Jesse was born to Jacob Bowersock and Mary Stonebruch on September 23, 1817 in Pennsylvania. He is the first son born to the couple. The family moved from Pennsylvania to Columbiana County in Ohio and appear in the 1840 Ohio census living in Hanover Township. Jesse married Rebecca P. McBride, whose family lived next door on October 19, 1837 in Carroll County, Ohio. The couple had 9 children, the first four were born in Ohio and five of the children were born in Iowa. Their sons were Evan, Asa, Emmor, Benjamin E., and Joel Pennock. Their daughters were Cidney, Mildred McBride, Anne Jane and Ida May. Jesse and his family settled in Springdale, Iowa Township, Cedar County, Iowa about 1846 and were active in the Society of Friends Church (Quakers). He was a farmer, merchant, banker, and breeder of racing horses while living there.

In May of 1850, their son, Benjamin, died. Benjamin was born in December, 1849 and is buried in the Springdale Cemetery.

On August 7th, 1857, Jesse, Rebecca and two of their daughters were returning home from a neighboring town when there was a wagon accident and the entire family was thrown from the wagon. Rebecca was killed in the accident and Jesse was injured, however, the daughters were not hurt. Rebecca was buried on August 10, 1857 in the Springdale Cemetery, Springdale, Cedar County, Iowa. Her youngest daughter, Ida May, was just over a year old at the time.

A little over a year later on September 8, 1858, Jesse married Rachel Coulson of Ohio, daughter of Jabez Coulson and Sarah Garrett Pim. Jesse and Rachel had two children, Jesse Coulson Bowersock and Sarah (known as Sadie) Bowersock.

On December 23, 1860, Jesse and Rebecca’s oldest son, Evan, died and is buried in the Springdale Cemetery.

The 1870 census records show Jesse, Rachel, Joel, Ida May , Jesse C. and Sadie living in Wapsnonoc, Muscatine County, Iowa and Jesse is a farmer. In 1876, Jesse, Rachel, Jesse C. and Sadie moved to San Jose, Santa Clara, California living only a few houses down from the Society of Friends meeting house. Both Jesse and Rachel were very involved in the activities of the Society of Friends Church in California. In 1880, Rachel became ill and died on March 16, 1880. Jesse passed away in San Jose about 9 months later on January 8, 1881.