Mary Ellen (Bowles) Schenck

No Bowles are found in the 1875, 1885, or 1895 Cherryvale Kansas census. It appears Mary came alone to Kansas with Obediah Schenck after their marriage. Mary and Obediah were married 19 May 1861. (Dewitt County marriage records: DeWitt County Courthouse, 201 W. Washington Street. P.O. Box 439, Clinton, IL 61727 (Vol 00B page 0267). Their marriage can also be found in the Illinois State Marriage Index, http:www2.sos.state.il.us/cgi-bin/marriage. The family bible gives the marriage date as 20 MAY 1861. The 1915 Kansas State census shows Mary living in her mortgage free home at 620 W. 3rd. She was age 72. She is listed as a widow as Obediah died in 1914. The 1925 Cherryvale, Kansas city directory lists Mary as a widow living at 620 W. 3rd so it seems she was able to live fairly independently most of her life.

After the Civil War a large number of individuals moved to Montgomery County, Kansas and to Cherryvale, where Obediah and Mary lived. Late in the summer of 1869 the rush of settlers in Montgomery County started. Train after train of prairie schooners were sailing through the grass, and there was no halt until a claim of 160 acres had been staked off for every member of the family, and some for "their Uncles, their Cousins and their Aunts, especially their Aunts, whom they expected in the next 2 years. (Paul Franklin Harper reprint of Ebenezer E. Wilson's History of Montgomery County, 1880)

The 1880 US Census and military records give O.B.'s native state as Indiana. The 1885 Montgomery County, Kansas State census shows Obie (O.B) as age 47 born in Indiana moving to Kansas from Illinois. His occupation is given as a blacksmith which is interesting as he is listed as a farmer in other sources. In this census he is listed as serving in the Civil War in Company B, 107th Illinois Infantry. His wife Mary is listed as age 44 born in Illinois and living in Illinois prior to moving to Kansas. Their daughter Anna is listed as age 16 born in Illinois, son "Willie,", age 14, born in Kansas, son Lawrence, age 8, born in Kansas, and son Charles, age 6, born in Kansas. The 1895 State census lists Obediah, Mary, Lawrence, and Charles. Obediah is recorded as age 55, born in Indiana moving to Kansas from Illinois, and his occupation is again listed as a blacksmith. His wife Mary is recorded as being age 51; son Lawrence is recorded as age 18; son Charles is recorded as age 16. Bert Chiles, age 12; and Harry Chiles, age 11 are listed with Obediah's family. Bert and Harry are recorded as being born in Colorado. Bert and Harry's mother, Alice (Schenck) Chiles, is not listed indicating Annie's death prior to 1895. The 1900 state census lists Obediah, Mary, Lawrence, and H.C. Chiles as a household. Obediah is listed as a retired farmer born in November 1838. His mother and father are recorded as born in Ohio. Mary is recorded as born in October, 1842. Mary's mother and father are recorded as born in Kentucky. Obediah is listed in the Cherryvale, Kansas, 1907 phone directory as residing at 620 W. 3rd street. This is where he lived at the time of his death in 1914.

The obituary for Mary was published in the Cherryvale Republican, Wednesday, November 18, 1931. It reads: "Mrs. Mary E. (Bowles) Schenck, for more than 45 years a resident of this city, died at 2:50 o'clock this morning of infirmities at the home of her son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. W.B. Schenck, 502 North Liberty Street. Funeral arrangements are not complete today pending arrival of relatives living at a distance. Mrs. Schenck was born October 25, 1842 at DeWitt, Ill. She was 89 years and 23 days old when she died. She was married to Obediah Schenck May 19, 1861 at Clinton, Ill. Her husband died 17 years ago. She was the mother of six children, three daughters and three sons. Three sons surviving are W.B. and J.L. Schenck of Cherryvale and [Charles] Homer Schenck of Beatrice, Nebr. Also surviving is a brother David Bowles of Chicago, Ill., several grandchildren and great-grand children and a host of friends. The daughters deceased are Mrs. Anna Moraign and Mrs. Alice Berry and Lurie, the latter dying in infancy. Funeral arrangements are in charge of the Logan Undertaking Company." The following article appeared in the November 19, 1931, Cherryvale Republican newspaper. "Schenck Funeral Today. Funeral services for the late Mrs. Mary (Bowles) Schenck, who died at the home of her son and daughter-in-law Mr. and Mrs. W.B. Schenck, 502 North Liberty Street, will be held tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 o'clock at the First Christian Church in charge of Rev. Harold Duryes of Marion, Kansas. Interment will be in Fairview Cemetery." An article in printed in the November 20, 1931 Cherryvale Republican newspaper reads: "Schenck Funeral Today, Cherryvale woman laid to rest in Fairview. Funeral services for Mrs. Mary E. Schenck was held at 2:30 o'clock this afternoon at the First Christian Church with the Rev. Harold Duryes, a former pastor of the Christian Church, now of Marion [Kansas], in charge. Burial was in Fairview cemetery. A quartette composed of Mrs. J.B. Fain, Mrs. Earl Greenstreet, Mrs. W.H. Hammon and Mrs. Virgie Cox sang "Asleep in Jesus," "The Old Rugged Cross," and "Rock of Ages." accompanied by Miss Velma Tincknell at the piano. The pall bearers were Charles Jones, Edgar Foster, Elmer N. Austin, Clifford Anderson, William Bell, and Joe Hoss. Among out-of-town relatives here attending were Miss Koenia Schenck, Okmulgee, OK[lahoma]; Mr. and Mrs. Roy Ruby [Roy E. and Evah Pearl (Moraign) Ruby] and children of Parsons [Kansas]: Mr. and Mrs. [Charles] Homer Schenck of Beatrice, Nebraska; and Mrs. Jim Vance [James W. & Ida I. (Bowles) Vance] and daughter, Mrs. Ben Schmidt [Mary Estell (Vance) Schmidt] of Coffeyville [Kansas]. (Kansas State Historical Society microfilm, NP 151)

Mary Ellen (Bowles) Schenck - photo taken at the Johnson Studio, Cherryvale, Kansas.

L to R: Mary Ellen (Bowles) Schenck, husband Obediah (O.B.) Schenck, Beulah (Vance) Balka, husband Ignac Balka. Beulah's parents were Ida L. Bowles & Mary E. Schenck (1836 - 1926). Mary E. Schenck was the sister of Obediah Schenck.