William D. Bowers (1893 - 1965)

Born 29 Jan 1893 in Magazine, Logan, Arkansas, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Katie Dovie Smith — married 29 Jan 1911 in Brazil, Leflore County, Oklahoma

Descendants

Died 5 Aug 1965 at age 72 in Chula Vista, San Diego, California

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Rory Bowers [send private message]

Biography

William D. Bowers was born 29 Jan 1893 in Magazine, Logan County, Arkansas the first born child of James William Bowers and Nancy C. (Brock) Bowers. No birth certificate information is available for children born before 1920 in Arkansas. In 1910 Willie is listed as William D. Bowers, 17 years old, on the Federal Census living with his parents James, 43 years old, and Nancy, 33 years old and siblings Erwell C. 12 years old, James E. 10 years old, Minnie E. 8 years old, Molly L. 6 years old, Emery C. 4 years old and Lilley M.B. a newborn.^[1] On 29 Jan 1911 Willie D. Bowers, 18 years old married Katie Dovie Smith, 17 years old in Leflore County, Oklahoma.^[2] According to the actual Application for Marriage License Willie and Katie both stated that they are residents of Brazil, Leflore County, Oklahoma. This is a very important document because it corroborates the statement of Elmer L. Bowers that he was born in Brazil, Leflore County, Oklahoma. Elmer L. Bowers was born in 1911, Opal L. Bowers was born in 1914 and Delmar L. Bowers was born in 1917. In 1920 Willie and Katie are living in a rented house in Bokoshe, Leflore County, Oklahoma. Willie and Katie are both 27 Years old. Willie is working as a laborer and is "working out".^[3] Elmer is 8 years old, Opal is 6 years old and Delmar is 2 years old. Willie is listed in this Census as "William" but that name was never used by him. In 1930 the family is living on Water Street in Bokoshe. Willie, again listed as William, is 37 years old and declares that he is Mixed Blood "Indian".^[4]

The Old Indian Story

Willie undoubtedly heard the news that his Grandfather William Bowers and his father's Uncle Madison James Bowers have filed an application for Cherokee Citizenship. Madison James Bowers put up a terrific fight for citizenship to the point of filing a law suit against the Cherokee Tribe. William Bowers applied for citizenship for himself and immediate family. Despite some very convincing Affidavits including one by Watt Christie that stated the complete Cherokee family line of Sabra (Christie) Bowers, William and Madison James' mother. The Special Master assigned to the case by the U.S. District Court found that the Bowers family "is Cherokee" and they are residents of the State of Arkansas. The Cherokee Tribe denied that there are any of Sabra's family members living in the Indian Territory. The U.S. District Court ruled that the Bowers Family could not be Cherokee because they were residents of the State of Arkansas. This matter is still sitting in an Attorney's office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1940 Willie is again listed as William and states his occupation as "operating". Willie is 46 years old and living in a rented house. Katie is 47 years old and there are no children in the home. Willie declares that his annual income is $500. He is doing better than most of the families on the same page. At this point I refer to the Memoirs of Elmer L. Bowers as told to his son Bobby E. Bowers.

Memoirs of Elmer L. Bowers

"Willie was born in Magazine, Arkansas where he worked on Katies fathers farm. This farm was located somewhere at the foot of Bokoshe Mountain. He married Katie Smith and they started their family there in a log cabin. One day Willie was plowing a field with a team of mules. Katie was crying and hoeing weeds in the cotton fields. He came to her and asked what was wrong. She said that they both worked so hard, him plowing and her weeding and that they didn't seem to be making any progress financially or in their way of life. He told her to put down her hoe and to go to the house and that she wouldn't have to hoe cotton ever again, He moved to Spiro, Oklahoma and opened a butcher shop which he worked at for some time. Then he moved to Bokoshe, Oklahoma and again opened a butcher shop. Willie was a pretty good carpenter also and he built several houses in and around Bokoshe. He also hauled coal for a time. He contracted to build a gymnasium in Bokoshe. He built another in Hodgens and one other in another town. Elmer, my father, his oldest son worked with him on these building projects. Elmer was a good mechanic also and had an idea to start a gas station and garage in Bokoshe. Willie convinced him to allow him to participate in the operation. Willie's youngest son Delmar soon came into the business. Business was good but Willie was not a very good financial manager and after a while the business began to fail, Willie had allowed customers to buy on credit accounts and these soon became delinquent and they were unable to collect and the business failed. Willie, Elmer and Delmar leased a coal mine in Milton, Oklahoma which they operated for a while. Their prime contract was with a school district to provide "smokeless coal". Soon Delmar left the business then Elmer and took a job as a mechanic at another garage repairing automobiles. Willie moved to McAlester, Oklahoma to work on an army base. Elmer traveled to Santa Barbara, California. He obtained work at the Falcon mercury mine in the mountains above Santa Barbara. Elmer went back to Bokoshe to visit Willie and Katie only to find them packing preparing to move to National City, California to be near his youngest daughter and her husband Bill Milam who worked for Mueller Trucking Co. Willie bought some property in Palm City, California and built a home and lived there for many years. He then built a duplex and a single family dwelling in Chula Vista, California. He sold that property and in the deal traded for a home and some other property on 9th. Street in Imperial Beach, California where he and Katie lived until their death." In 1940 Willie and Katie were still in Bokoshe, Oklahoma.^[5] Katie Dovie (Smith) Bowers passed away 23 Oct 1964 in the Hospital at Chula Vista, San Diego County California. Willie Dee Bowers passed away 5 Aug 1965. I have ordered a copy of the Death Certificate.

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ML7G-YN4 : accessed 11 May 2017), William D Bowers in household of James W Bowers, Bokoshe, Le Flore, Oklahoma, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 146, sheet 3B, family 57, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1258; FHL microfilm 1,375,271.
2. ↑ "Oklahoma, County Marriages, 1890-1995", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VR3V-NS7 : 12 December 2014), Willie Bowers and Katie Smith, 1911.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJMV-VK5 : accessed 11 May 2017), William D Bowers, Bokoshe, Le Flore, Oklahoma, United States; citing ED 97, sheet 3B, line 67, family 55, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1468; FHL microfilm 1,821,468.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCWS-SJX : accessed 11 May 2017), William B Bowers, Bokoshe, Le Flore, Oklahoma, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 1, sheet 4A, line 7, family 80, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1910; FHL microfilm 2,341,644.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VBVF-Q2B : accessed 11 May 2017), William Bowers, Bokoshe, Bokoshe Town, Le Flore, Oklahoma, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 40-1, sheet 3B, line 73, family 64, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 3304.