A letter on the death of our Mary Horner Bowman (1784-1880)

[With commentary: Our Benjamin Bowman (1816-1908) informs his brother Peter, Jr. (1824-1900) of the passing of their mother. Their father was our Peter L. Bowman (1783-1861) who had died around the start of the American Civil War. ]

Hooversville, PA, Jan. 3, 1880

Brother Peter and Family,

I will try to inform you that Mother is dead. Died on the lst of January, 1880, in the mornng at half past five o’clock, buried on Saturday – 3 o’clock about, at Shaffer’s School House. On the same day about 1 o’clock, funeral preached by Rev. Grimm, the Presiding Elder.

The casket was beautiful. Never saw one like it. I believe it cost Fifty Dollars. She was buried on the farm beside father; there her body to rest till God will raise it.

So I will close this with saying that [our brother from Johnstown] William [(1829-1920)] and his driver came over with us home, and the two Preachers, and [our] brother Daniel’s [(1819-1897)] boys – two of them in from Westmoreland County and stayed at our place till Tuesday morning; the six then left and went to Stoystown to Henry Bauman’s. [This person is unknown to us now, but he may have been a distant relative who used the old spelling of their last name.]

A few more words from Mother and then I will close. Before she left for the Spirit World she longed for home, and said that she will gladly go home to meet those who have gone before; and that we shall all meet her in the world where parting is no more.

We are all well at [illegible] and hoping this finds you all the same.

Now I will give you the age of Mother. She was born 1724, Jan. 27, 95 yrs., 2 m[onths], 4 d[ays].

I will now close by saying, Good Bye.

Bro. Benjamin Bowman

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