Notes:

The picture in the scrapbook shows 4 generations starting with John Fred Sowers. The back row is Richard Allender being held by Mildred Allender, John Sowers (son of Fred and Florence), and William Graham being held by Mabel Graham. The ft w is Florence Sowers, Barbara Allender, John Sowers, Marjorie Graham and Fred Sowers.

Marjorie Graham remembers that John Fred Sowers gave his great-grandchildren pennies. He lived into his 90's. She remembers him staying at her house when she was a child and sitting on the front porch.


Notes from Mabel Sowers Graham say that he did not like the name John King and changed it so that he went by John W. Sowers all is life. He moved to Clark County, Ohio, when he was a child and to Liberty Township, Logan County, in 1884.


An article about John Sowers is found in Memoirs of the Miami Valley, Vol. III Biographical is found at the Logan County District Library (G 977.14 M533). The article is as follows;

The entire career of John Sowers, of Liberty township, has been devoted to the vocations of farming and stock-raising, and during the past 28 years he has occupied his present property of 150 acres. He is a native of Grant county, Ind., born Ju ne 23, 1861, a son of Samuel and Mary (King) Sowers, natives of Clark County, Ohio. The parents, after their marriage, moved to Grant County, Indiana, but in 1865 returned to Clark County, and about 1885 came to Logan County where they made the ir home until their deaths. They followed the peaceful pursuits of agriculture, and won the esteem and respect of their fellow-citizens by their honorable lives. Mr. and Mrs. Sowers were the parents of nine children, of whom five are living : Edward, Elmer, Grant, John and Laura. John Sowers secured his education in the public schools of Champaign County where his parents had moved when he was about seven years of age, and after leaving school, remained with his father on the hom e place until 1892. In that year he rented his present property, a tract of 150 acres on which he has operated for a period of 28 years. Mr. Sowers has met with success, both in general farming and stock raising, and has 45 acres in corn, feed ing his grain to his 40 head of hogs. Mr. Sowers was married May 18, 1887 to Mary Crowl, who was born in Champaign County, Ohio, October 7, 1862, daughter of William and Ann (Mc Caughey) Crowl, and to this union there have been born two childre n; Lulu, who married Oscar Hartman and had two children, Muriel and Grace Marie: and Fred, who married Florence Tilton and has two children, Mabel and Mildred. William Crowl was born in Washington County, Maryland, whence he moved to Urbana Ohi o. There he married Ann McCaughey, who was born in Washington County, Indiana, and they settled on a farm in Champaign County where they passed the remainder of their lives. Mrs. Sowers was their only child. Mr. and Mrs. Sowers are consisten t members of the Presbyterian Church. In politics he is Republican, and his service to his community have included official work as a member of the school board.

The Farm Journal Directory of Logan County, 1916, found at the Logan County Library, states that John W. and Mary E. Sowers are the tenants of a 150 acre farm on R4 West Liberty. It states they have two children, but son, Fred, had moved away . They had 4 horses and 35 cows. They had a telephone.

1910 Census for Liberty Township, Logan County Ohio, lists John Sowers as head on the family, living with his wife Mary, son Fred, daughter, Lulu, and brother Elmer. John and Elmer were both born in Indiana; everyone else born in Ohio. John'so ccupation was listed as general farmer and Lulu's occupation was listed as seamstress.

John married Mary Eliza Crowl on 18 May 1887 in Springhills Presbyterian Church, Champaign County OH. Mary was born on 7 Oct 1862 in Harrison Township, Champaign County, OH; died on 14 Aug 1947 in Near West Liberty, Logan County OH; was buried in Fairview Cemetery, West Liberty, Logan County OH. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Oscar Hartman. Oscar was born on 25 Jun 1879 in Clark County, OH; died after 25 Jun 1958 in A Columbus Hospital. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

1900 Census, Ohio, Vol. 92, E.D. 114, Sheet 14, Line 65, Liberty twsp., Logan County, has Fred J. living with parents, age 8.

1910 Census, Ohio, 110-0134-0107, Logan County, has Fred living with parents, age 18.

1920 Census, Ohio, Vol. 123, E.D. 195, Sheet 3, Line 8, Logan County, has Fred J. living with wife Florence M. and two daughters, Mable F., and Mildred I.

Obituary - Bellefontaine Examiner, dtg October 20, 1980, Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio.

FRED JOHN SOWERS - BELLEFONTAINE - Fred John Sowers, 88, of 1104 Erie St., died in Mary Rutan Hospital at 12:55 a.m. Sunday following several days of illness.
A retired farmer, he was born in Liberty Township, Logan County, on March 16, 1892, a son of John and Mary Crowl Sowers. He was a member of the First United Church of Christ in West Liberty.
He married the former Florence Tilton at West Liberty on Feb. 14, 1914. She died on Oct. 18, 1972.
Survivors include a son, John F. of Bellefontaine; two daughters, Mrs. Gorden (Mable) Graham of Bellefontaine and Mrs. Wilbur (Mildred) Allender of Springfield; one sister, Lulu Hartman of Urbana; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandch
Services will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the Eichholtz Funeral Home, Bellefontaine, by the Rev. Tom Marlin, pastor of the United Church of Christ in West Liberty. Burial will be in the West Liberty Cemetery.
Friends may call at the funeral home Tuesday from 2 to 4 and from 7 to 9 p.m


The Farm Journal Directory of Logan County for 1916, found in the Logan County Library states that Fred abd Florence Sowers were tenants on a 106 acre farm in Union Twp. Logan County Ohio. They had 4 horses and 35 cows. Mabel is not listed alt hough she was born in 1915. They had a telephone.

Fred married Florence Mabel Tilton on 14 Feb 1914 in West Liberty, Ohio. Florence was born on 28 Jul 1891 in Casstown, Indiana; died on 18 Oct 1972 in Bellefontaine, Ohio -Latham Care Center; was buried in West Liberty Cemetery. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Wesley Brooks. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Noble Edwin Henesy. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Betty Joan. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

OBITUARY - dtg. March 1994, Bellefontaine, Logan County, Oh
io.

MABLE FLORENCE GRAHAM - Pastors Preston Van Deursen and David Moreland
will conduct services for Mable Florence Graham, formerly of 209 Miami, at 11
a.m. Tuesday at the First Lutheran Church. She died at 12:05 a.m. Saturday,
March 26, 1994, at Heartland of Bellefontaine at the age of 78.
Mrs. Graham was born Dec. 16, 1915, in Logan County, a daughter of
Fred and Florence Tilton Sowers, and married Gorden Graham in Rushsylvania on
May 25, 1941. He preceded her in death Dec. 14, 1971.
Surviving are a son, William Graham of New Philadelphia; one daughter,
Mrs. Max (Marjorie) Bixler of Bellefontaine; a brother, John Sowers, also of
Bellefontaine; one sister, Mildred Allender of Springfield, and three
grandchildren.
Mrs. Graham taught school in Zanesfield, Belle Center and Riverside,
and retired from Bellefontaine in 1979 after 29 years of teaching. She was a
graduate of Bowling Green State University, and was a member of the First
Lutheran Church and its Charity Circle, Delta Gamma Gamma, Mary Rutan Hospital
Guild I, Bellefontaine Women's Club, the Logan County Retired Teachers
Association and the Agrarian Club.
Calling hours are from 6 to 9 p.m. today at the Eichholtz Funeral
Home, and one hour prior to services Tuesday at the church. Interment will be
in Zanesfield Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the Organ Fund or Bell Choir
Fund of her church.



MABEL GRAHAM
SSN 275-46-0782 Residence: 43311 Bellefontaine, Logan, OH
Born 16 Dec 1915 Last Benefit:
Died 26 Mar 1994 Issued: OH (1964)

Mabel married Gorden Wilson Graham on 25 May 1941 in Rushylvania, Logan County OH. Gorden was born on 27 Feb 1913 in Belleville, Mifflin County PA; died on 14 Dec 1975 in Bellefontaine, Logan County OH; was buried on 17 Dec 1975 in Zanesfield, Logan County OH. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Mildred married Wilbur Allender [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Joyce Joan Moore [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

An obituary of Sandra Sue Henesy states that she died from second and third degree burns on 75% of her body when her dress caught fire June 24. When her sixth birthday came, her parents gave the party in her hospital room. She still wast w , but improvement seemed to be rapid later. Her mother put the cake in the freezer - "for when she came home." Mrs. Henesy said Sandra's death was sudden An autopsy was held, but the results were not known Wednesday night. Sandra's parents a re not sure how her dress caught fire. The little girl told them about a "fire in a can," but they think she was playing with matches. The mishap occurred outside, behind a shed. She attended Sunday School at St. Paul Lutheran Church.

Marjorie married Max Eugene Bixler [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

William married Cheryl Anne Swanson [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Barbara married Terrence Raymond O'brien [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Martha Jane Cook. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

David married Joan Marie Yoakam [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Deborah married Kent Travis Amey [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

John Sowers was killed when the automobile in which they were riding went out of control on slippery pavement and struck two other vehicles in southern Knox County. Sowers, was pronounced dead at Knox Community Hospital East in Mt. Vernon.e deeived a BA in Journalism from The Ohio State University on Friday, June 11, 1982. He was a very promising young man with a great personality. He had graduated from Indian Lake High School where he was a valedictorian, a member of Nationa l Honor Society, member of the baseball team and active in the music department.

Springfield Daily News, April 2, 1977, p. 12
Boy, 8, Stuck By Truck, Dies of Injuries
Bellefontaine - Brian Miller, 8, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward L. Miller of Bellefontaine, Route 2, died in Lima Memoria Hospital shortly before noon Friday as a result of injuries received when he was struck by a truck on April 11.
He and a playmate, Brenda Castle, 11, reportedly ran onto a county road to retrieve a ball and were struck by a truck driven by John A. Sower, 17, of Bellefontaine, Route 4. Castle was pronounced dead on arrival at Mary Rutan Hospital, Bellhly after the accident and Miller was transferred to Lima Memorial Hospital the same day and never regained consciousness.