Doddridge County Roots


A West Virginia Genealogy

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William Wesley LOWTHER

William Wesley LOWTHER

Male 1853 - 1940  (~ 87 years)


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  • Name William Wesley LOWTHER  [1]
    Birth CA 1853  Ritchie Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3, 4] 
    • Birth date given in the 1900 Census as Oct 1854, and in his California death record as Nov 15 1854, both of which conflict with the Aug 1854 birth date of his brother Newton. Over the years, with each succeeding census, he seemed to repeatedly shave a bit off his age.
    Gender Male
    Census 1860  Tyler Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Census 1870  Centerville District, Tyler Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Census 1870, 1880  Union District, Ritchie Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Residence 1885  Ritchie Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [4] 
    Census 1900  Fresno Co, CA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Census 1910  Fresno, Fresno Co, CA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Residence 1911  Fresno Co, CA Find all individuals with events at this location  [3] 
    Census 1920, 1930  Fresno, Fresno Co, CA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Occupation carpenter, house painter  [7, 8, 9] 
    Residence California Find all individuals with events at this location  [5, 10] 
    Residence IN THE WEST  [11] 
    Death 26 Nov 1940  Fresno Co, CA Find all individuals with events at this location  [12] 
    Notes 
    • 1900 Census, Fresno County, California (Third Twp), enumerated on Jun 28 1900:
      William W. Lowther, 45, b. Oct 1854 in W. Va., married 15 yrs, occupation carpenter & painter; wife Josephine Lowther, 45, b. Feb 1855 in Pennsylvania, mother of no children; stepson Starr B. Williams, 20, b. Apr 1880 in Kansas (father b. NY, mother b. Pa).; adopted son Roscoe Lowther, 16, b. Feb 1884 in W. Va. (both parents b. W.Va.); adopted son Lee Lowther, 16, b. Feb 1884 in W. Va. (both parents b. W. Va).
      NOTE: Stepson Starr Williams' age and birth date are inconsistent with other records, which show his birth date as Apr 1875.

      In the 1910 Census, William and Josephine were enumerated separately, the implication being that they were separated or divorced.

      1910 Census, Fresno County, California (City of Fresno), enumerated on Apr 23 1910:
      W. W. Lowther, 54, b. WVa (both parents b. WVa), farm laborer (home farm), single.

      1910 Census, Fresno County, California (Township 3), enumerated on May 14 1910:
      Hugh W. LaRue, 58, b. Missouri (both parents b. Kentucky), single, farmer; housekeeper (servant) Josephine W. Lowther, 57, b. WVa (father b. Ky, mother b. NJ), widowed, mother of 1 child (still living).
      The next enumerated household was that of Josephine's son:
      Starr B. Williams, 35, b. WVa (both parents b. U.S.), farmer, married 6 yrs; wife Alameda C, 27, b. Missouri (father b. NY, mother b. Iowa), married 6 yrs, no children.
      Starr and Alameda were in the same location in 1920.

      1920 Census, Fresno County, California (City of Fresno), enumerated on Jan 9 1920 at 1208 Echo Ave:
      William Louther, 62, b. WVa (both parents b. WVa), house painter, home owned without mortgage; wife Ella M, 53, b. Iowa (father b. Ohio, mother b. Pennsylvania).

      1930 Census, Fresno County, California (City of Fresno), enumerated on Apr 7 1930:
      W. W. Lowther, 70, b. WVa (both parents b. WVa), building painter, home has a radio; wife Ella, 65, b. Iowa (father b. Ohio, mother b. Pennsylvania).
    Person ID I43848  Doddridge County Roots
    Last Modified 17 Jun 2019

    Father Napoleon B. LOWTHER,   b. 13 Oct 1815   d. 1906 (Age 90 years)
    Mother Mary Jane IRELAND,   b. 1828   d. 1906 (Age 78 years)
    Family ID F17535  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Father Jonathan Coburn LOWTHER,   b. 8 Mar 1819, Harrison Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 11 Oct 1916 (Age 97 years)
    Relationship Adopted
    Mother Emza M. NEAL,   b. 14 Jun 1824, Williamstown, Wood Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 27 Oct 1904, Otterslide, Ritchie Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 80 years)
    Relationship Adopted
    Family ID F11029  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Josephine FREEMAN,   b. 1853, Crawford Co, PA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 29 Dec 1926, Fresno Co, CA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 73 years)
    Marriage 11 Jun 1885  Ritchie Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [13] 
    Documents
    43848_LOWTHER_WilliamW_1900Census_FresnoCoCA_28Jun1900.jpg    		43848_LOWTHER_WilliamW_1900Census_FresnoCoCA_28Jun1900.jpg
    Family ID F20883  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 Alice Martha BROADWATER,   b. 22 Mar 1855, Ritchie Co, (W)VA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 2 Jun 1928, Pennsboro, Ritchie Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 73 years)
    Marriage 17 Apr 1911  West Union, Doddridge Co, WV Find all individuals with events at this location  [14] 
    Documents
    43848_WilliamWLowther_AliceBroadwaterWilson_MarriageRecord_17Apr1911.jpg    		43848_WilliamWLowther_AliceBroadwaterWilson_MarriageRecord_17Apr1911.jpg
    Family ID F20882  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 3 Ella M. WASHBURN,   b. CA 1866, Iowa Find all individuals with events at this location
    Marriage 4 Oct 1915  Fresno Co, CA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F19184  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Documents
    43848_LOWTHER_WilliamW_Obit_FresnoBee_26Nov1940.jpg    		43848_LOWTHER_WilliamW_Obit_FresnoBee_26Nov1940.jpg

  • Sources 
    1. [S72] California Voter Registrations, 1866-1898, (Ancestry.com).

    2. [S2286] 1870 Census, Tyler County, WV.

    3. [S1554] Doddridge County Marriage Records, West Union, WV, http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=11795007&Type=Marriage.

    4. [S1821] Ritchie County Marriage Records, Harrisville, WV, MR p. 57, Line 34 : http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=11539062&Type=Marriage.

    5. [S293] Minnie Kendall Lowther, History of Ritchie County, (1911, reprinted 1999, McClain Printing Co, Parsons WV, http://McClainPrinting.com), p. 258.

    6. [S1823] Don Norman, 41991 Emerson Court, Elyria, OH 44035, The Descendants of Robert Lowther, (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hcpd/norman/lowther.htm).

    7. [S1662] 1900 Census.

    8. [S1734] 1920 Census.

    9. [S1898] 1930 Census.

    10. [S283] Minnie Kendall Lowther, Ritchie County in History and Romance, (McClain Publishing Co, Parsons, WV, 1990), p. 276.

    11. [S283] Minnie Kendall Lowther, Ritchie County in History and Romance, (McClain Publishing Co, Parsons, WV, 1990), p. 271.

    12. [S1834] California Death Index, 1940-1997 (online), (Ancestry.com and California Dept of Health Svcs, Center for Health Statistics).

    13. [S1821] Ritchie County Marriage Records, Harrisville, WV, MR p. 57, Line 34 : http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=11539062&Type=Marriage.
      Identified as Wm. W. Lowther, single, 30, b. & res. in Ritchie Co, farmer; and Josephine Williams, widow, 31, b. Crawford Co Pennsylvania, res. Ritchie Co. Married Jun 11 1885 in Ritchie County, officiated by U. Prebble.

    14. [S1554] Doddridge County Marriage Records, West Union, WV, http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=11795007&Type=Marriage.
      Identified as William W. Lowther, 55, b. Ritchie Co, res. Fresno Co Cal.; and Mrs. Alice Wilson, 54, b. Ritchie Co, res. Doddridge Co. Married Apr 17 1911 in West Union, officiated by John T. Hickman, a Minister of the M.E. Church.