John Cannon, my maternal great great-granduncle and son of Lindsey Cannon and Elizabeth Fife Cannon, was born circa 1823 in St. Clair Township, Columbiana County, Ohio. John's father was purchasing land in the township and by the time John was born, Lindsey owned a total of 381 3/4 acres in sections 7 and 20. As John grew up, he would have been working in the various operations housed in Cannons Mills.
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| 1850 Ohio Federal Census Madison Township, Columbiana County, October 14, 1850 |
During the mid to late 1840's, Lindsey had lost his land in St. Clair Township and he, Elizabeth and two sons relocated to Madison Township and were living and working on a farm. I am not able to read the twenty-seven year old owner's name. Lindsey and his two sons, Matthew and John, are drovers, which are farmhands moving either cattle or sheep.
Lindsey Cannon, age 61, male, drover, born in Pennsylvania
Elizabeth Cannon, age 60, female, born in Pennsylvania
Matthew Cannon, age 25, male, drover, born in Ohio
John Cannon, age 23, male, drover, born in Ohio
Catherine Apple, age 18, female, born in Ohio
In March, 1855, John Cannon, Lindsey's son was taken to court by Sarah Armstrong for bastardy. The case was settled in October, 1855. A daughter, Malinda Ann Cannon, was born May 20, 1855. I do not think that John and Sarah married. In fact, I have not been able to follow John after this court document. All I have is an Armstrong genealogical document with John Cannon and Sarah Armstrong listed. Fact or fiction. If they were married as the genealogical story suggests, there would not have been a common pleas court document. The Armstrong account also lists John Cannon as dying in 1856.
There is a newspaper article that suggests that John moved on to New Mexico, remained single and died there around 1900. I have not been able to verify that account.
Another idea came to mind when I saw a 1860 census listing for Eleanor Cannon, widow of John Cannon, brother of Lindsey. Eleanor and John Cannon also had a son named John who is listed as having died in 1831. There is a John Cannon enumerated with her in Illinois. Could this be Lindsey's son, enumerated with his aunt and cousins, having left Ohio and heading west?
Child of John Cannon and Sarah Armstrong
I have; however, been able to trace Sarah Armstrong and John Cannon's offspring, my maternal first cousin three times removed, Malinda Ann Cannon.
Sarah Armstrong was born June 23, 1830 in Elkrun Township, Columbiana County, Ohio, the daughter of Andrew Armstrong and Hannah Shaw Armstrong.
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| 1860 Indiana Federal Census Lafayette Township, Allen County June 11, 1860 |
Sometime between the common pleas court account and 1860, Sarah Armstrong removed to Lafayette, Allen County, Indiana. She and daughter, listed as Mahala A. Carmon, are enumerated in the home of her older sister, Harriet Armstrong Bowman, married to Henry Bowman. Sarah is listed as Sarah Armstrong.
On March 2, 1865, thirty-four year old Sarah Armstrong married recently widowed, John Crawford in Allen County, Indiana. Sarah and John may have met at a family gathering as the Armstrong's, Bowman's and Crawford's were all from Elkrun Township, Columbiana County, Ohio.
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| 1870 Indiana Federal Census Lafayette Township, Allen County August 26, 1870 |
Sarah married a farmer that was well respected and wealthy. She had three children with John Crawford, one was deceased by the 1870 census. She became the step-mother to four children John Crawford had with his first wife Eliza A. Bowman Crawford.
Malinda A. Cannon joined the Crawford family when her mother married. She became a biological step-sister to; Harriett "Hattie" Crawford, Perry M. Crawford and Effie E. Crawford Dennis.
Sarah Armstrong Crawford died at age forty-three on January 3, 1874 in Indiana, probably on the family farm in Lafayette Township, Allen County. She was buried in Glenwood Cemetery, Roanoke, Huntington County, Indiana.
On December 3, 1874, nineteen year old Malinda Ann Cannon married twenty-seven year old widower, Andrew J. Bowersock. The wedding was performed by a Justice of the Peace in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana. Andrew's parents were Henry Bowersock and Catherine Barrockman Bowersock.
Andrew and Malinda welcomed their first child, a daughter, Rillia Catherine Bowersock, born on February 17, 1876, probably on the family farm in Lafayette Township, Allen County, Indiana.
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| 1880 Indiana Federal Census Lafayette Township, Allen County June 8, 1880 |
Malinda Bowersock, age 25, married, keeping house, born in Ohio, mother born in Ohio
C. Rilla Bowersock, age 4, daughter, single, at home, born in Ohio, both parents born in Ohio
William Murphy, age 10, boarder, born in Indiana, mother born in Ohio.
During the 1880's the Bowersock family added two new members. A daughter, Bertha Florence Bowersock was born on June 24, 1880 and Charles Ray Bowersock on May 12, 1885 in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Fort Wayne, Indiana
19 Aug 1890, Page 4
Andrew is branching out, purchasing a restaurant in Fort Wayne in 1890. This article indicates that the family could still be living in Lafayette Township.
A son, Roscoe Theodore Bowersock, was born on May 9, 1892 in Fort Wayne.
Andrew and Malinda's oldest daughter Rillia "Rillie" Catherine Bowersock, age eighteen married twenty-two year old, Eli Calbert Stump, on November 19, 1894 in Allen County, Indiana. Eli was the son of Johnathan Stump and Elizabeth Bowman Stump.
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| Fort Wayne Weekly Gazette Fort Wayne, Indiana 18 Jul 1895 Page 5 |
Trouble has creeped into the marriage of the Bowersock's. Malinda filed for divorce in 1895 after learning that Andrew had committed adultery and was arrested for associating with prostitutes.
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| The Fort Wayne News Fort Wayne, Indiana 20 Apr 1896 Page 1 |
Malinda decided to bring the divorce matter back to court again. The newspaper article mentions that family changed her thinking the year before. Of interest, this time she is asking for a larger alimony settlement.
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| Fort Wayne Weekly Gazette Fort Wayne, Indiana 30 Apr 1896 Page 4 |
Once again the divorce suit was dropped. The prostitute was fined and left the city of Fort Wayne.
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| 1898 Land Map Lafayette Township, Allen County Indiana |
Andrew Bowersock is listed on the 1898 land map owning about 200 acres. Also marked is Malinda's step father, John Crawford's, land.
On October 18, 1898, daughter, Vesta May Bowersock, was born in Roanoke, Huntington County, Indiana.
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| 1900 Indiana Federal Census Lafayette Township, Allen County June 26, 1900 |
Andrew Bowersock, head, born April 1847, age 53, married 25 years, born n Ohio, father born in Ohio, mother born in Pennsylvania, farmer, ownes farm free of mortgage.
Malinda Bowersock, wife, born May, 1855, age 45, married 25 years, born in Ohio, mother and father born in Germany, cannot read. Note: Malinda's parents were both born in Ohio.
Bertha F. Bowersock, daughter, born June 1880, age 19, born in Ohio, both parents born in Ohio.
Charles R. Bowersock, son, born May, 1885, age 15, born in Indiana, both parents born in Ohio, farm laborer.
Rosco O. Bowersock, son, born May, 1892, age 8, born in Indiana, both parents born in Ohio, farm laborer.
Vesta M. Bowersock, daughter, born October 1898, age 1, born in Indiana, both parents born in Ohio, farm laborer.
Andrew and Malinda's twenty year old daughter, Bertha Florence Bowersock married twenty-two year old Frederick "Fred" William Stoler on April 3, 1901 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Fred was the son of Jacob Stoler and Anna Mary Rindfusz Stoler.
Twenty-one year old Charles Ray Bowersock "Ray" married eighteen year old Ada Blanche Voltz on August 27, 1906 in Allen County, Indiana. Ada was the daughter of Emmanuel Voltz and Emma Keller Voltz.
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| 1907 map Lafayette Township, Allen County Indiana Andrew Bowersock land |
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| Daily News-Democrat Huntington, Indiana 12 Dec 1908 Page 8 |
Another business for Andrew Bowersock, in Roanoke, Indiana. I have not been able to find any other information on his grocery store.
Roscoe Theodore Bowersock, age seventeen, married Margaret "Maggie" Elizabeth Feighner, age sixteen on April 5, 1910, at St Joseph, Michigan. Note: ages listed are different on marriage document, Roscoe, listed as age nineteen and Maggie, age eighteen.
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| The Huntington Herald Huntington, Indiana April 8, 1910 Page 8 |
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| 1910 Indiana Federal Census Roanoke, Jackson Township April 15, 1910 |
Roscoe Bowersock and his wife, Maggie, live next door to Roscoe's parents in Roanoke.
Andrew Bowersock, head, age 62, married twice, married 35 years, born in Ohio, both parents born in Pennsylvania, employed as a retail merchant in a grocery store, owns his house free of mortgage.
Malinda Bowersock, wife, age 50, married once, married 35 years, had 5 children and 5 children still alive, born in Ohio, both parents born in Ohio.
Vesta Bowersock, daughter, age 11, bon in Indiana, both parents born in Ohio.
Lewis F. Agnew, lodger, age 28, born in Michigan, both parents born in Ireland, employed as an operator in a telegraph company.
Huntington, Indiana
November 26, 1910
Page 5
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| The Huntington Herald Huntington, Indiana September 13, 1912 Page 3 |
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| The Huntington Herald Huntington, Indiana March 21, 1916 Page 6 |
Andrew and Malinda's youngest child, Vesta May Bowersock, age seventeen, married twenty year old, Oscar Harvey Jackson on September 6, 1916 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Oscar was the son of William Harvey Jackson and Dora Belle Smith Jackson.
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| The Fort Wayne Sentinel Fort Wayne, Indiana July 26, 1917 Page 4 |
Andrew decided to open a grocery store in Fort Wayne, once they moved into town.
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| The Huntington Herald Huntington, Indiana 10 December 10, 1917 Page 4 |
Malinda and Andrew had relocated to Fort Wayne, Indiana and were living at 1002 Huestis Avenue, probably enjoying city life and entertaining friends and family when Malinda, at age sixty-two, suddenly died on December 6, 1917, from heart disease. According to the obituary, Malinda was in town when she died. Malinda must have never talked about her parents, as Andrew, when filling in her personal information on the death certificate, simply said, "Don't know". The obituary does list Columbiana County as her place of birth.
Malinda Ann Cannon Bowersock was buried in Nine Mile United Methodist Cemetery, Nine Mile, Allen County, Indiana on December 9, 1917.
On February 3, 1918, at age seventy, Andrew J. Bowersock died at his home in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He was buried beside his wife, in Nine Mile United Methodist Church Cemetery on February 6, 1918.
Andrew's first wife, Mary Lopshire Bowersock is also buried at Nine Mile and an unknown child, Rachey Bell Bowersock. Perhaps Rachey was born to Andrew and Mary.
I do like a map to show the relation of where folks live/lived. Allen County is in the pink. Lafayette Township is in the red square. The Bowersock property is about where the green oval is located. Andrew and Malinda also lived in Roanoke and Fort Wayne, all fairly close to their property in Lafayette. Nine Mile is underlined and marked with a small red dot, where they are buried.
Children of Andrew J. Bowersock and Malinda Ann Canon Bowersock:
- Rillia "Rillie" Catherine Bowersock, born February 17, 1876, Allen County, Indiana, died July 17, 1953 in Los Angeles County, California. Married Eli Calbert Stump, November 19, 1894 in Allen County, Indiana.
- Bertha Florence Bowersock, born June 24, 1880, Allen County, Indiana, died December 28, 1959 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. Married Frederick "Fred" William Stoler on April 3, 1901 in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
- Charles Ray Bowersock, born May 12, 1885, Fort Wayne, Indiana, died January 2, 1961, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Married Ada Blanche Voltz on August 27, 1906 in Allen County, Indiana.
- Roscoe Theodore Bowersock, born May 9, 1892, Fort Wayne, Indiana, died October 26, 1979, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Married Margaret Elizabeth "Maggie" Feighner on April 5, 1910 in St. Joseph, Michigan.
- Vesta May Bowersock, born October 18, 1898, Roanoke, Indiana, died September 6, 1991, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Married Oscar Harvey Jackson on September 6, 1916 in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
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