Katie Dovie Smith (1892 - 1964)

Born 8 Feb 1892 in New Hope, Madison, Alabama

Ancestors

Wife of William D. Bowers — married 29 Jan 1911 in Brazil, Leflore County, Oklahoma

Descendants

Died 23 Oct 1964 at age 72 in Chula Vista, San Diego, California

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

Biography

Katie Dovie Smith was born 8 Feb 1892 in New Hope, Madison County, Alabama. She was the second child of Isaac Joseph Smith and Frances Elaine "Lannie" Holt. In 1900 we find Katie living at home with her Mother and Father and her brothers Isaac D. 10 years old and Robert S. 4 years old. Katie is 9 years old. The family has left Alabama and is living in Titus County Texas, Justice Precinct 4.^[1] Katie can read and write and is attending school. Her father is working as a Farmer. In 1910 the family has moved again and is now living in Bokoshe, Leflore County, Oklahoma.^[2] Isaac Joseph Smith is 45 years old and engaged in Farming. Katie is 17 years old and has not attended school any time since Sep 1 1909. The Smiths are in Dwelling 68 and Willie D. Bowers is living with his parents in Dwelling 52. Finding this, it becomes clear how Willie and Katie met. On 29 Jan 1911 in Brazil, Leflore County, Oklahoma Willie D. Bowers of Brazil was licensed to marry Katie D. Smith of Brazil, Oklahoma. They were married by Charles Kinsey, a Minister of the Gospel in Latham, Leflore County Oklahoma.^[3] Ten months later on 19 Nov 1911 Elmer L. Bowers was born in Bokoshe, Leflore County, Oklahoma. Katie's mother, Frances "Lannie" (Holt) Smith passed away 12 Mar 1914. Katie and Willie's second child, Opal Louise Bowers was born two months later on 29 May 1914 in Bokoshe, Oklahoma. Delmar Lee Bowers, Katie's third child was born 9 Feb 1917 in Bokoshe, Oklahoma. World War I was in full swing and on 26 Oct 1918 Katie's brother Robert Samuel Smith was killed in action. 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".^[4] 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".

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 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." Willie and Katie were still in Bokoshe, Oklahoma in 1940.^[5]Katie Dovie (Smith) Bowers passed away 23 Oct 1964 in the Hospital at Chula Vista, San Diego County California.^[6][7]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M35X-6W2 : accessed 11 May 2017), Katie D Smith in household of Joseph Smith, Justice Precinct 4, Titus, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 120, sheet 12A, family 218, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,672.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ML7P-SBK : accessed 11 May 2017), Katie D Smith in household of Isaac J Smith, Bokoshe, Le Flore, Oklahoma, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 146, sheet 4A, family 74, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1258; FHL microfilm 1,375,271.
3. ↑ "Oklahoma, County Marriages, 1890-1995", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VR3V-NS4 : 12 December 2014), Willie Bowers and Katie Smith, 1911.
4. ↑ 1920 United States Federal Census, Bokoshe Twp. Leflore County, Oklahoma Sheet 3B Lines 67 thru 71
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.
6. ↑ California, Death Index, 1940 - 1997 Katie D. Bowers SSN 548-32-**** b. 8 Feb 1892, Alabama, d. 23 Oct 1964 San Diego
7. ↑ Find A Grave Memorial Number 106907333

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=106907333&ref=acom