OBIT: James S. BOWSER, 1917, Juniata, Blair County, PA

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J. S. BOWSER

  James S. Bowser, during most of a long life a well known citizen of 
Blair county and twenty years ago a business man in the city of 
Altoona, died at 4:15 on Saturday evening in the home of a daughter, 
Mrs. Fred Oast, of Thirteenth avenue and Second street, Juniata.  Mr. 
and Mrs. Bowser, both advanced in age, lived for some years past in a 
home at Coburn - about a mile beyond the end of the Broad avenue car 
line.  They were both in very poor health of late and Mr. and Mrs. Oast 
brought them recently to their home in Juniata.  Both were stricken 
with pneumonia, to which Mr. Bowser succumbed on Saturday.  His wife, 
already in a precarious condition, is still further prostrated by his 
death and the time that she will survive her beloved husband may be 
very brief.
  James S. Bowser was born on August 7, 1840, in Woodcock valley, 
Bedford county.  In his young manhood he was a collier and, with 
limited opportunity for education, for many years followed the ways of 
the woods.  Acquiring a thirst for knowledge he bought books and, with 
only six months' schooling to start with, won for himself an education.  
To study was the greatest pleasure of the young collier and diligent 
use of his spare time made him master of even more than the common 
branches.  He became well informed in history and other advanced 
subjects, could speak and write German fluently and was all his life an 
authority on the signs of the times.  Along about 1876 Mr. Bowser 
engaged in the retail meat business in this city and became prominent 
among many who are now older residents.  He retired from business 
activity in 1896 and his declining years were spent in a comfortable 
home life that was broken only by pleasant visits to his children.
  The deceased was twice married, being first wedded on June 18, 1862 
to Miss Fannie Moore.  To this union were born his surviving children - 
Mrs. Fred Oast and Mrs. D. N. Hanley, of Juniata; Mrs. J. H. Black, of 
Pittsburg; Rev. H. Graybill Bowser, of Franklin; C. M. and J. S. 
Bowser, both of this city.
  His second wife, now at the point of death, was formerly Miss Sarah 
Firer, to whom he was united in marriage on June 14, 1904.  Mr. Bowser 
is also survived by one brother and one sister - E. Bowser, of 
Beaverdale, and Mrs. Catharine Long, of Saxton.  He also leaves many 
grandchildren and a few great-grandchildren.  All his life he was a 
devout man, a student of the word of God and a worshipper in the faith 
of the Church of the Brethren.  Service over his remains will be 
conducted in the Church of the Brethren in Juniata tomorrow afternoon 
at 2 o'clock.  Interment will be made privately in Carson valley 
cemetery.

Altoona Tribune, Altoona, Pa., Monday Morning, January 15, 1917