Louie Bowen Mead was born in Indian Territory on April 7th of 1894. His obituary states that he was born in Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas. Early records for Louie Bowen Mead state that he was born in Oklahoma, Indian Territory or that he simply did not know. I believe that he was able to get a hold of a record during his lifetime that gave his place of birth but did not reveal the names of his parents. That sounds like a redacted adoption record to me but that is pure speculation at the moment until such a document can be located.
One of his Granddaughters has informed me of a family story, where he called both of his sons, Cheser and Claiborne Mead into a room after receiving a record from somewhere in Washington D. C.. He was very displeased with how they were spelling the Bowen name, which he was allegedly made to use by the United States Government. I have not been able to substantiate this with documentation but I have decided to mention it to aid other researchers, particularly as it was based on someone who knew him during his lifetime who was present when the above event took place.
Louie himself stated that he was kidnapped as a child by the Mead family.
He appears in the 1900 Census with the Mead family as 'Boyin Luey' and is noted as 'adopted son'.
I've spoken with other descendants of his family and there is another theory that his biological father is Ira Mead, but there is no evidence of this.
If a formal adoption did take place, adoption records are sealed in Oklahoma. If it was true that he was adopted, even informally, it would make sense for what would be his biological grandparents to take him in, but there is no explanation as to why Ira would leave Louie and Lena with his parents, as Ira went on to marry a few months after Louie was born.
The theory of Ira being his father also includes the suggestion that Lena Leota Mead and Louie are half siblings, both having Ira Mead as their father, but there is no explanation as to why Lena is noted in that same 1900 Census as a granddaughter, while Louie was noted as being an 'adopted son'.
Lena Leota's father and mother are both noted as being born in Michigan, while Louie's father is noted to have been born in Michigan, but that his mother was born in Arkansas.
It also does not explain Louie's assertion that he was kidnapped.
There just is not enough evidence to fully support either theory.
Louie appears in the 1910 Potter County, Texas Census with Amos Mead and Nancy Rowe. In this Census, he is noted as an adopted son. This Census says that his father was born in Michigan and that his mother was born in Arkansas. This Census says that he was born in Oklahoma. This Census also has his name spelled as Lucious B. Mead.
Louie went on to marry Fannie Margaret Cheser before 1915 in Texas and the couple had three children. Cheser Bowen Mead, Claiborne Mead and Ethel Mae Mead.
Claiborne Mead's birth certificate mentions Louie at 23 years of age and lists his occupation as 'Transfer Man'. Under location of birth it says 'don't know' and it lists his current residence as of May 8th, 1916 as being Amarillo, Texas. The certificate also lists a 406 Jackson Street, although I am unsure if this was their residence, if this was a home birth, or the location of a hospital.
The 1930 Amarillo, Potter County, Texas Census lists Louie at the age of 35 with Fannie and their three children, together with the Thrasher family, whom I have no knowledge of. This Census lists Oklahoma as the birthplace of Louie Mead.
Louie was a good man, hard working and strong. He was very close with Katherine Elizabeth Doss Mead, the wife of one of his sons, Cheser Bowen Mead during his lifetime. He was also close with his granddaughter, Marion Nancy Mead.
Fannie Margaret Cheser tried to murder him one night by poisoning his dinner. He was wise enough to switch dinner plates without her knowledge and Fannie went to sleep that night and never woke up.
Needless to say, unusual circumstances followed him his entire life.
Unfortunately, Louie suffered a stroke, which caused him to become aggressive towards those he loved the most towards the end of his lifetime and had to be placed in the Arlington Convalescent Center.
He continued to receive frequent visits from Katherine, Marion and Cheser in his final years.
In death as in birth and in life, mystery continued to follow Louie, his exact cause of death being unknown.
His death certificate lists his cause of death as Probable Myocardial Intarction V.S. Possible Cerebrovascular Accident.
UPDATE 09/10/2020 : DNA indicates that Louie Bowen Mead was a biological descendant of the Cathey family of Fort Smith, Sebastian County and Rover, Yell County, Arkansas.
The Bowen name was prominent in Yell County, Arkansas.
The Cathey and Bowen families married into each other and it is extremely likely that Louie is from this branch.
Two Great Grandchildren of Louie Mead share 42 cM and 52 cM respectively with a 2nd Great Grandson of Richard Henry Cathey and Roberta Ann Lawrence.
To put this into perspective, Third Cousins, 1x removed share an average of 26.56 cM in common. Third Cousins and Second Cousins 2x removed share an average of 53.13 cM in common.
UPDATE 01/26/2020 : DNA also indicates that a Great Granddaughter of Louie Mead shares 21 cM in common with a descendant of Ira Mead.
Update 01/21/2022 : On the original application for a Social Security number for Louie, he stated that his father was Amos Mead, but listed "Do Not Know" for his mother. He lists his date of birth as April 2nd 1892 in Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas. He was living at 1811 W. 4th Street and employed by an L. Laursen at 1500 Western.
Why would Louie, clearly shown holding Nancy Rowe, wife of Amos Jefferson Mead, in the photographs included in this memorial, not list her as his mother if Amos was his father? Nancy died in February the year this application was made in 1936, so it wasn't like this was something he would have forgotten.
If he was going to list adoptive parents, why list the adoptive father, but not the adoptive mother? The SS-5 does not give any mention of an adoptive relationship like the lone 1900 Census. Could it be that Amos Jefferson Mead had an affair? Why would he have ended up with Louie? Is there a woman who died young in childbirth that just evaded all documentation? I have not been able to place Louie among the Cathey/Bowen descendants at this time, but DNA doesn't lie. Somehow, someway, these families are connected.
One of his Granddaughters has informed me of a family story, where he called both of his sons, Cheser and Claiborne Mead into a room after receiving a record from somewhere in Washington D. C.. He was very displeased with how they were spelling the Bowen name, which he was allegedly made to use by the United States Government. I have not been able to substantiate this with documentation but I have decided to mention it to aid other researchers, particularly as it was based on someone who knew him during his lifetime who was present when the above event took place.
Louie himself stated that he was kidnapped as a child by the Mead family.
He appears in the 1900 Census with the Mead family as 'Boyin Luey' and is noted as 'adopted son'.
I've spoken with other descendants of his family and there is another theory that his biological father is Ira Mead, but there is no evidence of this.
If a formal adoption did take place, adoption records are sealed in Oklahoma. If it was true that he was adopted, even informally, it would make sense for what would be his biological grandparents to take him in, but there is no explanation as to why Ira would leave Louie and Lena with his parents, as Ira went on to marry a few months after Louie was born.
The theory of Ira being his father also includes the suggestion that Lena Leota Mead and Louie are half siblings, both having Ira Mead as their father, but there is no explanation as to why Lena is noted in that same 1900 Census as a granddaughter, while Louie was noted as being an 'adopted son'.
Lena Leota's father and mother are both noted as being born in Michigan, while Louie's father is noted to have been born in Michigan, but that his mother was born in Arkansas.
It also does not explain Louie's assertion that he was kidnapped.
There just is not enough evidence to fully support either theory.
Louie appears in the 1910 Potter County, Texas Census with Amos Mead and Nancy Rowe. In this Census, he is noted as an adopted son. This Census says that his father was born in Michigan and that his mother was born in Arkansas. This Census says that he was born in Oklahoma. This Census also has his name spelled as Lucious B. Mead.
Louie went on to marry Fannie Margaret Cheser before 1915 in Texas and the couple had three children. Cheser Bowen Mead, Claiborne Mead and Ethel Mae Mead.
Claiborne Mead's birth certificate mentions Louie at 23 years of age and lists his occupation as 'Transfer Man'. Under location of birth it says 'don't know' and it lists his current residence as of May 8th, 1916 as being Amarillo, Texas. The certificate also lists a 406 Jackson Street, although I am unsure if this was their residence, if this was a home birth, or the location of a hospital.
The 1930 Amarillo, Potter County, Texas Census lists Louie at the age of 35 with Fannie and their three children, together with the Thrasher family, whom I have no knowledge of. This Census lists Oklahoma as the birthplace of Louie Mead.
Louie was a good man, hard working and strong. He was very close with Katherine Elizabeth Doss Mead, the wife of one of his sons, Cheser Bowen Mead during his lifetime. He was also close with his granddaughter, Marion Nancy Mead.
Fannie Margaret Cheser tried to murder him one night by poisoning his dinner. He was wise enough to switch dinner plates without her knowledge and Fannie went to sleep that night and never woke up.
Needless to say, unusual circumstances followed him his entire life.
Unfortunately, Louie suffered a stroke, which caused him to become aggressive towards those he loved the most towards the end of his lifetime and had to be placed in the Arlington Convalescent Center.
He continued to receive frequent visits from Katherine, Marion and Cheser in his final years.
In death as in birth and in life, mystery continued to follow Louie, his exact cause of death being unknown.
His death certificate lists his cause of death as Probable Myocardial Intarction V.S. Possible Cerebrovascular Accident.
UPDATE 09/10/2020 : DNA indicates that Louie Bowen Mead was a biological descendant of the Cathey family of Fort Smith, Sebastian County and Rover, Yell County, Arkansas.
The Bowen name was prominent in Yell County, Arkansas.
The Cathey and Bowen families married into each other and it is extremely likely that Louie is from this branch.
Two Great Grandchildren of Louie Mead share 42 cM and 52 cM respectively with a 2nd Great Grandson of Richard Henry Cathey and Roberta Ann Lawrence.
To put this into perspective, Third Cousins, 1x removed share an average of 26.56 cM in common. Third Cousins and Second Cousins 2x removed share an average of 53.13 cM in common.
UPDATE 01/26/2020 : DNA also indicates that a Great Granddaughter of Louie Mead shares 21 cM in common with a descendant of Ira Mead.
Update 01/21/2022 : On the original application for a Social Security number for Louie, he stated that his father was Amos Mead, but listed "Do Not Know" for his mother. He lists his date of birth as April 2nd 1892 in Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas. He was living at 1811 W. 4th Street and employed by an L. Laursen at 1500 Western.
Why would Louie, clearly shown holding Nancy Rowe, wife of Amos Jefferson Mead, in the photographs included in this memorial, not list her as his mother if Amos was his father? Nancy died in February the year this application was made in 1936, so it wasn't like this was something he would have forgotten.
If he was going to list adoptive parents, why list the adoptive father, but not the adoptive mother? The SS-5 does not give any mention of an adoptive relationship like the lone 1900 Census. Could it be that Amos Jefferson Mead had an affair? Why would he have ended up with Louie? Is there a woman who died young in childbirth that just evaded all documentation? I have not been able to place Louie among the Cathey/Bowen descendants at this time, but DNA doesn't lie. Somehow, someway, these families are connected.
Louie Bowen Mead was born in Indian Territory on April 7th of 1894. His obituary states that he was born in Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas. Early records for Louie Bowen Mead state that he was born in Oklahoma, Indian Territory or that he simply did not know. I believe that he was able to get a hold of a record during his lifetime that gave his place of birth but did not reveal the names of his parents. That sounds like a redacted adoption record to me but that is pure speculation at the moment until such a document can be located.
One of his Granddaughters has informed me of a family story, where he called both of his sons, Cheser and Claiborne Mead into a room after receiving a record from somewhere in Washington D. C.. He was very displeased with how they were spelling the Bowen name, which he was allegedly made to use by the United States Government. I have not been able to substantiate this with documentation but I have decided to mention it to aid other researchers, particularly as it was based on someone who knew him during his lifetime who was present when the above event took place.
Louie himself stated that he was kidnapped as a child by the Mead family.
He appears in the 1900 Census with the Mead family as 'Boyin Luey' and is noted as 'adopted son'.
I've spoken with other descendants of his family and there is another theory that his biological father is Ira Mead, but there is no evidence of this.
If a formal adoption did take place, adoption records are sealed in Oklahoma. If it was true that he was adopted, even informally, it would make sense for what would be his biological grandparents to take him in, but there is no explanation as to why Ira would leave Louie and Lena with his parents, as Ira went on to marry a few months after Louie was born.
The theory of Ira being his father also includes the suggestion that Lena Leota Mead and Louie are half siblings, both having Ira Mead as their father, but there is no explanation as to why Lena is noted in that same 1900 Census as a granddaughter, while Louie was noted as being an 'adopted son'.
Lena Leota's father and mother are both noted as being born in Michigan, while Louie's father is noted to have been born in Michigan, but that his mother was born in Arkansas.
It also does not explain Louie's assertion that he was kidnapped.
There just is not enough evidence to fully support either theory.
Louie appears in the 1910 Potter County, Texas Census with Amos Mead and Nancy Rowe. In this Census, he is noted as an adopted son. This Census says that his father was born in Michigan and that his mother was born in Arkansas. This Census says that he was born in Oklahoma. This Census also has his name spelled as Lucious B. Mead.
Louie went on to marry Fannie Margaret Cheser before 1915 in Texas and the couple had three children. Cheser Bowen Mead, Claiborne Mead and Ethel Mae Mead.
Claiborne Mead's birth certificate mentions Louie at 23 years of age and lists his occupation as 'Transfer Man'. Under location of birth it says 'don't know' and it lists his current residence as of May 8th, 1916 as being Amarillo, Texas. The certificate also lists a 406 Jackson Street, although I am unsure if this was their residence, if this was a home birth, or the location of a hospital.
The 1930 Amarillo, Potter County, Texas Census lists Louie at the age of 35 with Fannie and their three children, together with the Thrasher family, whom I have no knowledge of. This Census lists Oklahoma as the birthplace of Louie Mead.
Louie was a good man, hard working and strong. He was very close with Katherine Elizabeth Doss Mead, the wife of one of his sons, Cheser Bowen Mead during his lifetime. He was also close with his granddaughter, Marion Nancy Mead.
Fannie Margaret Cheser tried to murder him one night by poisoning his dinner. He was wise enough to switch dinner plates without her knowledge and Fannie went to sleep that night and never woke up.
Needless to say, unusual circumstances followed him his entire life.
Unfortunately, Louie suffered a stroke, which caused him to become aggressive towards those he loved the most towards the end of his lifetime and had to be placed in the Arlington Convalescent Center.
He continued to receive frequent visits from Katherine, Marion and Cheser in his final years.
In death as in birth and in life, mystery continued to follow Louie, his exact cause of death being unknown.
His death certificate lists his cause of death as Probable Myocardial Intarction V.S. Possible Cerebrovascular Accident.
UPDATE 09/10/2020 : DNA indicates that Louie Bowen Mead was a biological descendant of the Cathey family of Fort Smith, Sebastian County and Rover, Yell County, Arkansas.
The Bowen name was prominent in Yell County, Arkansas.
The Cathey and Bowen families married into each other and it is extremely likely that Louie is from this branch.
Two Great Grandchildren of Louie Mead share 42 cM and 52 cM respectively with a 2nd Great Grandson of Richard Henry Cathey and Roberta Ann Lawrence.
To put this into perspective, Third Cousins, 1x removed share an average of 26.56 cM in common. Third Cousins and Second Cousins 2x removed share an average of 53.13 cM in common.
UPDATE 01/26/2020 : DNA also indicates that a Great Granddaughter of Louie Mead shares 21 cM in common with a descendant of Ira Mead.
Update 01/21/2022 : On the original application for a Social Security number for Louie, he stated that his father was Amos Mead, but listed "Do Not Know" for his mother. He lists his date of birth as April 2nd 1892 in Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas. He was living at 1811 W. 4th Street and employed by an L. Laursen at 1500 Western.
Why would Louie, clearly shown holding Nancy Rowe, wife of Amos Jefferson Mead, in the photographs included in this memorial, not list her as his mother if Amos was his father? Nancy died in February the year this application was made in 1936, so it wasn't like this was something he would have forgotten.
If he was going to list adoptive parents, why list the adoptive father, but not the adoptive mother? The SS-5 does not give any mention of an adoptive relationship like the lone 1900 Census. Could it be that Amos Jefferson Mead had an affair? Why would he have ended up with Louie? Is there a woman who died young in childbirth that just evaded all documentation? I have not been able to place Louie among the Cathey/Bowen descendants at this time, but DNA doesn't lie. Somehow, someway, these families are connected.
One of his Granddaughters has informed me of a family story, where he called both of his sons, Cheser and Claiborne Mead into a room after receiving a record from somewhere in Washington D. C.. He was very displeased with how they were spelling the Bowen name, which he was allegedly made to use by the United States Government. I have not been able to substantiate this with documentation but I have decided to mention it to aid other researchers, particularly as it was based on someone who knew him during his lifetime who was present when the above event took place.
Louie himself stated that he was kidnapped as a child by the Mead family.
He appears in the 1900 Census with the Mead family as 'Boyin Luey' and is noted as 'adopted son'.
I've spoken with other descendants of his family and there is another theory that his biological father is Ira Mead, but there is no evidence of this.
If a formal adoption did take place, adoption records are sealed in Oklahoma. If it was true that he was adopted, even informally, it would make sense for what would be his biological grandparents to take him in, but there is no explanation as to why Ira would leave Louie and Lena with his parents, as Ira went on to marry a few months after Louie was born.
The theory of Ira being his father also includes the suggestion that Lena Leota Mead and Louie are half siblings, both having Ira Mead as their father, but there is no explanation as to why Lena is noted in that same 1900 Census as a granddaughter, while Louie was noted as being an 'adopted son'.
Lena Leota's father and mother are both noted as being born in Michigan, while Louie's father is noted to have been born in Michigan, but that his mother was born in Arkansas.
It also does not explain Louie's assertion that he was kidnapped.
There just is not enough evidence to fully support either theory.
Louie appears in the 1910 Potter County, Texas Census with Amos Mead and Nancy Rowe. In this Census, he is noted as an adopted son. This Census says that his father was born in Michigan and that his mother was born in Arkansas. This Census says that he was born in Oklahoma. This Census also has his name spelled as Lucious B. Mead.
Louie went on to marry Fannie Margaret Cheser before 1915 in Texas and the couple had three children. Cheser Bowen Mead, Claiborne Mead and Ethel Mae Mead.
Claiborne Mead's birth certificate mentions Louie at 23 years of age and lists his occupation as 'Transfer Man'. Under location of birth it says 'don't know' and it lists his current residence as of May 8th, 1916 as being Amarillo, Texas. The certificate also lists a 406 Jackson Street, although I am unsure if this was their residence, if this was a home birth, or the location of a hospital.
The 1930 Amarillo, Potter County, Texas Census lists Louie at the age of 35 with Fannie and their three children, together with the Thrasher family, whom I have no knowledge of. This Census lists Oklahoma as the birthplace of Louie Mead.
Louie was a good man, hard working and strong. He was very close with Katherine Elizabeth Doss Mead, the wife of one of his sons, Cheser Bowen Mead during his lifetime. He was also close with his granddaughter, Marion Nancy Mead.
Fannie Margaret Cheser tried to murder him one night by poisoning his dinner. He was wise enough to switch dinner plates without her knowledge and Fannie went to sleep that night and never woke up.
Needless to say, unusual circumstances followed him his entire life.
Unfortunately, Louie suffered a stroke, which caused him to become aggressive towards those he loved the most towards the end of his lifetime and had to be placed in the Arlington Convalescent Center.
He continued to receive frequent visits from Katherine, Marion and Cheser in his final years.
In death as in birth and in life, mystery continued to follow Louie, his exact cause of death being unknown.
His death certificate lists his cause of death as Probable Myocardial Intarction V.S. Possible Cerebrovascular Accident.
UPDATE 09/10/2020 : DNA indicates that Louie Bowen Mead was a biological descendant of the Cathey family of Fort Smith, Sebastian County and Rover, Yell County, Arkansas.
The Bowen name was prominent in Yell County, Arkansas.
The Cathey and Bowen families married into each other and it is extremely likely that Louie is from this branch.
Two Great Grandchildren of Louie Mead share 42 cM and 52 cM respectively with a 2nd Great Grandson of Richard Henry Cathey and Roberta Ann Lawrence.
To put this into perspective, Third Cousins, 1x removed share an average of 26.56 cM in common. Third Cousins and Second Cousins 2x removed share an average of 53.13 cM in common.
UPDATE 01/26/2020 : DNA also indicates that a Great Granddaughter of Louie Mead shares 21 cM in common with a descendant of Ira Mead.
Update 01/21/2022 : On the original application for a Social Security number for Louie, he stated that his father was Amos Mead, but listed "Do Not Know" for his mother. He lists his date of birth as April 2nd 1892 in Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas. He was living at 1811 W. 4th Street and employed by an L. Laursen at 1500 Western.
Why would Louie, clearly shown holding Nancy Rowe, wife of Amos Jefferson Mead, in the photographs included in this memorial, not list her as his mother if Amos was his father? Nancy died in February the year this application was made in 1936, so it wasn't like this was something he would have forgotten.
If he was going to list adoptive parents, why list the adoptive father, but not the adoptive mother? The SS-5 does not give any mention of an adoptive relationship like the lone 1900 Census. Could it be that Amos Jefferson Mead had an affair? Why would he have ended up with Louie? Is there a woman who died young in childbirth that just evaded all documentation? I have not been able to place Louie among the Cathey/Bowen descendants at this time, but DNA doesn't lie. Somehow, someway, these families are connected.
