W. Albert Dowden

Obituary from the Indianapolis Star, March 24, 1953:

DOWDEN - W. Albert, 1127 W. 18th Street, husband of Viola. Father of Robert and Mrs. Jeri Robertson, passed away Saturday. Services Tuesday, 9:00 A.M. at St. Bridge's Catholic Church. Friends may call at Flanner and Buchanan Mortuary.

Personal memories from Thomas "T.C." Dowden:

A tremendously hard working man, Albert worked in Indianapolis as a commissioned tank wagon gasoline salesman for Standard Oil and Pure Oil Company. He was also a carpenter. An avid follower of athletics, Albert played semi-professional football with the Indianapolis Olympics football club in 1928. His upper body strength was such that he could "flip" a full 55 gallon drum of fuel.
He was a stern but very caring parent. When you did something wrong, you were punished and rewarded when you did right. He was a faithful and devoted husband to Viola. He was blessed with the Dowden Trait of being stern willed, which contributed to his death. He worked for three days on a tank truck with a burst appendix and then was hospitalized under emergency conditions with fatal peritonitis.
During Prohibition, Albert used to bottle his own beer. One time he saw a prowler outside the house with a handgun. He took down his shotgun and went out to check what was going on and opened the bulkhead door leading to the basement (where he brewed and bottled his beer). About that time, one of the bottles exploded, startling Albert. He fired the shotgun and wiped out his home brew! That was what was known as the "beer war" for years to come!
Albert was a member of DeMolay and got Viola to go out with him by offering his DeMolay card to her as an offering to show he would be respectful and honorable.
In the 1920 Census, Albert was listed as a "messenger boy" for Indiana National Bank. By the 1930 Census, he was listed as a Salesman for Standard Oil Company. In both Census', Albert was located in Center Township, Marion County, Indiana.

Resources

• FindAGrave: William Albert Dowden