Mary Pearl (Edsall) Bowen (1885 - 1964)

Born 23 May 1885 in Bertie, Welland, Ontario, Canada

Ancestors

Wife of Wesley Wilson Bowen — married 22 Sep 1909 in Ridgeway, Fort Erie, Bertie, Welland, Ontario, Canada

Descendants

Biography

Mary "May" Pearl Edsall was born on 23 May 1885 in Bertie Twp, Welland, Ontario^[1]. She was the daughter of James Edsall and Sarah A. Farley.

Early in her life, she was known as Pearl, but records in her adult life typically refer to her as May. For instance, on the 1891 Canadian Census, she appears as a 5-year-old living with her parents in Bertie, Welland Co, Ontario and she is listed as "Pearl M."^[2].

Ten years later, on the 1901 Canadian Census, she is still living with her parents James and Sarah in Bertie, now 15 years old, and again she is listed as Pearl; The family is Methodist and of German descent^[3].

At age 24, on 22 Sep 1909 in Ridgeway, Welland County, she married Wesley Wilson Bowen; she is a resident of Ridgeway and her father is a farmer^[4]. They had four children:

1. Wilmer b.1910
2. Eva b.1912
3. Cecil b.1915
4. Dorothy b.1921

She is called "May P." on the 1911 Canadian Census, living with her husband in Bertie and their first child^[5]. On the 1921 Canadian Census, she and her husband reside in Ridgeway with their four children, and her mother Sarah is also living with the family, listed as a 68-year-old of Dutch ethnicity and born in the United States^[6].

She and her husband Wesley cross the U.S. border into Buffalo, NY in 1942; on this record, she is listed as May^[7].

She passed away in 1964 and was buried at Ridgeway Old Memorial Cemetery in Fort Erie, Ontario^[8]. Her gravestone is marked "May Pearle Edsall," wife of Wesley W. Bowen, and she is buried with her husband.

Research Notes

Her full name is listed as Orma May Pearl Edsall on her marriage record, but Orma doesn't appear on any other records associated with her, at least that have been found to date^[4]. Her birth record provides her name as Mary Pearl Edsall.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "Canada, Ontario Births, 1869-1912," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FMDJ-Y45 : 2 March 2021), Mary Pearl Edsall, 23 May 1885; citing Birth, Bertie Township, Welland, Ontario, Canada, citing Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,845,876.
2. ↑ "Canada Census, 1891," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWGK-XHB : 3 August 2016), Pearle M Edsall, Bertie, Welland, Ontario, Canada; Public Archives, Ottawa, Ontario; Library and Archives Canada film number 30953_148177.
3. ↑ "Canada Census, 1901," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KHG5-339 : 23 February 2021), Pearl Edsal in household of James Edsal, Welland, Ontario, Canada; citing p. 16, Library and Archives of Canada, Ottawa.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} "Canada, Ontario Marriages, 1869-1927," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KSZL-N3Z : 8 March 2021), Wesley Wilson Bowen and Orma May Pearl Edsall, 22 Sep 1909; citing registration , Ridgeway, Welland, Ontario, Canada, Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,872,067.
5. ↑ Census of Canada, 1911, Library and Archives of Canada. Image No.: e002033963, Item Number: 4988610. Family #197, Bertie Twp, Welland, Ontario, enumerated June 17-18, 1911.
   Bowen, Wesley W., head, born July 1883, age 27, born Ontario, German ethnicity, Methodist, occupation Implement Dealer
   May P., wife, born May 1885, age 26, born Ontario, Scotch ethnicity, Methodist
   Wilson W., son, born July 1910, age 11/12, born Ontario, German ethnicity, Methodist
   https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1911&op=img&id=e002033963. Accessed 6 Jan 2022.
6. ↑ Census of Canada, 1921, Library and Archives of Canada. Image No.: e003046379, Item Number: 3791904. Family #273, Ridgeway Village, Bertie Twp, Welland, Ontario.
   Bowen, Wesley W., head, age 37, born Ontario, parents born Ontario, Dutch ethnicity, Methodist, occupation Agent, Farmer Implements
   Pearl, wife, age 36, born Ontario, father born Ontario, mother born United States, Dutch ethnicity, Methodist
   Wilmer, son, age 10, born Ontario, Dutch ethnicity, Methodist
   Eva, daughter, age 8, born Ontario, Dutch ethnicity, Methodist
   Cecil, son, age 6, born Ontario, Dutch ethnicity, Methodist
   Dorothy, daughter, age 3/12, born Ontario, Dutch ethnicity, Methodist
   Edsall, Sarah, mother-in-law, age 68, born United States, parents born United States, immigrated 1875, Naturalized, Dutch ethnicity, Methodist
   https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1921&op=img&id=e003046379. Accessed 6 Jan 2022.
7. ↑ "United States Border Crossings from Canada to United States, 1895-1956", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4QPN-T9N2 : 14 November 2019), May W in entry for Wesley W Bowen, 1942.
8. ↑ Grave record for May Pearle Bowen (1885 - 1964), BillionGraves Record 38255329 Fort Erie, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. https://billiongraves.com/grave/May-Pearle-Bowen/38255329. Accessed 6 Jan 2022.