Genevieve Bowers

Genevieve Bowers

Genevieve Bowers was born in 1877 to Charles Bowers and Alexena Frazier in Ottawa, Illinois.[1] Genevieve grew up in Ottawa Illinois and graduated from Ottawa High School in 1896.[2] After graduation she worked as a stenographer for the Marseilles Manufacturing Company.[3] The Marseilles Manufacturing Company of Marseilles, Illinois manufactured power corn shellers and windmills.

In 1898 Genevieve was hospitalized for appendicitis and was operated on at RyburnHospital in Ottawa.[4] She was unable to recover from the surgery and died at just 21 years of age on July 2, 1898[5] and is buried at the Ottawa Avenue Cemetery in Ottawa, Illinois.

I found it sad that she only lived to age 21 and had not had a chance to experience all that life has to offer.

[1] Cemetery Record for Genevieve L. Bowers; Ottawa Avenue Cemetery, Ottawa, LaSalle County, Illinois; Date of Birth; July 31, 1877; Date of Death July 2, 1898; Cemetery Card: CCY-TS; Burial Location: OT, 18-7; Record # 8541.

[2] Obituary for Genevieve Bowers; Republican Times, Ottawa, LaSalle County, Illinois; July 4, 1898. Obituary File at the LaSalleCounty Genealogy Society, 115 W. Glover Street, Ottawa, LaSalle, Illinois61350.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Obituary for Genevieve Bowers; Republican Times, Ottawa, LaSalle County, Illinois; July 4, 1898. Obituary File at the LaSalle County Genealogy Society 115 W. Glover Street, Ottawa, LaSalle, Illinois 61350.

[5] Ibid.

One of the saddest Obituaries, I have come across while researching my ancestors is the one for Genevieve Bowers. She was only 21 years old when she died of appendicitis. I had an obituary that my grandmother had saved from a newspaper. Genevieve was an Aunt of my grandmothers. The obituary that my grandmother had saved said Genevieve had her trunks packed as she planned on visiting friends or relatives in Colorado. Unfortunately the paper was so old that it disintegrated and I no longer have it. I made a trip to Ottawa, Illinois where she lived and died to get a copy of the obituary. I went to the Lasalle County IL Genealogy Guild Library and found two obituaries for her, but neither mention having her trunks packed for a trip to Colorado. I also tried the public library and they had the same ones as the Genealogy Guild.

I’d like to know if she was going to visit friends or relatives because I have hit a brick wall when it comes to her mother Alexena Frazier, born in Nassagaweya, Ontario, Canada. It seems I cannot find Alexena’s parents or a record of her birth. I thought if it were relatives she was visiting in Colorado, perhaps it was her mother’s family. I have no idea if Alexena had brothers or sisters.

I found it sad that she only lived to age 21 and had not had a chance to experience all that life has to offer. She did not yet fall in love, get married, or have children. Obituary on left is from the Ottawa Journal dated July 3, 1898. The Obituary on the right is from the Republican Times dated July 4, 1898.