Esther Jane Shelley

Esther married Dr. George Ross Penney on 25 Mar 1947. George (son of William George Penney) died before 1997 in Toronto, York County, Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Martha Penney died in in Toronto, York County, Ontario.

Notes:

Percy Shelley was recruited for military service on 15 January 1916. At that time he was employed as a telephone inspector and was residing at 37 Cameron Street in Berlin (Kitchener), Ontario.

Died:
Death Announcement

DIED At Kitchener, Ontario, January 14th
1924
PERCY WEBER SHELLEY
Beloved husband of Hilda Bowman Shelley
Aged 27 years, 11 months and 14 days.

Percival married Hilda Bowman after 1916. Hilda (daughter of Reuben S. Bowman and Louisa H. Geiger) was born on 28 Oct 1894 in 30 Francis Street North (initial house address was 19 Francis Street), Berlin, Waterloo County, Ontario; died on 6 Feb 1997 in at her residence in Kitchener, Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Source: "Reuben Bowman, His Family" by Fred Bowman 1948

HILDA BOWMAN, the eighth child of Reuben and Louisa Bowman, was born at No. 30 Francis St., Berlin, on October 28th 1894. On selecting a name for this child, which must necessarily begin with the letter H, various names were suggested among which was the name of Hazel. When, however, the hired girl, in pronouncing the name, dropped the H sound and pronounced it “esel”, this being the German word for donkey, the name Hazel immediately became very unpopular and Hilda was selected.

She attended Agnes St. School, the Collegiate Institute and the Ontario Normal School at Stratford, where she passed the requirements for teaching in the Public Schools of Ontario. She followed the teaching profession, first in country schools and later in the schools of Kitchener. She was married to Percival Weber Shelley, a son of Jacob C. Shelley, after his return from overseas where he served with the 134th Highlanders and the 15th Battalion, 1st Div. He died on January 4th 1924 of acute endocarditis, a direct outcome of his military service.

They had two children, both girls, the mother returning to teaching in order to provide a home and a proper upbringing for her small family. She is now living at No. 21B Krug St. in Kitchener.



Obituary - undated newspaper

SHELLEY, Hilda - On Thursday, Feb. 6, 1997, at her Kitchener residence, in her 103rd year.

Hilda Shelley, loving wife of the late Percy Weber Shelley. Dear mother of [....].

Arrangements are incomplete at this time but may be obtained by calling the Schreiter-Sandrock Funeral Home, Kitchener, 742-4481.



Obituary - undated newspaper

DEATHS
SHELLEY, Hilda Bowman - Passed away peacefully, at her home, age 102 years.

Beloved Kitchener teacher from 1915-1964. Descended from pioneer Jacob D. Shoemaker, 1799-1902, who recounted to her his trek by covered wagon from Pennsylvania.

Daughter of the late Reuben and Louisa Bowman, one of nine children named in alphabetical order. Widow of Percy Shelley, First World War veteran, since 1924. Mother of [....]. Lovingly remembered by 14 great-grandchildren and all who had the privilege of knowing her.

A memorial celebration will be held at Highland Baptist Church at 2pm, on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 1997, with Rev. Franklin Morgan presiding. Friends and family will be received at 1pm at the church preceding the service.

As expressions of sympathy, donations would be gratefully received by Highland Baptist Church Children's Support Programmes, 135 Highland Rd., Kitchener, N2M 3B9 or the Mennonite Central Committee, 50 Kent Avenue, Kitchener, N2G 3R1.

Jacob married Mary Ann Weber. Mary (daughter of Jacob Weber and Elizabeth Lehman) was born on 29 Mar 1853 in Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

From Ezra Eby Book.

Reuben S. Bowman, "was born near Berlin, August 3rd, 1852. He is a contractor and builder, and has so far proved himself to be a man of more than ordinary business talent. He is considered one of the most successful contractors of the town of Berlin. On December 30th, 1879, he married Louisa, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Hollinger) Geiger. She was born in Berlin. Their family consists of eight children.



Source: "Reuben Bowman, His Family" by Fred Bowman 1948

REUBEN BOWMAN was born near Berlin (now Kitchener) Ontario, on August 3rd 1852, the son of Joseph C. Bowman and Mary Ann Shoemaker. He spent his boyhood days on the farm of Jacob D. Shoemaker, his maternal grandfather, about two miles southwest of Berlin. Here, under the guidance of this deeply religious, industrious and simple-living Pennsylvania Dutch Mennonite family, were instilled in him those qualities of honesty, diligence and fair dealing which continued a part of his character throughout his life. As a boy, he attended school at Natchez near Doon. For a time he lived with his Uncle George Shoemaker in Woolwich Township where he also attended school. Mr. Solomon Kaufman, a school trustee in Woolwich Township at the time, stated that Reuben was a very attentive and industrious student. Among his teachers were Mr. McIntyre and Mr. Samuel Moyer who afterwards moved to Berlin. When about eighteen years of age he moved to Berlin and worked for a time at the Kaufman Planing Mill, where he acquired that skill as a craftsman in woodworking, which he so successfully applied in the construction of many buildings in the town. About 1872 he went to Red River in Manitoba where he was employed in building settlers’ cabins. During the 1870’s, after returning to Berlin, he went into partnership with Mr. Peter Itter in the operation of a sawmill in Hespeler but as the venture proved a financial failure, the partnership was dissolved after having been in operation for only a few years. In 1880 he went into partnership with Mr. Benjamin Hallman as building contractors, their first and chief contract being the Grand Central Hotel, now the Kitchener Hotel at 101 King St. East. The partnership was dissolved in 1889, after which he carried on a contracting business of his own. He confined his work largely to the carpenter trade and during the following thirty years he handled the carpenter work of such outstanding structures as The First Church of Christ, Scientist at the corner of Water and Francis Streets, the home of the Misses Glick at the corner of Queen and Church Streets, Edward Smyth’s home at the corner of Duke and Young Streets, Robert Smyth’s home at 233 Queen St. North, The Agnes St. School and many others.

Reuben and Louisa (Geiger) Bowman had a family of nine children, five sons and four daughters. First, by coincidence, and afterwards by intent, the names of the children follow down through the alphabet from Allen to Ivan. The youngest Ivan, has continued the custom in naming his children with names beginning with J. K. and L.

It is interesting to note that all of the children of Reuben and Louisa Bowman, who have daughters, have named one of them Louise, after the grand-mother. The grandchildren are now also largely following this practice.

A unique family institution is the so-called Bowman chain letter. This letter was started on its rounds I 1917 at the time when two of the brothers were serving in the army in France. It consists of letters from each member of the family, addressed to all, and may include newspaper clippings or photographs, old or new, or any other matter which may be of interest to the family as a whole. It travels to each member of the family in a fixed sequence, each one removing his or her previous contribution and replacing with new material before sending it on its way. The letter is now in its thirtieth year of travel and shows no sign of losing its interest or popularity.




Reuben was raised by his mother and maternal grandfather at the Shoemaker farm on Greenbrook Drive in Kitchener.

Reuben married Louisa H. Geiger on 30 Dec 1879 in Berlin, Waterloo Township, Waterloo County, Ontario. Louisa (daughter of Joseph "Jacob" Geiger and Elisabetha T. Hollinger) was born on 17 Oct 1852 in Berlin, Waterloo Township, Waterloo County, Ontario; was christened on 12 Nov 1852 in St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Berlin, Ontario; died on 08 Feb 1937 in Kitchener, Waterloo County, Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Louisa was raised by the Erb's in the house located at the corner (or near) Pandora and King Streets in Kitchener, Ontario.

Christened:
View baptism record.

Notes:

Married:
Three records/references of the marriage of Reuben Bowman and Louisa Geiger have been located. Information provided in the three sources is not consistent.

Marriage record ( view image) certifies that Reuben Bowman of Berlin, Waterloo County, Ontario and Louisa Geiger of Berlin, Waterloo County, Ontario were married by David B. Sherk, Minister of U.B.C. Waterloo at Berlin on the 30th day of December 1879. Witnesses were ?? Ziegler and Carrie Geiger.



http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~maryc/water79.htm

011197-80 (Waterloo Co) Reuben BOWMAN, 27, carpenter, Canada, Berlin, s/o Joseph BOWMAN & Mary Ann SHOEMAKER married Louisa GEIGER, 27, Canada, Berlin, d/o Jacob & Elizabeth, witn: Albert ZIEGLER & Aaron ERB both of Berlin, 30 December 1879 in Berlin.



http://www.waterlooogs.ca/Newspapers/BerlinerJournal1880Marriages.PDF

Dec. 23, 1879 - Ruben Baumann and Louise Geiger, both of Berlin, were married by Preacher Baumann of Freeport. Print date Jan. 8, 1880.

Amos married Saloma Cook. Saloma was born in in Alsace Loraine. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

From Ezra Eby Book

Jacob Weber," son of Christian and Catherine (Bruck) Weber, was born in the village of Dietrichhingen, district of Zweibruecken, Rhein Bayern, Germany, August 24th, 1816. In 1833 he emigrated to America and settled temporarily at Rochester, New York, where he remained one year, thence on the strength of report, he in 1834, left Rochester, New York, and moved to Waterloo County, Ontario, and settled in Wilmot Township, where he met with many of his co-religionists. Here he resided until 1841 when he moved to Elice Township, Perth County, about one and one-half miles west of Sebringville, where he resided until 1855, then sold out and moved back to Waterloo County and settled near St. Jacobs, on the farm now occupied by Christian Sheifley. In 1860 he purchased the old "Yost Farm," adjoining that of his on the east. In 1867 he moved a little to the west of St. Jacobs, on the farm formerly possessed by Valentine Ratz and now by Daniel Good. In 1873 he again left this place and moved one mile north of St. Jacobs, on the farm now possessed by his youngest son, Menno L. In 1887 he moved to St. Jacobs where he purchased a property opposite that of Dr. Robertson's place. Here he lives retired and intends to spend the evening of his life in peace and comfort. On January 1st, 1841, he was married to Elizabeth, daughter of Jacob and Magdalena (Schowalter) Lehman. She was born in Canton Seltz, Alsace, France, now Germany, June 10th, 1817, came to America in 1837, and died at St. Jacobs, Ontario, May 2nd, 1892. To them was born a family of eleven children

Jacob married Elizabeth Lehman. Elizabeth (daughter of Jacob Lehman and Magdalena Schowalter) was born on 10 Jun 1816 in Canton Seltz, Alsace, France; died on 2 May 1892 in St. Jacob's, Woolwich Township, Waterloo County, Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Joseph C. Bowman, the eldest child of Elias B., was born near Breslau on January 12th, 1830. His first wife, Nancy Baumann died six months after they were married. By his second wife, Mary Ann Shoemaker, he had one son, Reuben Bowman...His third wife was Lydia Wismar by whom he had four children, namely: Nancy, Hannah, Maria and Solon. They moved to Caledonia, Kent County, Michigan, where he died of pneumonia on June 16th, 1905 and is buried in the cemetery near the United Brethen Church in Caledonia.

Source: "Reuben Bowman, His Family" by Fred Bowman 1948, unpublished.

Joesph married Mary Ann Shoemaker. Mary (daughter of Jacob D. Shoemaker and Jane Dunbar) was born on 7 Nov 1824 in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania; died on 28 Jul 1876. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

From Ezra Eby Book

Mary Ann Shoemaker, "was born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, November 7th, 1824. She came to Canada when in her fifth year. She has left one heir, Reuben Bowman who was born August 3rd, 1852, and is married to Louisa Geiger. They reside in Berlin, Ontario. She died July 28th, 1876."

Notes:

At some point, Jacob Geiger and his wife separated. Following this, he went to Calumet, Michigan copper mines.

Joseph married Elisabetha T. Hollinger on 11 May 1852. Elisabetha (daughter of George Balthaesar Hollinger and Charlotta Trautman) was born on 11 May 1824 in Obermiesau, Pfalz, Bayern, Germany; died on 9 Dec 1896 in Berlin, Waterloo Township, Waterloo County, Ontario. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Source: "Reuben Bowman, His Family" by Fred Bowman 1948

Elizabeth Hollinger, the eldest child of George, was born in Misau, Bavaria, on May 11th 1824 and came to Canada in 1848, she being then twenty-four years of age. She often stated that they were three months on the sailing vessel crossing the ocean and did their own cooking on the journey. She first married to Frederick Yaeck, by whom she had one son named Frederick, who married Catherine Diegel and lived at Bridgeport. Her second husband was Joseph Jacob Geiger, by whom she had a family of five children, namely; Louisa, who married Reuben Bowman; Carl did not marry; Caroline no married; George, not married; and Jacob, a twin brother to George, died in infancy. She died in Berlin on December 9th 1896 and is buried in the East End Cemetery in that city.