page 336, 337.