W.C. Bowers
W. C. BOWERS, of Kittanning, has been in the service of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company for the last forty years, being now engaged as conductor on the through run between Oil City and Pittsburgh. Mr. Bowers was born at Manorville, Armstrong county, March 1, 1852, son of George Bowers and grandson of Henry Bowers. The family is of German extraction, his great-grandfather having been a native of Germany, whence he came to America before his marriage, and spent the remainder of his life in Armstrong county, Pa., engaged in farming. He died here in old age.
Henry Bowers was reared in Armstrong county and received such education as the common schools of the day afforded. He spent his life on a farm in this county, where he married, and he and his wife had a family of six children: Barbara, Susan, Sarah, Rebecca, George, and Henry, all of whom are now deceased. The father was originally a Democrat in politics, but afterward became a Republican. He was a member of the M. E. Church, devoted in its work.
George Bowers, son of Henry, was born at Pine Creek, Armstrong county, and received his education in the local public schools. After his marriage he settled at Kittanning, where he followed his trade of tanner for ten years, thence moving to Manorville, this county, where he had his home for twenty-five years. His wife, Mary (Giben), was a native of Westmoreland county, this State, daughter of William Giben. She is buried with her husband in the Manor cemetery. They were members of the M. E. Church, in which she was particularly active as a worker. Politically he was a Republican. They had children as follows: Johnston, Nancy, Robert, Henry, Mary, W. Chambers, George and Edward, twins (both deceased), and Sarah.
W. Chambers Bowers grew up at Manorville, and there received his education. After his school days were over he engaged in boating on the Allegheny river, and then went to Johnstown, where he was employed in a mill for two years. At the end of that time he entered the employ of the Allegheny Railroad Company, now the Allegheny division of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, beginning work as a brakeman. He received promotions until he became passenger conductor, which position he has held for the last thirty-two years. For twenty-two years he was a conductor on the accommodation train between Kittanning and Pittsburgh, and he has been on his present run between Oil City and Pittsburgh for the last four years, working every other day. He is a member of the Railroad Association, and fraternally of the Royal Arcanum. Mr. Bowers has been a lifelong Republican on political questions and, like his parents, he belongs to the M. E. Church.
Mr. Bowers married Elizabeth Starr, a native of Armstrong county, daughter of Andrew Starr, and thirteen children were born to this union, namely: Harry, Charles, Edward, Gus, Robert and Roy (twins), Benjamin, Clifford (died in infancy), Fred (deceased in infancy), Frank (deceased in infancy), Mabel, Carrie, and Mary. The mother died in December, 1896, and is buried in the Manor cemetery. Mr. Bowers married (second) Lottie Storey, daughter of William C. and Elizabeth Storey, and they have had four children: Wilbert, M. Bowers, Ruth, and George.
After his first marriage Mr. Bowers resided at Manorville, thence moving to East Brady, Pa., and from there to Kittanning, where his home is at No. 138 Queen street.
Source: Pages 940-941, Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and Present, J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed November 1998 by Kathy Zagorac for the Armstrong County Beers Project
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