From "Our Pioneer Heritage," Vol. 16, p.444:
James Bowers left England with his wife and family March 23, 1856. Upon arriving here the family joined the Edmund Ellsworth Company and started across the plains June 9, 1856. On June 21 after twelve days' journey James Bowers died from quick consumption. He was only forty-four years old. Not far from the pioneer camp, a lumber mill was being built, so Abraham, a seventeen-year-old son of James was sent to see if he could get enough lumber to make a casket, but there was none to spare. The men told Abraham to take a new wagon box which had never been used. This he disliked to do, but the men insisted and Abraham took the wagon box. It was quite late in the evening so the following morning the camp was called together for a meeting and the decision made to delay travelling that day and hold a funeral service for Brother Bowers at 2 P.M. June 22, 1856, the service was held. The body, wrapped in a sheet was put into the wagon box casket and buried in a shallow grave. After the dirt was filled in, the grave was covered with brush and rock to protect it from wild animals and Indians. Brother Bowers was [p.445] buried near two other graves located one-fourth mile west of the main line of Fort Des Moines, Iowa.
—Josephine Lewis Anderson
From the journal of Archer Walters:
June 11, 1856 Journeyed 7 miles. Very dusty. All tired and smothered with dust and camped in the dust or where the dust blowed. Was captain over my ten of 18 in number but they were a family of Welsh and our spirits were not united. Had a tent but Bro. Ellsworth would not let me use it and had to leave my tent poles behind.
June 12 Journeyed 12 miles. Went very fast with our hand carts. Harriet still very ill ....
June 15 Got up about 4 o'clock to make a coffin for my brother John Lee's son named William Lee, aged 12 years. Meetings Sunday as usual and at the same time had to make another coffin for Sister Prator's child. Was tired with repairing handcarts the last week. Went and buried them by moonlight at Bear Creek.
June 16 Harriet very ill. Traveled 19 miles and after pitching tent mended carts.
June 17 Traveled about 17 miles; pitched tent. Made a little coffin for Bro. Job Welling's son and mended a handcart wheel ....
June 21 Traveled about 13 miles. Camped at Indian Creek. Bro. Bowers died about 6 o'clock; from Birmingham Conference. Went to buy some wood to make the coffin but the kind farmer gave me the wood and nails. It had been a very hot day and I was never more tired, but God has said as my day my strength shall be.
June 22 Got up at break of day and made the coffin for Bro. James Bowers by 9 o'clock and he was buried at 11 o'clock. Aged 44 years 5 months 2 days. His relatives cried very much after I lifted him in the coffin and waited to screw him down. 11 o'clock washed in the creek and felt very much refreshed. Meeting Sunday 2 o'clock until 7.
James Bowers left England with his wife and family March 23, 1856. Upon arriving here the family joined the Edmund Ellsworth Company and started across the plains June 9, 1856. On June 21 after twelve days' journey James Bowers died from quick consumption. He was only forty-four years old. Not far from the pioneer camp, a lumber mill was being built, so Abraham, a seventeen-year-old son of James was sent to see if he could get enough lumber to make a casket, but there was none to spare. The men told Abraham to take a new wagon box which had never been used. This he disliked to do, but the men insisted and Abraham took the wagon box. It was quite late in the evening so the following morning the camp was called together for a meeting and the decision made to delay travelling that day and hold a funeral service for Brother Bowers at 2 P.M. June 22, 1856, the service was held. The body, wrapped in a sheet was put into the wagon box casket and buried in a shallow grave. After the dirt was filled in, the grave was covered with brush and rock to protect it from wild animals and Indians. Brother Bowers was [p.445] buried near two other graves located one-fourth mile west of the main line of Fort Des Moines, Iowa.
—Josephine Lewis Anderson
From the journal of Archer Walters:
June 11, 1856 Journeyed 7 miles. Very dusty. All tired and smothered with dust and camped in the dust or where the dust blowed. Was captain over my ten of 18 in number but they were a family of Welsh and our spirits were not united. Had a tent but Bro. Ellsworth would not let me use it and had to leave my tent poles behind.
June 12 Journeyed 12 miles. Went very fast with our hand carts. Harriet still very ill ....
June 15 Got up about 4 o'clock to make a coffin for my brother John Lee's son named William Lee, aged 12 years. Meetings Sunday as usual and at the same time had to make another coffin for Sister Prator's child. Was tired with repairing handcarts the last week. Went and buried them by moonlight at Bear Creek.
June 16 Harriet very ill. Traveled 19 miles and after pitching tent mended carts.
June 17 Traveled about 17 miles; pitched tent. Made a little coffin for Bro. Job Welling's son and mended a handcart wheel ....
June 21 Traveled about 13 miles. Camped at Indian Creek. Bro. Bowers died about 6 o'clock; from Birmingham Conference. Went to buy some wood to make the coffin but the kind farmer gave me the wood and nails. It had been a very hot day and I was never more tired, but God has said as my day my strength shall be.
June 22 Got up at break of day and made the coffin for Bro. James Bowers by 9 o'clock and he was buried at 11 o'clock. Aged 44 years 5 months 2 days. His relatives cried very much after I lifted him in the coffin and waited to screw him down. 11 o'clock washed in the creek and felt very much refreshed. Meeting Sunday 2 o'clock until 7.
From "Our Pioneer Heritage," Vol. 16, p.444:
James Bowers left England with his wife and family March 23, 1856. Upon arriving here the family joined the Edmund Ellsworth Company and started across the plains June 9, 1856. On June 21 after twelve days' journey James Bowers died from quick consumption. He was only forty-four years old. Not far from the pioneer camp, a lumber mill was being built, so Abraham, a seventeen-year-old son of James was sent to see if he could get enough lumber to make a casket, but there was none to spare. The men told Abraham to take a new wagon box which had never been used. This he disliked to do, but the men insisted and Abraham took the wagon box. It was quite late in the evening so the following morning the camp was called together for a meeting and the decision made to delay travelling that day and hold a funeral service for Brother Bowers at 2 P.M. June 22, 1856, the service was held. The body, wrapped in a sheet was put into the wagon box casket and buried in a shallow grave. After the dirt was filled in, the grave was covered with brush and rock to protect it from wild animals and Indians. Brother Bowers was [p.445] buried near two other graves located one-fourth mile west of the main line of Fort Des Moines, Iowa.
—Josephine Lewis Anderson
From the journal of Archer Walters:
June 11, 1856 Journeyed 7 miles. Very dusty. All tired and smothered with dust and camped in the dust or where the dust blowed. Was captain over my ten of 18 in number but they were a family of Welsh and our spirits were not united. Had a tent but Bro. Ellsworth would not let me use it and had to leave my tent poles behind.
June 12 Journeyed 12 miles. Went very fast with our hand carts. Harriet still very ill ....
June 15 Got up about 4 o'clock to make a coffin for my brother John Lee's son named William Lee, aged 12 years. Meetings Sunday as usual and at the same time had to make another coffin for Sister Prator's child. Was tired with repairing handcarts the last week. Went and buried them by moonlight at Bear Creek.
June 16 Harriet very ill. Traveled 19 miles and after pitching tent mended carts.
June 17 Traveled about 17 miles; pitched tent. Made a little coffin for Bro. Job Welling's son and mended a handcart wheel ....
June 21 Traveled about 13 miles. Camped at Indian Creek. Bro. Bowers died about 6 o'clock; from Birmingham Conference. Went to buy some wood to make the coffin but the kind farmer gave me the wood and nails. It had been a very hot day and I was never more tired, but God has said as my day my strength shall be.
June 22 Got up at break of day and made the coffin for Bro. James Bowers by 9 o'clock and he was buried at 11 o'clock. Aged 44 years 5 months 2 days. His relatives cried very much after I lifted him in the coffin and waited to screw him down. 11 o'clock washed in the creek and felt very much refreshed. Meeting Sunday 2 o'clock until 7.
James Bowers left England with his wife and family March 23, 1856. Upon arriving here the family joined the Edmund Ellsworth Company and started across the plains June 9, 1856. On June 21 after twelve days' journey James Bowers died from quick consumption. He was only forty-four years old. Not far from the pioneer camp, a lumber mill was being built, so Abraham, a seventeen-year-old son of James was sent to see if he could get enough lumber to make a casket, but there was none to spare. The men told Abraham to take a new wagon box which had never been used. This he disliked to do, but the men insisted and Abraham took the wagon box. It was quite late in the evening so the following morning the camp was called together for a meeting and the decision made to delay travelling that day and hold a funeral service for Brother Bowers at 2 P.M. June 22, 1856, the service was held. The body, wrapped in a sheet was put into the wagon box casket and buried in a shallow grave. After the dirt was filled in, the grave was covered with brush and rock to protect it from wild animals and Indians. Brother Bowers was [p.445] buried near two other graves located one-fourth mile west of the main line of Fort Des Moines, Iowa.
—Josephine Lewis Anderson
From the journal of Archer Walters:
June 11, 1856 Journeyed 7 miles. Very dusty. All tired and smothered with dust and camped in the dust or where the dust blowed. Was captain over my ten of 18 in number but they were a family of Welsh and our spirits were not united. Had a tent but Bro. Ellsworth would not let me use it and had to leave my tent poles behind.
June 12 Journeyed 12 miles. Went very fast with our hand carts. Harriet still very ill ....
June 15 Got up about 4 o'clock to make a coffin for my brother John Lee's son named William Lee, aged 12 years. Meetings Sunday as usual and at the same time had to make another coffin for Sister Prator's child. Was tired with repairing handcarts the last week. Went and buried them by moonlight at Bear Creek.
June 16 Harriet very ill. Traveled 19 miles and after pitching tent mended carts.
June 17 Traveled about 17 miles; pitched tent. Made a little coffin for Bro. Job Welling's son and mended a handcart wheel ....
June 21 Traveled about 13 miles. Camped at Indian Creek. Bro. Bowers died about 6 o'clock; from Birmingham Conference. Went to buy some wood to make the coffin but the kind farmer gave me the wood and nails. It had been a very hot day and I was never more tired, but God has said as my day my strength shall be.
June 22 Got up at break of day and made the coffin for Bro. James Bowers by 9 o'clock and he was buried at 11 o'clock. Aged 44 years 5 months 2 days. His relatives cried very much after I lifted him in the coffin and waited to screw him down. 11 o'clock washed in the creek and felt very much refreshed. Meeting Sunday 2 o'clock until 7.
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