George Willis Cowden (1835 - 1913)

Born 30 Dec 1835 in Rutland, Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Henrietta R. (Streeter) Cowden — married 26 May 1861 in Paxton, Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States

Descendants

Died 9 May 1913 at age 77 in Auburn, Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States

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Biography

George Willis Cowden was a son of Samuel and Olive Cowden, born in Rutland, Massachusetts, on 30 December 1835.^[1]

He is not listed with his parents in the 1850 U.S. Census, which recorded Samual W. Cowden, 54, a bootmaker; Olive Cowden, 49; James Cowden, 10; and Charles D. Cowden, 4, grouped together in Rutland, Massachusetts..^[2]

The 1855 Massachusetts State Census recorded him in Paxton, Massachusetts, in an apparent family group consisting of Olive Cowden, age 56, George W. Cowden, age 19, James Cowden, 15, and Charles D. Cowden, 9, all born in Massachusetts. George and James both worked as bootmakers. ^[3]

He married Henrietta R. Streeter, a native of Paxton, Massachusetts, in Paxton on 26 May 1861. He was age 25, a son of Samuel and Olive Cowden, and a bootmaker by occupation. Henrietta was age 23, a daughter of Steven Streeter and Betsy Streeter. It was the first marriage for both, officiated by William Phipps, clergyman.^[4]

During the U.S. Civil War, George had military service in the 26th Regiment, Massachusetts Infantry, entering as a private and holding the rank of saddler at his discharge.^[5] He was awarded a military pension on 26 June 1866.^[6]

Allice Evelyn Cowden, daughter of George W. Cowden and Henrietta (Streeter) Cowden, was born in Rutland, Massachusetts, on 29 December 1865.^[7]

George W. Cowden and his wife Henrietta (Streeter) Cowden of Rutland, Massachusetts, suffered the loss of two young sons in 1871. First, Fred Jones Cowden died on 8 August, age 7 months and 3 days, reportedly from "cholera infantium." The next month, on 14 September, Frank Streeter Cowden died of dysentery at the age of 1 year, 10 months, and 5 days.^[8] An unnamed daughter of the couple was stillborn the following year, on 5 September 1872.^[9]

By 1880, George and Henrietta became adoptive parents to Fred F. Cowden. The 1880 U.S. Census recorded George W. Cowden, age 44, and his wife Henrietta R. Cowden, age 42, in Rutland, Massachusetts, with Alice E. Cowden, 14, identified as his daughter, and 8-year-old Fred F. Cowden, identified as his adopted son. ^[10]

George W. Cowden died in Auburn, Massachusetts, at age 77 on 9 May 1913. The death certificate indicates that he was born in Rutland, Massachusetts, on 30 December 1835 to parents Samuel Cowden and Olive Bosworth, who were born in Rutland and Hubbardston (Massachusetts), respectively. He was a farmer, and was widowed at the time of his death. Burial was in Rutland. Informant for the death certificate was Alice E. Keefe of Auburn (presumably this is his daughter Alice E. Keep). ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "Massachusetts Deaths, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6SXQ-JQN?cc=1463156&wc=MJCR-SP8%3A1043037501 : 22 May 2019), 2399210 (004284126) > image 1681 of 2188; State Archives, Boston. Index entry at https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N47G-GQN
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6S57-5X5?cc=1401638&wc=95RX-HZ9%3A1031311001%2C1031610001%2C1031429201 : 9 April 2016), Massachusetts > Worcester > Rutland > image 2 of 30; citing NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ "Massachusetts State Census, 1855," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6SZW-26Q?cc=1459985&wc=M6PN-7M7%3A42490401%2C42551201 : 1 April 2016), Worcester > Paxton > image 7 of 11; State Archives, Boston.
4. ↑ Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1841-1910. (From original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004.) Marriages Registered in the Town of Paxton for the Year 1861
5. ↑ "United States Civil War Soldiers Index, 1861-1865", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FSHK-YM3 : 25 August 2021), George W. Cowdin, 1861-1865.
6. ↑ "United States Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NHC2-HZC : 24 March 2016), George W. Cowden, 1866.
7. ↑ "Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6PMQ-25?cc=1928860 : 14 November 2022), > image 1 of 1; State Archives, Boston.
8. ↑ Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1841-1910. (From original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004.) Vol. 240, page 295.
9. ↑ Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1841-1910. (From original records held by the Massachusetts Archives. Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004.) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB191/i/8778/356/125599002
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYBD-TCD?cc=1417683&wc=XCPZ-929%3A1589405656%2C1589405773%2C1589400539%2C1589406584 : 24 December 2015), Massachusetts > Worcester > Rutland > ED 826 > image 28 of 28; citing NARA microfilm publication T9, (National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C., n.d.)