Mowers Family Obituaries & Other Information

Herkimer County, New York

I have been looking for years for my Barbara Ann Mowers Beach. Turns out married second surname was March and was in the vicinity the whole time. In order to find her, I went by way of siblings and gathered a few articles which have extensive Montgomery and Herkimer County genealogies in it. I thought you all should have the transcribed articles. My surnames of interest for Herkimer County are Mowers, Pickerd (specifically Issac, William, Laney as I think there are all kinds of other Pickerds there), Beach, and MacMullen.

Kelly Beach
Aug. 5, 2012

Little Falls Mohawk Currier
Town and County Charges
November 1839

Conrad Mowers 23, 25, 17, 25

Utica Daily Press, Aug 12, 1912

St Johnsville, Aug 11.- Mrs. Christina Mowers who died at Little Falls recently, was the widow of Christian Mowers many years a well-known character in Danube and Stark. Christian Mowers was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Mowers, who resided just south of the Stark boundary line on the highway leading from Newville to Smith's Corners. Conrad Mowers survived his wife for some years, dying March. 1893 (this date is smudged and may be incorrect). Mrs. Mowers was a daughter of Christian Bellinger, who was taken a prisoner to Canada during the revolution, and who came to eastern Danube from Arrytown, Montgomery County, in the closing years of the 19th century. His wife was a member of widely-extended Devendorf pioneer Palatine family. Christian Mowers at one time possessed over --- acres of land on the boundary line between Danube and Stark. In partnership with one of his neighbors, Mr. Smith, he at one time owned and operated a saw mill near his residence. He also followed the business of threshing for some years. In politics he was a strong Republican. In the Fremont Campaign, he and several of his neighbors rigged up a wagon, attaching to it six bay horses with white manes and tails, with a drum corps, recruited the immediate neighborhood, and in that manner attended the election, returning home by way of Cramers Corners, Ostranders and Newville. In 187- , Mr. Mowers purchased the Houpt sawmill and farm land adjoining Newville, removed there tearing down and rebuilding the mill and the dam, replacing the later structure of logs and plank with one stone. This proved insufficient to withstand the freshets in the spring and fall. The farm is now the property Henry H. Tibbitts. Mr. Mower died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Hiram W. Oliver at Newville. In October ---- a brother, Jacob Mowers died very suddenly in September ---- and a sister, Elisabeth Mowers 1- years later. Two other sisters Mrs. Jacob Mowers and Mrs. Barbara March passed away some years ago. Mrs. Christian Mowers maiden name was Christiana Shaut. Her mother was a granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. John G. Mowers of Stark. Mrs. John G. Mowers being a daughter of Joseph Snell who resided in Stark afterward included the Mowers farm, the whole being now occupied by Edward Travers. Mrs. John D. Mowers died December ----. Mr. and Mrs. Mowers were married in January, by Rev Ochampaugh. The oldest daughter, Delilah, died at Newville, February 197-

The oldest surviving daughter, Almeda, is the wife of Hiram W. Oliver of that place. Harvey J. Mowers of Newville and William H. Beach of Smith's Corners are nephews of Christian Mowers. Mrs. Christian Mowers made her home with her grandmother, Mrs. John G. Mowers, after the decease of Mr. and Mrs. Shaut her father and mother.

1860 Federal Census for Stark, Herkimer County, July 23, 1860

Note: The handwriting on this census is poor, difficult to decipher and there are many misspellings.

Dwelling # 1618

Christian Mowers: age 34, male, farmer, value of real estate $13,000.00, value of personal estate $3,000.00, born in NY

Christina Mowers: age 20, female, no occupation, born in NY

Conrad Mowers: age 79, male, occupation is farm [unreadable word], born in NY (likely father of Barbara Ann, William and Ann's mother)

Betsey E.: age 44, female, no occupation, born in NY

Anne E. Beech: age 13, female, born in NY, attended school

William H. Beech: age 12, male, born in NY, attended school (Barbara Mowers, his mother as recorded on death cert)

John Mason: age 13, male, born in NY, attended school

1880 United States Federal Census, Stark, Herkimer, New York, June 12th 1880 p 23 of 30

Name Age

Eli Smith: head, age 68

Laura Smith: wife age 56

Henry G. Smith: son, age 36, works on farm

Ann Smith: dtr-in-law, age 32

Hellen Smith: dtr, age 20

Edwin Smith: son, age 17

Ella Smith: granddaughter, age 9

Fredie Smith: grandson, age 2

Barbara March: boarder, age 78 (Because of Christian Mowers obit, I believe this is Barbara Mowers Beach, then March. Ann and William's mother who married first Curtis Beach in Seneca Falls, NY.)

Utica Daily Press, 1915

News was received here this morning of the death of Harvey Jacob Mowers at his residence... ---- ... .

Mr. Mowers was born in Newville about 75 years ago, and was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Mowers of that place. The Mowers family located in what is now the town Stark and Mr. and Mrs. Mowers were related being members of related branches of Mowers family. Jacob Mowers was a blacksmith and worked at the business for many years, principally in Newville, but for a period, at the residence of his father-in-law, Conrad Mowers, In Stark.

Mr. Mowers died and the descendent quite some years later Mrs. Price, widow of --- Price and mother by her first husband of Mrs. Amanda Lasher of St. Johnsville. Mrs. Mowers died in the early months of 1866 (smudged, date may not be correct). Some years later he relinquished work and divided time between his son at Newville and his daughter in Ontario County.

On coming from Ontario County in mid winter, he was either struck by the cars or had an epileptic seizure at Little Falls and before he could be identified died. His friends in Western New York not hearing of his arrival became alarmed and communicated with Harvey J. Mowers at Newville and the identity of the unfortunate man was discovered. After the outbreak of the Civil War, Harvey J. Mowers enlisted in the Second Artillery N.Y.S.V. and served until the close of the war. Returning to Newville he married and removed to East Bloomfield, Ontario County, returning however to Newville where he passed the remainder of his life. He is survived by his widow Frances, daughter of Daniel and Margaret Miller, (Lighthart) who was found to be seriously ill herself this morning, a son William who resides at home and a daughter Gertrude, wife of J.W. Leonard of Little Falls. Also survives a sister, Elizabeth, Mrs. Bryan of Ontario County. Mr. Mowers was on his mother's side a descendant of Christian Bellinger, a veteran of the Revolution, who came from Currytown ta Danube after the Revolution and whose descendants are numerous, and highly respected in Herkimer and Montgomery Counties. Rev. H. L. Pickard formerly of Fort Plain is a son of Mrs. Harvey Mower's sister Sarah C. Lighthart, widow of Lester Rickard of that village. James Lighthart an older brother died in camp near the Potomac during the Civil War.

Utica Daily Press, 1912 - many smudges and dates unreadable, dashes where unreadable.

Early Settlers in Danube

Genealogical Review of Bellinger, Simms and several other families

St. Johnsville- April -- John H Bellinger of the town of Little Falls, who died Saturday morning was descended from the Palatine settlers in the lower valley. Christian Bellinger who had been quite young in the Patriot service and who had been taken to Canada a prisoner, came to Danube from Currytown and settled on the farm now the property of Frederick Bellinger. Mrs. Bellinger was a Devendorf, the Devendorfs being another extensive Palatine relationship. Of the sons of Christian Bellinger, Philip C. remained on the homestead until his decease in February ---- [1872]. His wife, Catherine Zimmerman dying in ----, while Jacob located in the town of Little Falls on a farm the property of the deceased, John H. Bellinger.

Jacob Bellinger married a daughter of Peter Abram Smith of Danube, and died early in ---- [1839]. Mrs. Bellinger having passed away June ---- . Jacob Bellinger married after the decease of his first wife, as his the daughters of Christian Bellinger, Margaret

(died ---), married Conrad Snell of Danube, near Minden, who died ---- of the others one married Abraham Snell of Minden, another Conrad Mowers died March ---- of Stark, fourth Peter Sharp of the town of Little Falls. Jacob Bellinger had three sons, John S. who resided on the farm now owned by Silas W. Wright: Peter S. whose home was the home of the deceased John H. Bellinger, and Henry H.. who lived in Fall Hill neighborhood, town of Little Falls. John S. Bellinger married Catharine, daughter of Thomas J. and Elizabeth (Skinkel) Merick who came from Columbia County to Danube after the war in 1813, during which contest he commanded a company of militia for the defense of New York City. Mr. Merkic was a very prominent citizen in Danube and was known as Squire Merick from holding the position of Justice of the peace. He was an extreme Democrat In politics and his theological views and affiliations were those of High Church Calvanism. He died very suddenly in April ---- Mrs. Merick surviving until March ----. Mr. and Mrs. John S. Bellinger ------at Bellinger's Corners farm, passing away about 190-. Their son Stewart Bellinger who was the father of John H. Bellinger died not far from 19--. His wife a lady of the Sp---- Family and also a descendent of the Zimmerman family survives. Mr. Bellinger was engaged in farming and owned two farms the Jacob Bellinger homestead and the farm where he resided, formerly the property of his uncle Peter S. Bellinger. In politics, he was a Republican.

Mrs. Bellinger, widow of John H. Bellinger, is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Simms of Newville and a daughter of Ralph Simms, who in his day was the most influential resident of Danube. Ralph Simms was born at Canterbury Conn., September 9, -----, and died at Newville, August 1- 1877. He was of English descent and his grandfather served in the Revolution under General Israel Putnam. He was a cousin of Jephtha K. Simms of Fort Plain, the Mohawk Valley historian. He came to Danube in ---- as a school teacher, and afterward followed farming and a mercantile business and a mercantile business at one time manufacturing potash in a small way. He was active in town matters and in sustaining public worship of all denominations.

Originally a Free Mason, he withdrew from the order at the time of the anti-Masonic upheaval. At first a Democrat he became an Abolitionist and afterward a Republican. In theology he accepted the tests of the Universalist denomination. He married Amanda Wilcox, daughter of Nathan Wilcox, who was his brother. Isaiah Wilcox, settled in 1791 at the locality now designated Newville where Nathan Wilcox died August 2- 1843, aged 75 years, his wife. Anna, daughter of Hezekiah Lewis having died July 17 of the same year. The Wilcoxes and Lewises came from Rhode Island., being at Welsh and English descent some of their ancestors came to America at the time if the Puritan exodus comtemporaneous with the returns of the Stuarts. The mother of

Mrs. Wilcox was name prior to her marriage Ann Main. Mrs. Ralph Simms survived her husband, but a few months passing away in October 18[77]. Charles H. Simms father of Mrs. John H. Bellinger who owns the Wilcox homestead at Newville was the youngest of three children of Ralph and Amanda Simms, Edward Herkimer March 1- 97 [1897], Sarah, a wife of K. V. Decker of Little Falls, having died at that city a few years before Mrs. Charles R Simms, mother of Mrs. John H. Bellinger, was Mary, daughter of Levi and Christian (Sluyer) Acker of Bethel, now Deck situated in that part of Stark which was set off from Little Falls in ----. The Acker or Eckar family are old residents of that section and are said to be of the same family as the Palatine Eckers one of whom had the mournful celebrity of having been involved in a fatal duel with a son of Alexander Hamilton , prior to the Hamilton-Burr tragedy. The family Bible with the early records of the Acker family was an interesting feature at the historic exhibits at the centennial celebration at Herkimer in 1976. William Acker, grandfather of Mrs. Simms died about 18--, one of the oldest citizens of Stark, his son Levi having died March ----. Mrs. Levi Acker surviving for some years. Her father, William W Sluyter,

who resided in the same neighborhood, came from Rensselaer County and died March, ----. Mr. and Mrs. Simrns were married in the fall of 1877 and have always resided at Newville about four miles from the Bellinger neighborhood, which is on the road leading from Little Falls to Richfield Springs via Paines' Hollow. Mr. Bellinger was the only surviving child of Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Bellinger an older brother, Arthur having died in March [1879]. The home is pleasantly situated near the location of the old Herkimer County Central Cheese Factory, built original by George W. Davis in ----. The Fort Herkimer Stone Church and the village of Herkimer can be seen from the immediate vicinity.

Rome Daily Sentinel, Dec 7, 1933

Norman Lawrence Mowers, 83, former Rome merchant and druggist, died at 7:30 o'clock this morning in a Utica hospital after an illness of over four years.

A son of the late Jacob Henry and Mary Lints Mowers, Mr. Mowers was born in the town of Lee on May 13, 1850. He was a descendant of Conrad Mowers and Lawrence Renekel sr., privates in the Battle of Oriskany, and of John Lints, private in Cot Bellinger's regiment of Montgomery County militia.

In 1880 Mr. Mowers moved west and located in Des Moines, Iowa. In Vernon on June 27, 1882, he married Fannie Jane, daughter of Henry and Nancy Owens, of that village. Mr. Mowers lived in Des Moines about two years, moving to Rome where he resided after the death of his wife on December 4, 1924. After her death he went to Utica to live with a son, Henry O. Mowers, prominent architect.

Mr. Mowers conducted a flour and feed business in Rome with his cousin Edwin J. Smith for several years under the firm name Smith and Mowers. He sold out his interest in the firm to Mr. Smith and in 1901 with his brother-in law, James A. Owens, established a drug business under the name of J. A. Owens Drug Co. at James and Liberty streets. He retired from business after the death of Mrs. Mowers.

Besides his son, Mr. Mowers is survived by two granddaughters, Ruth S., and Jane E. Mowers of Utica, and three brothers, Frank I., Jacob P., and Seymour Mowers, of Des Moines, Iowa.

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