Notes:
Photograph contributed by Matt Mustonen
Data source is Jane Weidman, 6009 Queenston, Springfield VA 22152
Data source is Matt Mustonen. E-mail ab0146@wayne.edu
1880 Census Place: Wayne, Kosciusko, Indiana
William MUMAN, head, 41, b: OH/PA/PA. Farmer
Mary H. MUMAN, wife, 33, b: OH/OH/OH, Keeping House
Theodosia MUMAN, dau, 11, b: IN/OH/OH
Caroline MUMAN, dau, 3, b: IN/OH/OH
Martha L. MUMAN, Sister, 18, b: OH/PA/PA, house keeping
1900: Wayne, Kosciusko, Indiana
Joseph H Bowen 43, m: 19 yrs, b: IN/?/PA
Martha Bowen 38, m: 19 yrs, 10 children, 9 living, b: OH/PA/PA
Mabel N Bowen 18, b: IN/IN/OH
Lilian I Bowen 15, b: IN/IN/OH
Lester F Bowen 13, b: IN/IN/OH
Frank C Bowen 10, b: IN/IN/OH
Roy C Bowen 8, b: IN/IN/OH
Merlin L Bowen 6, b: IN/IN/OH
Hary I Bowen 5, b: IN/IN/OH
Irma M Bowen 2, b: IN/IN/OH
1910: Wayne, Kosciusko, Indiana
Joseph H Bowen 54, m: 29 yrs, b: IN/VA/PA, farmer, truck
Martha L Bowen 48, m: 29 yrs, 12 children, 10 living, b: OH/PA/?
Lester F Bowen 23, single, b: IN/IN/OH
Roy E Bowen 18, single, b: IN/IN/OH, laborer on farm
Merlin L Bowen 16, single, b: IN/IN/OH
Harry I Bowen 15, single, b: IN/IN/OH
Irma M Bowen 12, single, b: IN/IN/OH
Joseph M Bowen 9, single, b: IN/IN/OH
Gladys L Bowen 5, single, b: IN/IN/OH
The following information was provided by Matt Mustonen E-mail ab0146@wayne.edu
MUMMA - BOWEN
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Peter Klare Mumma (7-19-1819), son of Peter Mumma and Elizabeth Klare, was married to Susannah O. Montz (10-31-1822) and resided in Columbus Grove, Ohio, approximately sixty miles southeast of Fort Wayne, Indiana, when their daughter Martha Lucretia was born (2-2-62). Columbus Grove is today a small town of two thousand in population and lies on Ohio State Highway 65 about twenty-two miles north of Lima. Peter and Susannah were the parents of eleven children. Eight boys and three girls: William James (1839), Susannah (Bogart) (1841), Joseph Montz (1844), Isaiah (1846), Zachariah Taylor (1850), Eber Leslie (1852), Mary Elizabeth (1854), Isaac Newton Mark (1857), Simon Gibson (1859), Martha Lucretia (1862), and Roy Edwin Keller (1864). Mary Eiizabeth died in her teens of tuberculosis. Joseph Hamilton Bowen was married to Martha Lucretia Mumma on January 29, 1880* To this union twelve children were born: Mabel Naomi (1881), Ada Vivian (1883), Lillian Inez (1885), Lester Floyd and Chester Lloyd, twins (1886), Franke Coral (1889),Roy E. K. (1891), Merlin Leslie (1893), Harry Irwin (1895), Irma Mildred (1897), Joe Mumma (1900), and Gladys Leone (1904).
Near the year 1881, they built their own small home on a seven and one-half acre plot which lies just off Indiana State Highway 25, two and one-half miles southwest of Warsaw, and just across the road south of the Rozella Ford Golf Course. This home is now owned by O. R. Furgeson.
It was such a happy time when they could move with their small family into their own home. At this time Mabel was past four years old and Ada was past two. Lillian was born in 1885. Very soon after they were in their new home, little Ada died in the fall of 1886, a month before the twins, Lester and Chester, were born. Lester was born club footed and was later to have his feet straightened. Now the children added up to four. In turn, five more little ones arrived and in the early spring of 1895 a tragedy came when Chester, one of the twins, was dragged to his death by a frightened cow. In the eleven years following the time the twins were born, the five made their appearance. Franke Coral was born in July, 1889; Roy was born in July, 1891; Merlin in September, 1893; Harry in April of 1895; and Irma in November, 1897. In those years you could just about count on a new arrival every two years. What a busy, tired mother ours must have been as she kept her home, cared for her husband and children. The sewing--the cooking--the training--the sicknesses and the sorrows!
When Lester, the twin who was clubfooted, was ten years old, he was sent to the Allen Institute in the Masonic Temple, Chicago, where he had his legs and feet straightened by braces which he had to wear for a long time.
In October of 1900, little Joe was born and four years later, last but not least, came little Gladys in October, 1904. When Joe was still real small, three new rooms were added to rbe home and needless to say they must have been really needed. Before Gladys was born, Mabel was married to Harry Kinsey of near Claypool, Indiana. Then the following year Lillian married Moody Sleighter of near Warsaw. As is the way of all families, especially large ones, one by one they leave home to start new homes of their own. By this time Roy was old enough to be doing odd jobs away from home - such as a boy of twelve or fourteen could do. Then Merl and Harry each took their turns in working for neighbors and friends. As the children grew up, there was never a shortage of work at home to be done. Our Dad was a hard working man, at truck farming and a saw-mill job. Each of us will always remember the strawberries, the navy beans, the pickles, and even the a- tiny pickling onions - literally millions of them that needed harvesting! Oh - the dirty knees and hands, as we dug those little white onions out of the black dirt! We always said that our Dad had "ready-made harvest help."
Five years after Lillian was married, Franke was married to Jesse Deckard of near Claypool. Then they really left--to South Dakota. Later Roy, Merl, and Harry each took their turns at living in South Dakota. Merl and Harry each taught school there for a whiles Franke and Jesse finally returned in 1919, richer by three children. Late in 1916 Harry left for patrol duty on the Texas-Mexico border with the local National Guard. He returned the next January sick with quinzy. Later, in March he developed acute appendicitis and had emergency surgery. A whole summer he spent in and out of the hospital, but made no lasting improvements He died October 1, 1917. In 1917-1918 Merl left to serve in World War I in the Navy and Roy in the Army.
It was over ten years after Franke and Jesse were married that the next one took the same step. Merlin was married to Cordie Roberts in June, 1920. They lived in Warsaw for a while, perhaps about six years, and Merlin worked at the Warsaw Overall Company. Later they moved to Detroit, Michigan, where they still live. In June, 1921, Irma and Samuel Knoop were married and Irma went to Claypool, where she and Samuel lived in the Knoop Home. In 1922, also in June, Roy was married to Armilla Tucker of Burket, Indiana. They made their bone in Warsaw. Roy was a city mall carrier there. By this time little Joe had grown up too, and in October, 1923, he and Teckla liagar of Plymouth were united in marriage. They went to Mishawaka to make their home, and Joe later became Postmaster there. Little Gladvys waited three more years, then in October, 1926, she and Donald Fawley were married For a while they lived in Warsaw, then moved to North Manchester where Don operated a filling station.
In the fall of 1919, Joseph and Martha left the little home in the country, with all its memories, its sorrows, and its joys, and moved into Warsaw to make their home at 319 West Center St. That house has been razed and is now a part of Owen's Supermarket parking lot. Later they sold the home in the country to son Roy and bought the home at 432 South Washington St. in Warsaw. They lived there together for several years, enjoying the visits of the children and the grandchildren which seemed to increase at a good rate. In 1928 Joseph was stricken with paralysis He lived for four years, improving enough to talk and to walk with a cane. In March 1932 he died in Roy's home in Warsaw.
Martha lived sixteen years after his death, moving to North Manchester to make a home for Lester, who at that time was working there as a crossing watchman on the Big 4 railroad. In 1936 her health became such that she could no longer care for her home so she began living with some of her children. In March 1948, she died of a heart attack at Franke's home near Lafayette, IndianaP Both Joseph and Martha are buried in Union Cemetery, west of Warsaw on the Crystal Lake Road. In the family lot there (1968), Ada, Chester, Harry, and Lester are also resting.
Lester passed away at the Knights of Pythias Home at Lafayette in February, 1953. Roy was the next to go, dying of cancer of the pancreas, in March, 1954. Mabel suffered a stroke in March, 1956, and died a few days later in the Wabash Hospital, March 30. Two years later April 18, 1958, Franke died of a heart attack at her home in Lafayette. On April 20, 1966, Joe had a heart attack which caused his death immediately. Lillian died two years later at Miller's Merry Manor near Warsaw, March 4, 1968.
As of this date, February 1969, there are only three of the family of twelve children born to Joseph and Martha Bowen who are still living - Merlin, who lives in Detroit; Irma, still living near Claypool; and Gladys, who lives in North Manchester.
