Willis W. Bowles

Willis W. Bowles was the twelfth child and last son of John and Celia Bowles. He was born about 1836. According to Carol Norman, "My great-grandfather ... Willis Bowles married Lucinda Nunnally in 1863 Barren Co., KY. At some point in time they moved to Forseyth, Illinois. They had 3 children while living in Ky. James, George N. and Lucinda Catherine."

The 1850 Barren Co KY census lists Willis W. (14, born in KY) in the household of John Bowls. The 1860 Metcalfe Co KY census lists Willis W. (24) in the household of John Bowles. By 1870 the family was living in Macon County IL.

Lucinda Nunnally Bowles was a daughter of John B. and Elizabeth (White) Nunnally. Her grandparents were Obadiah and Rhoda White, so Celia White, Willis' mother, was Lucinda's aunt. Thus Willis Bowles and Lucinda Nunnally were first cousins. It was not unusual for first cousins to marry in those days when families grouped together in small communities frequently intermarried repeatedly.[1]

Much of the following information comes from Carol Norman. She provided this information via several email messages. She is living in Springfield IL.

Lucinda Nunnally Bowles died in 1874 during a visit back home to Kentucky. She was buried in Eighty-Eight (Barren County) KY. Willis died in December 1882 and was buried in the Bethel Cemetery in Forseyth IL. Carol received a letter from Dawn Leiner, Office Coordinator for the Macon County IL County Clerk's office that said, "I located the record in our Death Register. It is spelled Willis W. Bowls. He died in December, 1882. There is no date of death listed in the register, but it does say he was buried on December 31, 1882. ... The register says he was buried at Bethel Church." Carol later determined that the burial site was at the "Bethel" which appears to be the Bethel School that was also used as a church, and was located in the Friends Creek Township which is located in the northeast corner of Macon County, Illinois. More information about the township is located here. More information about the Bethel School is here.

An undated obituary reads as follows: "The funeral of Mr. W. W. Bowls took place at his late residence, at ten o'clock on last Sabbath. The remains were intered at the 'Bethel.' He leaves one daughter and two sons to mourn his loss. This leaves them orphans, their mother having died some years ago. They think of going to Kentucky as their have relatives there."

James, their first child was born in 1864. He apparently lived in Oklahoma at one time. Nothing more is known about him.

Their second-born, George Newton Bowles, was born 13 Feb 1866. He married Amy Ellen Ridgeway on 27 Sep 1897 in Springfield IL, and they had eight children: Harry (b. 5 Feb 1898; d. 10 Nov 1913), George LaVerne (b. 30 Aug 1899; d. 10 Oct 1976), Jessie Sherman (b. 27 Nov 1900; d. 19 Apr 1919), Raymond Herald (b. 13 Apr 1903; d. 27 Apr 1984), Lenonard Alvin (b. 4 Apr 1905; d. 29 Oct 1929), Robert Eugene (b. 19 Oct 1907; d. 1 Nov 1992), Gertrude Agnes (b. 12 Feb 1915; d. 22 Feb 2011; md. Andrew Zebedee Rice), and Karl Dean (b. 23 Sep 1919; d. 17 Oct 1990).

Amy died 2 Apr 1923. George lived until 6 Apr 1943. Both are buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery in DuQuoin IL.

Lucinda Katherine, Willis and Lucinda's last child, was born in 1867. She married Frank Wolf (b. 10 Dec 1858; d. 21 Dec 1898), and they had three children: William (b. Jan 1885), Martha "Maude" (b. Feb 1888), and Roy Frank (b. Feb 1893). Kate died 26 Apr 1901 and is buried in the South Hill Cemetery in Vandalia IL.

According to a descendent, Dennis Nash, "when Kate died, her three minor orphaned children were taken to live with their Uncle George Newton Bowles family, with his wife and children. Their family home at the time was in Cornland, Illinois.

"These children being minors at the time became wards of the Logon County, under the Guardianship of one Miles A. Leach. The late Kate Wolf's Vandalia property, the house and contents, the estate of these three minor Wolf children, was destined to be equally divided among them when they became of legal age.

"When Martha Marie "Maude" Wolf was 32 years of age, in 1920, she met Frank Nash, a Canadian (from Britain), after a short courtship they fell in love and married in Springfield, Illinois. They moved to Frank's homestead in Lac La Nonne, Alberta, Canada. Their only child was born to them there. ... Maude had Tuberculosis when (her son) was born.

"Unfortunately, Maude and Frank Nash both were admitted to a TB Sanatorium when (their son) was 8 months old and (Maude) did not recover and died when (her son) was 5 years old. Frank Nash though, did recover after 4 long years."

A bright spot in this research occurred when Carol Norman and Dennis Nash were able to learn of one another and make contact for the first time.

Return to top of page.