Mary Johns Bowen 1827-1884
Mary John Bowen was born 03 Sep 1827 in Greene Co. Pennsylvania. Her father was Mason Bowen born 25 Mar 1796 in New Jersey. He worked as a laborer and a merchant. Her mother was Deliverance Conarroe (her last name has been spelled many different ways) she was born 12 Sep 1800 in Cumberland, Cumberland Co. New Jersey. They were married 23 Apr 1816 in Cumberland Co. New Jersey. Mary got her middle name from a lady who was Deliverance midwife her last name was Johns. The Johns were close friends of the Bowen’s. Mary had five siblings. The oldest is Levi born 28 Mar 1818 in New Jersey, Hannah Seely born 12 Mar 1820, and Rebecca 1821 in Pennsylvania. Mason born 22 Nov 1824, and Sarah born 04 May 1830. Deliverance became ill and died in 1834 when Mary was 7 years old. Mary lived with the Johns until she went to the Oakland Female Seminary School in Hillsboro Ohio. After the death of Deliverance, Mason married the housekeeper Polly Meeks in 1836 she died 1844 in Somerset Pennsylvania. They had a child Elizabeth Jane Bowen. She was born 8 Jul 1842 in Greene co. Mason remarried again to Sarah Emeline Sidwell in 21 Oct 1859 years after he moved out to Jackson Highland Co. Ohio to live with his daughter Rebecca. They had a child name Lorinda born Oct 1864, Isaac Newton born 28 Apr 1861 and George Hamilton born June 1869. Mason and Sarah moved back to Pennsylvania in South Strabane, in Washington co. He died 1881 at the age of 85. He is buried at Glyde, Washington Co. Pennsylvania.
Mary father didn’t want her to go to school. He was opposed of woman getting an education. But Mary insisted and continues to do so against her father’s wishes. He was very angry with his daughter decision to go. Mary never seen or heard from her father again.
She then secured a teaching position at the Tallahassee Mission Creek Indian School in Tallahassee Wangoner, Oklahoma. The town was an all African American population when it was formed in 1850 when the Creek Indian created the school. Classes started in March 1850. Hon.Walter Lowrie came from new York. In April of 1847 he was the secretary of the board of foreign missions in New York. He came to agreement with Indian chefs to enlarge the Koweta Mission and create the Tallahassee Mission that would accommodate eighty students the school was funded by the Presbyterian church and the creek school fund.
The school was a large brick building 3 stories high, it was fully furnished. The school open up with 30 children and more came in the fall. The children spent 6 hours studying each day. They did chores for two hours each day, the boys worked on the farm the girls did the household duties, they had 3 meals a day and had plenty time to sleep and play. They had to go to church on Sunday and pray each morning and night and at meal time, the children had to recite a verse from the bible. The teachers had a $100 salary per year. She was sent to the Kowetah Mission School in around 1852 to teach there. She resigned in 1853 due to illness.
According to Lola Sanders letter the children were taught to sleep in a bed, to sit at the tables and eat from china and use silverware and napkins. They were taught to cook, bake sew, mend and keep a house clean as well as themselves. To wear their hair like American girls and to wear American clothes and shoes. The children didn’t like shoes. They had to learn to sit in chairs in a living room and talk about different subjects. They were also taught ballroom dancing and how to ride a horse using a riding habit, using a side saddle and cantering like a ladylike pace was very hard for them to master. The children would ditch their saddles whenever they can and ride away. Mary Johns would share with the girls American home life, cities, schools and about the stars she studied astronomy and astrology at the seminary school. She spent time with the girls and help them with their clothes and hair, and personal hygiene, taught some of them how to speak French and other subjects. The girls were around Mary a lot they would even sneak into her room at night and sleep on the floor by her bed. Mary was on the verge of a nervous breakdown due to the children being around her so much. The school gave her a leave of absence, she went back to Pennsylvania. She never came back. She resigns from her teaching position and married Elijah in July 29, 1854.
Mary met her husband shortly after she left the Indian school around 1854. She met him when she visited her sister Hannah in Pennsylvania. And met him a second time.
Lola Sanders thought they may have met in Hillsboro Ohio the first time
According to Lola’s letter, that Elijah mother was a German chambermaid in a boarding house for medical students, and one of the students was Elijah father. I haven't been able to find a medical school in the area yet. After Elijah died his father came to visit to offer help but was denied. I believe this man may have been his step father Benjamin Wilson. Elijah and his mother Elizabeth lived with Benjamin Wilson in 1850. Lola letter stated that his mother married a “Tom “ Wilson and he was a carpenter. I have found a Thomas Wilson in the area ( not too sure if he is the same person or not) They had a daughter name Rhoda and other children , when Elijah died Rhoda help them out and she attended to his funeral, Ella ( their daughter) was with Rhoda on horse back riding to the funeral. Rhoda lived next door to Elijah and Mary Loafman in 1870. According to a family tree I found on Ancestry.com of the Wilson’s. I have found Elijah mother last name is Palmer born 4 Mar 1810 and passed away in 26 Sep 1866. She married Benjamin Wilson in 4 Mar 1832. They had 6 children, Ephriam ( 1834-1909), Rhoda (1836-) Married William Dewberry and had a child name John age 14 in 1870, Jacob (1838-1913), Luella (1841-), Samuel (1844-1909), Sarah Jane (1847-)
Elijah was opposed of Mary getting a higher education, he tried to make her quit and married him. In 1853 she did quit teaching due to illness. They married 29 Jul 1854
They had 8 children. Hannah Elizabeth born 21 Apr 1855, Samuel Mason born 25 Aug 1856, Mary Jane born 08 Aug 1858, Dillie Metete ( Melita) 19 Sep 1860, Sarah Julia 25 Dec 1862, Ella May 17 dec 1865, Arla Dell 29 Jan 1868, Margaret Ellen 14 Aug 1870, all children were born in Greene co. Pennsylvania except for Ella May she was born in Cameron according to Lola Sanders letter.( not sure if it was WV or Penn) According to Hazel Roberts birth cert. it stated that Ellen was born in Washington Co. Penn. There is a Canton twp in Washington Co. Penn. There is a Jacob Loughman in Canton during the same time period, he might be related. There are a couple spellings to Elijah Last name, Loafman, Loughman, Lowman, Lochman. There is many Loughman/Loafman in Pennsylvania. I have yet to find Elijah father. I do believe that the Loafman/Loughmans in Pa is related to each other, and Brenda has agreed also. The Loafman were originated from Germany. According to Elijah military discharge records states Ohio as his birth place. A federal census record states Ohio ( first one) the rest states Penn. On Ellas census records states he was born in Ohio and on Margaret's after 1910 it states Ohio. I am not too sure why Margaret would change his birth location. There is an Loafman clan living in Ohio that was from Penn. I strongly believe they are related to the Penn clan, just not too sure how yet.
According to census records I have found Elijah and his family living at Springfield Pennsylvania in 1860- 1870.
Mary Johns made candles from tallow and soap laundry and toilet soap from lye, carded flax, spun into thread and woven into cloth. She used geese and duck feathers for beds, wove carpets. Make pickles and cheese, carried corn to the grist mill and had it ground into meal. Made yeast vinegar and did all the baking. Collected sap from maple trees to make syrup and sugar. She drafted her own dress patterns. Did all the sewing and tailor Elijah clothes. They raised most of their own food stored potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage turnips, pumpkins, dry beans, apples, hickory nuts walnuts, chestnuts and peanuts. She was a teacher and taught school.
During the civil war, the railroad at that time was named Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, it was the oldest railroad in the united states. During the civil war it was a main rail connection between Washington DC and the northern states. It was raided many times and was in battles 143 times conducted by Stonewall Jackson, and had major losses during 1861-1862. which included burned bridges, telegraph lines being cut down, locomotives being burned and captured, rail lines being torn up and destroyed.
Elijah Loafman signed up in the Union Army in 1861. He was sent to guard a railroad bridge.
He jumped from a moving train that was on the bridge to escape notice, he jumped on something hard like a big stone that rolled with him, dislocating and breaking his ankle severely. Prior to that in May 1862 He was sent to the army hospital called Grafton in WV and was release to go to home due to illness, during that time a group of soldiers came into the hospital with measles. ( not too sure if Elijah came down with it or not or had something else) after he broke his ankle he was disabled June 8, 1862 and muster out in June 23 1862. The hospital where he was at was in horrific condition. I was able to find the report that was given of the conditions.
REPORT ON HOSPITALS AT GRAFTON, VA.
Grafton, Va., March 10th, 1862.
Sir, — In compliance with telegraphic instructions received whilst at Cumberland, I inspected to-day the 55th Regiment of Ohio Volunteers, encamped at this place. The inspection was,
of course, limited to the sanitary condition of the regiment.
The 55th has been five months in service, and has been stationed at Grafton since the 17th of February. The camp is located on a knoll, on the south side of the river, and, as far as
situation goes, it may be considered advantageously placed. The soil and subsoil are clay, which is bad, on account of its retaining moisture a long time. At present, the mud is six or
eight inches deep all over the camp ground.
The tents are in a very bad state of police, and, for a permanent camp, over- crowded. They contain from ten to fourteen men each. The effluvia from them, on entering, was
stilling. The straw is changed once a week. The tents have not been struck since the regiment has been at Grafton, and, consequently, the ground over which they are pitched must be
rocking with gaseous emanations from the men. They are partly floored ; the boards are not placed upon joists, but directly on the ground.
The camp sink is located between the tents and the river. It is covered with fresh earth about twice a week, when the medical officer specially sees to it. The men, however, generally make
use of the ground in the vicinity.
It can scarcely be expected that proper sanitary measures will be enforced in this camp, so long as the field officers do not reside in it, and experience the discomfort which arises
from their neglect. The Colonel, Lieutenant-Colonel, and Major occupy a house in a high, airy situation, half a mile from the camp. I find the medical officer in charge active and energetic in
the discharge of his duties, which are onerous in the extreme. The Surgeon is absent, sick, and the whole medical care of a large number of sick falls upon the Assistant Surgeon, Dr.
Spooner.
The measles appeared in this regiment on the 13th of February. At that time 165 men of the command had never had that disease ; of this number, 100 have since had it. The
probability is, that unless something is done to arrest its progress, the remaining 65 will have it. There has also been a good deal of other sickness, consisting principally of chest
affections, diarrhoea, and dysentery. At present, there are, as near as can be ascertained, 120 sick ; which, in a force of 950 men, is excessive. One -seventh of the command is thus unfit
for duty.
Elijah was a carpenter as well as farmer ( wonder if he learned it from Tom Wilson) in 1862 three of the older children Mason, Hannah Elizabeth, and Dilly Melitta came down with scarlet fever and died within two weeks of each other, According to Lola’s letter. I am wondering from the report it may have been measles? Not too sure. They are buried at Old Freeport Cemetery.
In 1866 Stephen White Surveyed land 61 ½ acres in Springfield Greene Co Pa. to Elijah 30 Aug 1866.
Elijah leg never heal right. He had to walk on the side of his foot it would swell up and was very painful. He died in 1871 of cancer. I think it may gotten an infection instead of cancer. The conditions back then wasn’t anything like it is today. They didn’t have sanitary safeguards. It was very easy to get a infection and lose a limb or died from it. He was buried in Old New Freeport cemetery in Pennsylvania next to his children.
Mary tried to teach school and make ends meet. Mary brothers Levi and Mason wanted her to sell the farm and moved in with them in Williamstown Missouri. I believe around 13 Mar 1875. She received partial payment for the property and left the deed and all papers to a man who was handling the sale and turn everything over to the buyer Mr. Salathiel B. White for the sum of 984 dollars. The deed was not recorded until 1902. He refuse to pay the other part of the money that was owed. Levi and Mason figured it would be a waste of money and time to try to send mary back to Penn. to try to sue and it may not have stick anyway. I did find a copy of the deed and it was recorded in 1902 after the person sold passed away.
When she arrived in Williamstown she taught school. She taught older people how to read and write and other higher education like math and college subjects. She taught them how to make pickles and cheese. Albert Selway was one of her students, he married her daughter Sarah Julia in 1882 in Reddish Lewis Co. Missouri. They had 5 children Claud R. (1882-1957) Wilber G ( 1884-1968) Addie M. (1887-1972) Rosco Napoleon (1898-1989) Theodore W. (1905-1986) Albert was a Postmaster in 1900 in Missouri, in 1910 he was a retail merchant. They lived next to the Mason Bowen, son of Mary Johns brother. Mary Johns would write to her daughter asking her to come to visit her in Kansas. Here is one of the letters that was written in 1882:
Dear Julia: You will be surprised to know that I am at Mary's but I needed rest so much that the doctor said that to get away from work and travel was the best medicine he could prescribed. so Maggie and I have come to Mary's and left Ella and Dell at home. In Larned. We expected Frank and Mary to go home with us the last of next month but I hardly think Frank want to go and I don’t want to persuade him so I think I shall go home about the 16th of September I think this a better county for farming than where I live but for health and stock Pawnee county is far ahead and much ahead as regard to society I have been here two Sundays and I neither hear nor see anything that would one there. There is such a thing as church or Sunday school. Yet they have plenty of vegetables and fruit which is more than we have in Pawnee only as can buy them and they come high Dell is keeping house alone and stays with a neighbor at nights. Ella has gone to live with aged couple ( Mr. & Mrs. Crosby) who are quite wealthy. They clothe and educate Ella and should Ella do right it is likely she will draw portion of their property. But if either party gets dissatisfied Ella will come home. They live about one block from us and Ella can come home every day if she want. She has the best of clothes and a room furnished with everything nice and costly a buggy to take a ride if she like and no hard work, only to do the washing for the three. So I think Ella is very fortunate Dell is such a good girl for business and so kind to me. She and Maggie are my only dependence to take care of me in my sickness and old age. Ella and Mary are kind but they cannot of my wants as the other two of course it is because they have not been me as much. I use to think you would be the staff of my old age, but after you refusal to obey me, in regard to coming to Kansas I no longer had any hope I had no hope in the direction, but god has given me at least one daughter to be proud of. While I hope none will disgrace us. I had thought if this country agreed with me I might move back in this neighborhood, but my health is no better as yet, while I can do a good deal of work my lungs are still in bad condition. Should I liver over another summer I shall send Dell to visit you perhaps come myself; but that is in the future, which perhaps I shall not live to see. It seems so hard to think of you there alone and caring so little for us, but I pray for you daily and hope you and Albert will get along well. I cannot write more now. If you can answer this by 8th of next month direct to Princeton, Franklin County, Kansas. All my love and how I want to see you before I die, but I do not expect to have that pleasure. Mary J Loafman. Should you not get this in time to answer by the 6th direct to Larned
I haven’t came across any letters of Julia ever coming to Kansas, until after her mothers death. When she would write to her husband.
Mary and Arla, and Maggie arrived in Larned Kansas in 1879 and Ella was staying at Mary Jane’s and her husband Benjamin Frank Spaulding ( in the letters they stated Frank rather Benjamin) place in eastern Kansas. Mary Jane and Frank were married 25 Dec 1872 in Missouri. She was 14 yrs old they had one daughter name Nettie. Frank was a farmer. He was born in New York. According to the 1880 federal census. In 1885 they moved to Larned Pawnee Co. Kansas According to 1885 Kansas census. According to the 1910 federal census record it looks like Frank came back to New York and remarried to a Eva. He may have died there also. I have yet to find where Mary Jane was buried at, I believe she is buried close to her mother ( according to letters written by the family). She died 17 Jan 1886 in Hodgeman Kansas.
Mary Johns moved further west to Hodgeman co. Kansas in 1883 to take a homestead claim but never completed it. Frank and Mary Jane were already there. Mary Johns got into herding cattle. They herd cattle to buy some for themselves.There she build a sod house, it was by the school section of the property located northwest quarter of section 36 on township 22 south, range 23 west. During the winds they would tied ropes over the rafters and had rocks on the end of the ropes and sat on them to hold the roof on the house. When Mary Johns died there was a snowstorm and her grave was put too far north, partially on Thompson Hauns’ lot, there were a couple people at the funeral due to the severe weather. After her death and since she wasn’t able to finish filling a claim to the land, Thompson Haun helped the children get a Soldier's Orphan Claim. Mary Johns tried to get a widows pension from Elijah death. She never got it, due to a rebel synthesizer doctor who refuse to sign any pension papers from union side. She was able to get “Mason Pension” from the masons, Elijah was a mason. Mr. Thorpe was in charge of the pension and disbursements of payments.
Her religion was Episcopalian but she went Presbyterian church while in Kansas, due to it was the only church in the area.
Mary died in 29 Oct 1884 of consumption she is buried at Fairmount St. Lawrence Cemetery BLK 8 Row.
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