At 09:17 AM 1/26/2004 -0800, you wrote: >She found my grandfather Garfield Bowers in the 1920 census, Fayette Co., >Saltlick Twp., District 81, Visit 13. He was 36 and widowed. Hi, Nancy, I apologize for the crazy message I sent you last evening. I had started that message to you while searching on Ancestry.com for Garfield Bowers. (I have a Bowers ancillary line.) Then while waiting for census pages to appear, spotted an obit for someone in my database, did a cut and paste and that obit ended up, instead of in my database, in the email to you! I had found your great-grandfather's Selective Service registration card, containing his full name as James A. Garfield Bowers and thought perhaps I might be able to find him in 1930 using James or "J.A" or "J.G." But none of that worked. And, I did not find a single Garfield Bowers in the 1930 census. I tried using Bowers without a first name and using his age which would have been 46 or maybe 47 or 45. And, that didn't produce anything like James A. Garfield Bowers. It could be that he was missed or that the enumerator's handwriting was so bad that the index has him as something very different! The Soundex did produce a James Burke (which I do not really hear or see as similar) age 46 living in Jefferson Twp., Greene County w/ Mabel 35, Maria 15, Thomas 11, James 6, and John 4 mo's. Certainly not the right names for the older two children. Then tried finding Lester Bowers age 18. Found one in Arlington, VA, son of a William and siblings whose names didn't fit either! Finally, went back today to look for Indian Head in Salt Lick Twp. and couldn't find Salt Lick. Ancestry has it recorded as "Saltlick." The first page I chose was "missing!" Found that there are 50 pages. The third page I selected was "missing." Maybe your Garfield was on one of these missing pages. There may be more missing! I did find a Daniel Ohler Family on pp. 39-40. Looks like this enumerator did not record the names of unincorporated places!! Just as I had given up the search, recalled that one can use a wildcard approach, so I tried "Garfield Bow*" in PA. Found!!! In Donegal Twp., Westmoreland County. Garfield "Bowns" in the index but it sure looks like "Bowers" to me! He is in the #29 dwelling, age 48! With him are: dau. Edith 15 and son Howard 12. Garfield is working as a laborer for a coal company. This was image 3 of 25! Whew. Best regards, Jane

Hi Jane, What a great find, it was like digging for treasure and you found gold. Now we know where to look. I didn't think he would go far, I thought he would stay in PA. People sure moved around in that county. Thanks for solving this mystery. I do appreciate you! Nancy -------Original Message------- From: PAFAYETT-L@rootsweb.com Date: Tuesday, January 27, 2004 1:25:18 PM To: PAFAYETT-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [PAFAY] BOWERS, Garfield found! At 09:17 AM 1/26/2004 -0800, you wrote: >She found my grandfather Garfield Bowers in the 1920 census, Fayette Co., >Saltlick Twp., District 81, Visit 13. He was 36 and widowed. Hi, Nancy, I apologize for the crazy message I sent you last evening. I had started that message to you while searching on Ancestry.com for Garfield Bowers. (I have a Bowers ancillary line.) Then while waiting for census pages to appear, spotted an obit for someone in my database, did a cut and paste and that obit ended up, instead of in my database, in the email to you! I had found your great-grandfather's Selective Service registration card, containing his full name as James A. Garfield Bowers and thought perhaps I might be able to find him in 1930 using James or "J.A" or "J.G." But none of that worked. And, I did not find a single Garfield Bowers in the 1930 census. I tried using Bowers without a first name and using his age which would have been 46 or maybe 47 or 45. And, that didn't produce anything like James A. Garfield Bowers. It could be that he was missed or that the enumerator's handwriting was so bad that the index has him as something very different! The Soundex did produce a James Burke (which I do not really hear or see as similar) age 46 living in Jefferson Twp., Greene County w/ Mabel 35, Maria 15, Thomas 11, James 6, and John 4 mo's. Certainly not the right names for the older two children. Then tried finding Lester Bowers age 18. Found one in Arlington, VA, son of a William and siblings whose names didn't fit either! Finally, went back today to look for Indian Head in Salt Lick Twp. and couldn't find Salt Lick. Ancestry has it recorded as "Saltlick." The first page I chose was "missing!" Found that there are 50 pages. The third page I selected was "missing." Maybe your Garfield was on one of these missing pages. There may be more missing! I did find a Daniel Ohler Family on pp. 39-40. Looks like this enumerator did not record the names of unincorporated places!! Just as I had given up the search, recalled that one can use a wildcard approach, so I tried "Garfield Bow*" in PA. Found!!! In Donegal Twp., Westmoreland County. Garfield "Bowns" in the index but it sure looks like "Bowers" to me! He is in the #29 dwelling, age 48! With him are: dau. Edith 15 and son Howard 12. Garfield is working as a laborer for a coal company. This was image 3 of 25! Whew. Best regards, Jane ==== PAFAYETT Mailing List ==== The Uniontown Library NEW URL- http://www.uniontownlib.org/ .

Jane, That has to be him-did you notice on his selective service card it said he worked for the Harvard Coal Co. and the children match-good for you! Dawne ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jane McCann Walsh" <jmwalsh@icubed.com> To: <PAFAYETT-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2004 4:31 PM Subject: Re: [PAFAY] BOWERS, Garfield found! > At 09:17 AM 1/26/2004 -0800, you wrote: > >She found my grandfather Garfield Bowers in the 1920 census, Fayette Co., > >Saltlick Twp., District 81, Visit 13. He was 36 and widowed. > > Hi, Nancy, > I apologize for the crazy message I sent you last evening. I had started > that message to you while searching on Ancestry.com for Garfield Bowers. (I > have a Bowers ancillary line.) Then while waiting for census pages to > appear, spotted an obit for someone in my database, did a cut and paste and > that obit ended up, instead of in my database, in the email to you! > > I had found your great-grandfather's Selective Service registration card, > containing his full name as James A. Garfield Bowers and thought perhaps I > might be able to find him in 1930 using James or "J.A" or "J.G." But none > of that worked. And, I did not find a single Garfield Bowers in the 1930 > census. I tried using Bowers without a first name and using his age which > would have been 46 or maybe 47 or 45. And, that didn't produce anything > like James A. Garfield Bowers. It could be that he was missed or that the > enumerator's handwriting was so bad that the index has him as something > very different! > > The Soundex did produce a James Burke (which I do not really hear or see as > similar) age 46 living in Jefferson Twp., Greene County w/ Mabel 35, Maria > 15, Thomas 11, James 6, and John 4 mo's. Certainly not the right names for > the older two children. > > Then tried finding Lester Bowers age 18. Found one in Arlington, VA, son > of a William and siblings whose names didn't fit either! > > Finally, went back today to look for Indian Head in Salt Lick Twp. and > couldn't find Salt Lick. Ancestry has it recorded as "Saltlick." The > first page I chose was "missing!" Found that there are 50 pages. The > third page I selected was "missing." Maybe your Garfield was on one of > these missing pages. There may be more missing! I did find a Daniel Ohler > Family on pp. 39-40. Looks like this enumerator did not record the names > of unincorporated places!! > > Just as I had given up the search, recalled that one can use a wildcard > approach, so I tried "Garfield Bow*" in PA. Found!!! In Donegal Twp., > Westmoreland County. Garfield "Bowns" in the index but it sure looks like > "Bowers" to me! He is in the #29 dwelling, age 48! With him are: dau. > Edith 15 and son Howard 12. Garfield is working as a laborer for a coal > company. This was image 3 of 25! Whew. > > Best regards, > Jane > > > ==== PAFAYETT Mailing List ==== > The Uniontown Library NEW URL- http://www.uniontownlib.org/ > > >