Donald Bower (1929 - 1995)

Born 4 May 1929 in Hazleton, Luzerne, Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 24 Jul 1995 at age 66 in Butler, Luzerne, Pennsylvania

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Biography

Following is a list of his names as recorded in official documents during his life:

• April 1930: “William Bower” in the Federal Census.

• April 1940: “Willy Bower” in the Federal Census.

• February 1948: “Donald B. Bower” in his Honorable Discharge paper.

• July 1950: “Billy D. Bower” in his Application for Marriage License.

• April 1952: “Donald B. Bower” in his Honorable Discharge Certificate.

• August 1985: “William D. Bower” in his son Blair’s Virginia marriage certificate.

• August 1995: “Donald B. Bower” in the Pennsylvania, Veterans Burial records.

• August 1995: “Donald B. Bower” in the Social Security Death Index

It appears “Donald B. Bower” was the most correct form of his name, at least in adult life, although it’s uncertain whether the B stood for Bill or Billy. In personal life he was known as Billy in younger life, although in the 1950s he seems to have switched to Bill, as evidenced by newspaper mentions we will cite later. His first appearance in print outside of official documents is a newspaper article from November 1930. The Danville Morning News reported that Ray and Maude Bower brought their young children Theron, Irvin, Billy, and Mary Alice to a masquerade party at the home of Ray’s sister, Jennie (Mrs. Lester Deitrick). Also present was Ray and Jennie’s mother, Eusba. ^[1] His presence seems to be implied in Hurley and Fanny Sitler’s 60th wedding anniversary announcement—as Irvin and Billy were needed to bring the count of their grandchildren up to eleven.^[2] According to the 1944 Arcana, West Hazleton High School’s yearbook, Billy Bower, then a sophomore, was a member of the Drama Club, and also was a saxophonist in both the school orchestra and the Blue and Gold Dance Band. In his junior year, he was a center on West Hazleton’s high school football team in the 1944-45 season.^[3] My grandfather distinguished himself not only as a musician but also as an actor, both in high school and afterward:

Stage Roles of Bill Bower

March 1945 - The Night was Dark - unknown.^[4]

March 1945 - The Wedding - Archie, the best man.^[5]

April 1945 - Girl Shy - unknown.^[6]

November 1945 - Ever Since Eve - Johnny Clover (lead).^[7]

May 1946 - Almost Summer - Paul, the older son.^[8]

April 1948 - Tish - Charlie Sands (lead).^[9]

January 1950 - Apron Strings - Daniel Curtis.^[10]

By late 1945, he had made a name for himself portraying comedy roles, and the Standard Sentinel reported that he was “well known to West Hazleton audiences as a first-rate comedian.”^[11] My grandfather graduated from West Hazleton High School in 1946, and not before finishing third place in the voting for “Mr. West Hazleton High,” as one of the “outstanding members of the Senior Class in the opinion of the student body of the school.”^[12] He enlisted in the Army in Philadelphia on 9 September 1946. His mother, Maude, would remember that he took what little he needed in a paper bag and left the house without looking back. He lived in Vienna from March 1947 through January 1948 while serving in the Allied Occupation. He was a Technician, 5th Grade by the time of his discharge. He also played Saxophone for the army band. He received the Army of Occupation Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. He was discharged on 25 February 1948.^[13] As of 26 February 1948 he was in the Army Reserve.^[14] Upon returning from his Army service in 1948, my grandfather enrolled at Bloomsburg State Teachers College (now Bloomsburg University). By August 1950 he was employed by C. L. Oberst Trucking Company.^[15] I do not know if this employment came before or after his courtship with C. L. Oberst’s daughter. On 15 July 1950 my grandfather married June Johnson Oberst at the Conyngham Methodist Church in a ceremony officiated by Rev. Charles G. Pope. His brother Irvin was best man and his nephew Joseph Dudeck, Jr., was one of the ushers. Bill and June spent their honeymoon at Niagara Falls and in Canada, before coming home to reside in Conyngham.^[16] On 21 November 1950 he returned to active duty in the Army for a year, until returning to the Army Reserve on 16 November 1951.^[17] This required him to be away at the time of his and June’s first daughter, Jill, on 20 May 1951. My grandmother tells me that during this period of service he was promoted to Sergeant after an excellent performance of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” on the saxophone as a member of the Army Band. He was a Sergeant at the time of his final discharge from the Army Reserve on 2 April 1952.^[18] In January 1952 my grandfather and June and their young daughter Jill moved to Ridley, Delaware, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia.^[19] Bill’s siblings Connie and Irvin both lived in the area, so I assume he had gotten a job with Irvin and Clem O’Neill (Connie’s husband), who, I believe, worked in the insurance business. However, he had moved back to Hazleton by March 1957, when his and June’s second child, Mark, was born.^[20] Their son Blair was born in Hazleton in November 1958.^[21] Their daughter Joye was born to them in October 1962, when they lived near Hazleton in Drums, Butler Township.^[22]

The Standard-Speaker noted the eighteenth wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. William Bower, Sugarloaf, in July 1968.^[23]

Sources

1. ↑ “Masquerade Party,” The Danville Morning News, 3 November 1930.
2. ↑ "Celebrate Anniversary” of Mr. & Mrs. W. Hurley Sitler, Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader, 7 October 1940.
3. ↑ “West Hazleton Out to Regain Old Grid Prestige This Year,” The Plain Speaker (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), 12 September 1944.
4. ↑ “Play Features Rapid Action,” The Plain Speaker (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), 19 February 1945, and “Billy Bower has Play Lead in W. H.” Standard Sentinel (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), 19 November 1945.
5. ↑ “Present Play at Assembly,” The Plain Speaker (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), 7 March 1945.
6. ↑ “Committees for W. Hazleton Play,” Standard Sentinel (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), 20 March 1945, and “Billy Bower has Play Lead in W. H.” Standard Sentinel (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), 19 November 1945.
7. ↑ “Billy Bower has Play Lead in W. H.” Standard Sentinel (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), 19 November 1945.
8. ↑ “Have Roles in West Hazleton High Play for Friday Night,” Standard Sentinel (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), 22 May 1946.
9. ↑ “Billy Bower is Male Lead for Comedy April 28,” Standard Sentinel (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), 17 April 1948.
10. ↑ “West Hazleton V. F. W. Post Will Sponsor Play,” The Plain Speaker (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), 3 January 1950.
11. ↑ “Billy Bower has Play Lead in W. H.” Standard Sentinel (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), 19 November 1945.
12. ↑ “Student Body Selects Miss and Mr. West Hazleton High,” The Plain Speaker (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), 12 April 1946.
13. ↑ These dates and his rank are from his 1948 Honorable Discharge paper, and the specification that he was based in Vienna during his time in the European Theatre of Operations comes from “June J. Oberst is Betrothed to Billy D. Bower,” Standard Sentinel (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), 25 April 1950.
14. ↑ This is according to his discharge certificate from April 1952.
15. ↑ “June Oberst Married,” The Plain Speaker (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), 2 August 1950.
16. ↑ “June Oberst Married,” The Plain Speaker (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), 2 August 1950.
17. ↑ This is according to his death record in the Department of Veterans Affairs Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem.
18. ↑ This is from his April 1952 Honorable Discharge Certificate.
19. ↑ “Moved,” Standard Sentinel (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), 19 January 1952.
20. ↑ Births, The Plain Speaker (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), 18 March 1957.
21. ↑ Births, The Plain Speaker (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), 24 November 1958.
22. ↑ Births, Standard-Speaker (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), 23 October 1962.
23. ↑ Wedding Anniversaries, Standard Speaker (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), 12 July 1968.