Grundy County IL Archives Biographies.....Bower, Leonard 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com April 29, 2006, 5:10 pm

Author: History of Grundy County IL 1914

Bower, Leonard, owner of 160 acres of fertile land in Good Farm Township, has 
demonstrated in his actual everyday operations the value of intelligent 
methods as applied to farming.  In addition to his home farm, he owns 160 
acres which he rents, so that he is one of the heavy landowners of Grundy 
County.  He was born in Kendall County, Ill., in 1859, a son of George and 
Kate (Krug) Bower, both of whom were born in Bavaria, Germany.  While in his 
native land the father worked as a farm laborer, for a small sum, but after 
coming to Kendall County he was paid better wages, both at farm work, and in 
other employment in Aurora.  He purchased his first land, amounting to eighty 
acres, in Kendall County for $1.25 per acre, and developed it into valuable 
property so that he was able to retire in his declining years, and lives at 
Oswego, Ill., where his wife died in 1913.  They had nine children:  
Christina, who died in infancy; John; Henry; Leonard; George; Fred; Charley; 
Louise, who died at the age of two years; and Minnie Hoffenrickter.

Leonard Bower attended the district schools of Kendall County, and when 
nineteen years old began operating his father’s homestead.  After his marriage 
he and his wife went to Oswego, Ill., but in 1889 came to Grundy County where 
Mr. Bower has made such a success of his agricultural ventures.  In 1885, Mr. 
Bower was united in marriage with Barbara Burkhardt, a daughter of Frederick 
and Mary (Frewerth) Burkhardt, who located in Good Farm Township in 1852, and 
are still living on their homestead on Section 15, that same township.  A full 
history of this pioneer family will be found in the sketch of Andrew 
Burkhardt.  Mr. and Mrs. Bower have had three children:  Lora Schroeder, and 
Alice and Francis, both of whom are at home.  The Methodist Church holds Mr. 
Bower’s membership, and he gives his support to the Republican party.  For the 
past ten years he has been on the school board of his district, and is a man 
highly respected by all with whom he is brought into contact.

page 772

Additional Comments:
Source:  History of Grundy County, Illinois, Chicago: Munsell Publishing Co. 
Publishers; 1914

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