Person:Alice Cowles (1)

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/113414149/Alice-Ann-Arbogast

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q246-2XRP

"Iowa, Delayed Birth Records, 1850-1939,"

Father John William “Willie” Cowles Birth 12 Apr 1875 Iowa, USA Death 1 Jan 1961 Appanoose County, Iowa, USA Burial Highland Cemetery Mystic, Appanoose County, Iowa, USA

he only known child of English immigrants, Walter and Hannah Smith (Fullmer) Cowles who were married in the Iowa springtime of 1873. John William was born in 1875 but never knew his mother because she died in Exline, Ia. about a year after his birth. His father remarried in 1878 to a Kentucky woman named Ellen, who had a 7 year old daughter. Though Ellen's mothering would be the only mothering John William would mostly remember, he gave his firstborne child the name of his birth mother, Anna/Hannah. (The baby was given the middle name of Sarah, the name of his mother-in-law Sarah Anne Ogden-Philby.)

John was named after his paternal grandfather who lived in England, but 'Willie' was the name he was mostly known by. It is not known by this biographer, but unlikely he met either parents' parents/siblings or cousins since they lived in England. However, he did have some step-family in Iowa through his step-mother Higginbotham. Together with step-sister Blanche, they had 33 Higgenbotham cousins, a few boys being near Willie's age. So, even though his parent's and their kin were English, he had more opportunity of influence in 'Kentucky ways' from the Higginbothams, whose kin had been in American since 1500's.

Willie married at age 22 in the town of Brazil to the 'Coal Miner's Daughter'. Not just that. But, he married the OWNER of the coal mine's daughter, Lady Sylvania Philby. One wonders if, as a coalminer, he then got better shifts, family perks? It's most certain that his father-in-law, Thomas Philby and the 4 mining brother-in-laws kept an eye on him.

He and Sylvania had a large house in Plano and farmed the surrounding land with their 10 children (each of the children having been born in the farmhouse). He worked the mines and was also a part-time delivery-wagon driver for the local brewery. Grandson Jerry humorously quipped that Willie was the first to get a D.U.I. while driving a horse and wagon.

He was the grandfather of many, the step-brother of Blanch Harper-Whitsell and, he was 'Uncle Willie' to her 3 children and to his wife's many nieces and nephews.

~ ~ ~ John Cowles Dies Jan. 1 ~ ~ ~

John W. Cowles, former long time resident of the Diamond community died Sunday January 1, 1961 at 5:45 p.m. at the Luse Nursing Home at the age of 85 years, eight months, and 19 days.

He was born April 12, 1875 in Iowa the son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Cowles. He united in marriage (1897) with Sylvania Philby, who preceded him in death in January of 1957. Two sons also preceded him in death and were William and Thomas. Eight children survive. They are Mrs. Anna Kauzlarich, of Diamond community, Mrs. Mary Fisher, of Gary, Indiana, Mrs. Emma Ranes, of Kansas City, Mo., Mrs. Alice Arbogast, of Lake Park, Florida, Mrs. Frances Seddon, of Lake Park, Florida, Charles 'Buck' Cowles, of Mystic, Iowa, Mrs. Lera Dove, of Centerville R.F.D. 3, and Robert Cowles, of Gary, Indiana. There are 17 grandchildren and several great grandchildren. Mr. Cowles was a retired coal miner.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. from the Johnson Funeral home with the Rev. Glen Lockhead officiating and burial will be in the Highland cemetery at Mystic. (excerpted from Centerville Iowegian And Citizen, January 2, 1961 with misprints corrected)