Eddie Bowers or Edwin Winkowski?

I was thinking about Mike’s grandma and realized I know only that his grandma was Ethel M Bowers, daughter of Edwin W Bowers and Carrie Smith.  Not much.  So I set to work and here is what I found.

Ethel Bowers Trope

           In the 1900 census for  Oyster Bay, NY,  27 year old Edwin Bowers, b. June 1872, is living as a boarder in the household of Benjamin Smith age 48, his wife Sarah, age 42,  with his daughter Carrie , age 20, daughter Elsie, age 15 and son Benjamin, age 3.  Edwin is a grocery salesman and Benjamin Smith is a wheelwright. (Historically, these tradesmen made wheels for carts and wagons by first constructing the hub, the spokes and the rim segments, and assembling them all into a unit working from the center of the wheel outwards. Most wheels were made from wood, but other materials have been used, such as bone and horn, for decorative or other purposes. In modern times, wheelwrights continue to make and repair a wide variety of wheels, including those made from wood and banded by iron tires. The word wheelwright remains a term usually used for someone who makes and repairs wheels for horse drawn vehicles.)  The Smith’s and the parents of the adults were all born in New York, but Bowers’ parents were born in England.  Bowers himself is listed as being born in NY.

  

Ten years later, in the census of 1910,  Edwin Bowers, 41 and Carrie Bowers, 30  are married and living in Oyster Bay, NY with their two children Ethel age 9, and Arthur age 1.   At this time Edwin is a school janitor.  Edwin lists both his father and mother as born in England.

Edwin and Carrie Smith Bowers

In 1920 Edwin, 52, and Carrie, 39, live in North Hempstead, New York with their sons Arthur age 11, and Charles age 9.   Daughter Ethel, 18, and her husband Frank Trope, 20, also live in this household. 

I loose track of Edwin and Carrie Bowers in the 1930 census.  Family tells me that Edwin died in 1942 and Carrie died in 1955.

I found Edwin Bowers in the 1880 Census with his parents Charles and Sarah.  Charles Bowers was born in Mass.  Edwin was born in NY but age was 2 years off.  But remember sometimes there are errors in the record.  I was very excited to find parents and siblings and a trail back to Massachusetts

            I sent an email to Arnie Trope and went to bed to ponder all this exciting news.  I love it when it all falls together so easily.

            But it wasn’t quite that simple.  Arnie tells me that Edwin changed his last name to Bowers from Winkowski and that he came from Poland.  Is that where the "W" in Edwin W. Bowers comes from?  He pointed out that people from Poland were not well received during that time, thus the name change.  Is that why he had said his dad was from Germany?  I will have to look at a map and see what was what at that time.  I think I might have to hit the bricks for this one.  I love road trips. Long Island here we come!  Maybe when the weather gets warmer.

            So there is much more that needs to be done to find the immigrant ancestor in the Bowers line.  I need to find death certificates for Edwin and Carrie.  The family knows where they are buried in Port Washington.  A visit there is in order.  Perhaps I can find a marriage license.  I will dig around a little.  If there was a legal name change I might find something about that.  I have found an immigration record for a Winkowski that I will follow up on. 

         I think there is some more "Smith" information that might be at hand.

The very best news is that Arnie put me in touch with a cousin who is also working on this family.  I look forward to comparing notes and doing more work to see what I can find.  I will let you know.