Special thanks to Wayne Mower for his years of research on the Mower family.

The Mowers immigrated to this country in the mid 1700's settling in York County Pennsylvania. George's son John Mower was raised on the family farm in Southampton Twp., Cumberland Co., Pa. and it is there where he probably learned the trade of wagon making from his father. John moved to Franklin County in 1814 with his wife Savina and two daughters. Here he set up his carriage making business. From 1814 to 1833 John and Savina had nine more children. Their oldest son Joseph worked with his father in the business and in 1866 Joseph laid out the town of "Mowersville" in this tiny community. The business was handed down from father to son until the coming of the automobile which eventually ended the carriage making business. The town of Mowersville, nestled in Franklin County, Pa., still exists today and seems very much unchanged except having a paved roadway now and electricity.  

John Mower's 3rd oldest son, Simon S., also learned the carriage making trade. Later Simon moved from Franklin county and became a minister in the United Brethren Church, which the Mowers were all members of.  Simon and his wife, Catharine Piper, raised nine sons and two daughters of which eight of the nine sons entered the ministry and one of the daughters married a minister.  Simon and Catharine's sons lived throughout the country moving where ever the church needed them. 

Simon and Catharine's only son that was not a minister, Simon Smith (my First Great Grandfather), also learned the trade of carriage making. Simon also was an instructor in vocal music for eighteen years. He moved from Chambersburg, Franklin County, Pa. to Altoona, Blair County, Pa. in 1886 and was employed by the Pennsylvania Railroad as a carpenter until he retired in 1919. Simon and his wife, Mary Louise Reidenbaugh had six children.

Simon and Mary's youngest child, Leroy Edgar (my Grandfather) also worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad until retirement. As a young man he took up the sport of amateur boxing and also was well known on the baseball fields of the city of Altoona as "Brownie Mower". He served in World War I in the U.S. Army in France.