Printed in The Rochester News-Sentinel
Wednesday, March 13, 1935

Mrs. John Pierce (Rebecca Jane HARTMAN) BOWEN, aged 80, who resided on a farm in Richland township, died at 4:30 o'clock Wednesday morning at the home of her son Sam BOWEN who resides at 617 East Fourth Street, Plymouth, after a year's illness due to heart trouble.

The deceased was the daughter of Wesley and Sarah HARTMAN and was born in Ohio on October 27, 1854. She had lived in Richland township for the past 31 years, moving there from Miami county. Mrs. Bowen was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Richland Center of which church she was a devout member. In 1873 in a ceremony which was performed at Fulton she was married to John Pierce BOWEN.

Survivors include the husband, eight sons, five daughters, 59 grandchildren, 76 great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild, sister and a foster brother. The funeral services will be held at the Methodist Church in Richland Center at 2 p.m. Friday. Burial will be made in the Omega Cemetery.

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OBITUARY
The Rochester Sentinel

Thursday, March 21, 1935

Rebecca Jane [HARTMAN BOWEN], daughter of Sarah and Wesley HARTMAN was born in Ohio on October 27, 1854 and departed this life, after a year's illness with heart trouble on March 13, 1935 at the age of 80 years 4 months and 14 days.

When but a small girl the family moved to Indiana and spent the remainder of her life in Fulton and Miami counties. Sixty-two years ago on February 27, 1873 she was united in marriage to John P. BOWEN. To this union were born fifteen children, two of whom, Ida [BOWEN], age 11 days, Nellie Ann [BOWEN], age 3 years, preceded her in death. Of the surviving children there are eight sons, Wesley [BOWEN], Nelson [BOWEN], Joe [BOWEN], George [BOWEN], Clem [BOWEN], Sam [BOWEN], Ray [BOWEN] and Vernie [BOWEN], and five daughters, Mrs. Elva MECHLING, Mrs. Martha KINDIG, Mrs. Sarah WELLER, Mrs. Alice NORRIS, and Mrs. Rose MILLER. Besides these children and the beloved and aged husband there remain to mourn her departure 59 grandchildren, sixty-seven great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild, one sister, Mrs. Eliza FEECE, one brother Henry HARTMAN, and one foster brother Andrew HARTMAN, besides a host of other relatives and friends.

The sixty-two years of their married life they have spent happily on the farm laboring for the support of themselves and children. The obligation of rearing a family was assumed with a full realization of its importance and with a consciousness of their need of the buiding power of God's Divining Hand and the watchful care of His all seeing Eye. Early in their married life they became co-workers in Christ and have always remained faithful to Him in all their trials and labors throughout this long and happy companionship.

After 31 years spent on the farm in the vicinity of Akron she with her husband and children moved to their present home in Richland Township where she became an active member of the Bethel M.E. Church and a highly honored and respected citizen of the community. Her pure, noble and upright Christian life won a cherished place in the hearts and memory of all who knew her. Her life was a busy life until the end, because her greatest joy and happiness was found in serving her family and friends. In rearing her large family many trials, hardships heartaches and disappointments were met; but with tenderness, patience and a will to succeed that could not be surpassed she shouldered them and made life seem easy for her family.

Though her death marked the end of the earthly life of a devoted and faithful wife, a noble, kind, patient, and loving mother, a useful, honored and beloved citizen, the good she has done shall live on forever and her soul has gone to the God who gave it, there, where sorrow and pain are unknown and with loved ones that have gone on before she awaits our coming.

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