Charles Henry Rowe

Paternal Linage: Charles¹⁰ Henry ROWE, Percy⁹, Franklin ⁸ , Lucian ⁷, Ebenezer⁶, Daniel⁵ Sr., John⁴ , Peter³ Roe, Hugh² Roe Jr., Hugh¹Roe, Sr.

Maternal lineage :
CHARLES ¹¹ HENRY ROWE ( Florence¹⁰ May Knowles, Adeline⁶ "Eliza" Wilber, Ann⁵ Maria Collins, Eliza⁴ Knowles, Mary³ Hoxsie, Elizabeth² Kenyon, Elizabeth ¹ Remington)

Charles Henry Rowe b. Jan. 23, 1892 Jackson, Webster County, Iowa was the second child of Percy Augustus Rowe and Florence May Knowles. He moved with his family to Lake Park Iowa when he was just a young boy. He grew up on a farm. He had a very strong constitution. He would wake up at 4a.m. when he was in his retirement years and begin work. He would run and jump off the porch when he was in his 80s. He could still stand on his head at 80 years old. Charlie could fall asleep for a few minutes and wake up refreshed. He was an extrovert, very generous, always helping strangers. He never indulged in alcohol. He had strong republican political views. During his lifetime he had numerous occupations, farmer, railroad agent, manager of a plant nursery when he retired. He had a series of minor strokes that left him unable to speak before he died April 6, 1978 Oceanside, CA of a massive heart attack.

Charles Henry Rowe  was the 2nd of ten children born to Percy Augustus Rowe and Florence May Knowles. 

Charlie spent his childhood on his parents farm in Humboldt County, Iowa where he attended elementary school to the 4th grade. In 1907 at age 15 the family moved to Lake Park, Iowa and Charles worked as a farm laborer.

On Dec. 18, 1912 Charlie married Grace Edna NICHOLAS, daughter of Benjamin Nicholas (Welsh immigrant) and Cora Virilla. Brainard in David, Iowa. After their marriage, they lived on a farm in Dickenson County, near Lake Park, Iowa where their three children, Ralph, Dorotha and Charles were born.

In 1920 persuaded by his father, Percy, he sold his farm in Iowa, purchased land near Kirksville, MO and laid plans to move to Missouri. Land prices fell in 1921 and Charlie lost both farms. They rented a farm near Lake Park for one more year. Then in Jan, 1923 moved to Kirksville, MO. In March of 1923 Charlie sold the farm equipment and moved to Kirksville with Ralph, now 9 yrs. old.

John Nicholas, brother of Grace, offered Charles a job as head helper of a section crew on the railroad at Twin Brooks, South Dakota 12 miles from Marvin, SD. Next the family moved to South Dakota. Next he purchased a dray-line and the family moved to Marvin, SD. In 1930 Charlie sold the dray-line & moved to a farm near Marvin, SD. The winter of 1933 Charlie and family moved back to Kirksville where he worked for a light plant. Charlie and Grace finally inherited a the Brainard farm, through Grace's uncle, Henry David Ross Brainard, in Mitchell County 2 miles west of historical David, Iowa where they lived until 1956.

When they retired, they moved to Compton, CA near their daughter Dorotha Rowe Jorgensen. Then they moved in 1961 to the hills overlooking Brea, CA where they lived and managed the Tinker Plant Nursery for many years, well into Charlie's 70s. In his 80s he and Grace lived with their Dorotha and son in law ,Rev. Gunnar Jorgensen in Oceanside, CA where Charlie had a stroke. He was an active member of the Missionary Alliance Church in Brea, CA.

My grandfather was very energetic, extremely generous and had a very outgoing personality. He read the Bible nearly every evening. I have great memories of my grandparents on their farm in Iowa and their mini-farm and plant nursery on top of the hills of Brea, CA.. It was my grandfather's daily reading of the Bible every evening in the summer of 1961 that led me to a born again experience with the Lord. That summer I could not find work and my father suggested my brother, David, and I would go to California and get work while staying with my grandparents. David worked at the Tinker Nursery and I put in an ad to work as a housekeeper cleaning homes of wealthy people in the area. My grandfather drove me to work and picked me up each day, while my grandmother answered the phone and wrote down where I was to work. Before leaving Brea California, as a gift, my grandparents gave me the Amplified Version of the New Testament and a gift of money to help defray my Sophomore year at Jamestown College. I flew to California a few months before my grandparents died at which time my grandmother turned over many precious historical photos of the family which all had notes on the back and dates of the relatives/ancestors. Grandpa Charlie, died of a massive heart attack after I returned to my home outside Boston.

Sources: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=29367641
Descendants of Franklin and Mary Noyes Rowe of Humboldt County, Iowa compiled by Velma M. Coffin ©1955