Cornelius Bauman (Bowman)

1. Birth: 13 Aug 1831 in Brothersvalley Twp, Bedford County, Pennsylvania 1
2. Death: 6 Dec 1903 1
3. Census: 1870 Forreston, Ogle County, Illinois 2
4. Census: 1880 Forreston, Ogle County, Illinois 3
5. Occupation: Bet 1870 and 1880 Farmer 2 3
6. Event: Property 1870 Value of real estate, $5,000; personal property, $1,000 2
7. Residence: Bef 1868 Pennsylvania
8. Residence: Aft 1868 Illinois
9. Residence: Bet 1870 and 1880 Forreston, Ogle County, Illinois 2 3

CORNELIUS BOWMAN is the possessor of a handsome property which now enables him to spend his declining years in the pleasurable enjoyment of his accumulations. Until recently the record of his life was that of an active, enterprising, methodical and sagacious business man and farmer, who bent his energies to the honorable acquirement of a comfortable competence for himself and family, but he is now living retired in the village of Harper.

Mr. Bowman was born near Berlin, Somerset county, Pennsylvania, August 13, 1831, and is a son of John Bowman, who was born on the same farm in 1792. His paternal grandfather was a native of Germany and was one of the first settlers of Somerset county, where he opened up the farm on which both our subject and his father were born. The latter married Elizabeth Marteeny, who was born near Somerset, Somerset county, of English ancestry. He spent his entire life upon the old homestead engaged in agricultural pursuits, and there died in 1844 at the age of fifty-two years. His wife long survived him, dying in 1890 at the advanced age of eighty-four year. To them were born thirteen children, but only six reached years of maturity and four are now living, namely: Uriah, who owns and operates the old homestead; John J., a farmer of Somerset county; Chauncy, also a farmer of Somerset county, who served through the war of the Rebellion and was wounded at the battle of Gettysburg, and Cornelius, of this review. Cyrus, the oldest of the family, was a farmer by occupation and spent his entire life in Somerset county. Levina married Aaron Geiger and also died in that county.

Upon the old homestead Cornelius Bowman grew to manhood, and in the schools of the neighborhood obtained a limited education, which has been greatly supplemented by reading and study at home. During early life he successfully engaged in teaching for several terms. On the 27th of February, 1852, he was united in marriage with Miss Theresa Hauger, also a native of Somerset county, Pennsylvania, and a daughter of Jacob Hauger, who was born there and belonged to an old family of the county. Of the twelve children born of this union three died in infancy and John died from an accident at the age of nine years. Those living are Harvey, who resides on the home farm in Ogle county, Illinois; Norman, who is married and engaged in business in Webster City, Iowa; Grant, at home; Rebecca, wife of Fred F. Nicodemus, of Forreston, Illinois; Mrs. Rosanna E. Costello, who is now keeping house for her brother Harvey; Agnes M., wife of Henry Fisher, who lives near Forreston; Mary, wife of Jacob Piper, a farmer of Forreston, and Verna, at home.

During the first year of his married life Mr. Bowman operated a rented farm in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, and then in connection with his brother he bought a tract of land which they developed into a good farm and cultivated for thirteen years. In the meantime he served as school director and township assessor. Coming west in 1865 he first located in Lee county. Illinois, where he rented the Colonel Dement farm for one year, but at the end of that time he became a resident of Ogle county, where he has since made his home. He rented a farm in Forreston township for one year and then bought a tract of eighty acres, to the cultivation of which he devoted his time for several years. On selling that place he bought the old David Raisinger farm of two hundred acres in Forreston township, and located thereon. When the railroad was laid out across his land, he divided some of his property into town lots and started the village of Hatper. He built a store room and embarked in merchandising at that place, leaving his sons to operate the farm, and continued to actively engage in business there for seventeen years. In the meantime he served as assistant postmaster, and later as postmaster being connected with that office for sixteen or seventeen years. Besides his village property and the farm already mentioned he owns a well improved and valuable farm in Carroll county, Illinois, comprising one hundred and sixty acres, and has four hundred and eighty acres of improved land in Cheyenne county, Nebraska. He was one of the organizers of the Forreston Fire Insurance Company, of which he has been a stockholder, director and secretary for seven years, and he has been actively identified with all enterprises which he believed calculated to advance the interests of the community in which he lives and promote general prosperity.

Originally Mr. Bowman was a Whig in politics, casting his first vote for General Winfield Scott, and since the formation of the Republican party he has been one of its stanch supporters. He has taken quite an active and prominent part in local politics, and has filled a number of township offices, being commissioner of highways six years, school director for a number of years, and supervisor two terms, during which time he served on some important committees. He and his wife are among the original members of the Reformed church of Forreston, contribute liberally to its support and assisted in the erection of the house of worship. For the success he has achieved in life Mr. Bowman deserves great credit, for he started out in life with but little capital, and the prosperity that has come to him is due to his own industry, enterprise, perseverance and good management. He is to-day one of the substantial men of the county, as well as one of its honored and highly esteemed citizens.

The Biographical record of Ogle County, Illinois By S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1899.

This record comes from PA Roots

Marriage was 2/9/1853 - license date was 1/27/1853.

\par Somerset Mariage Registrations Index & Records; 1852-1875.

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\par http://www.pa-roots.org/data/read.php?726,367257,367257#msg-367257

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\par Bowman, Cornelius; Theresa Hauger

\par Posted by: Nan (IP Logged)

\par Date: October 16, 2002 05:42PM

\par Cornelius Bowman, a resident of Brothersvalley Twp., was born in the same a s/o John & Elizabeth Bowman. On Jan. 27, 1853, he married Theresa Hauger, d/o Jacob & Elizabeth Hauger, in a German Reformed ceremony at the home of the bride's father in Brothersvalley Twp.

\par Source: Marriage records of Somerset Co., Somerset Co., Pa.