Individual Details

Bessie C. ROWLAND

(6 Aug 1883 - 29 Nov 1906)

Bessie C. Rowland was adopted by Elias Rowland.

Events

Birth	6 Aug 1883	Cambria County, Pennsylvania
Marriage	2 Nov 1904	Indiana County, Pennsylvania - J. Nelson LEWIS
Death	29 Nov 1906	from septicaemia following puerperal infection - Mechanicsburg, Indiana County, Pennsylvania
Burial	2 Dec 1906	Brush Valley Methodist Cemetery, Brush Valley, Indiana County, Pennsylvamia

Families

Spouse	J. Nelson LEWIS (1865 - )
Child	LEWIS (1905 - 1905)

Father	Rev. Elias ROWLAND (1833 - 1919)
Mother	Isabella Wilson SIMSON (1832 - 1911)
Sibling	John Luther ROWLAND (1856 - 1869)
Sibling	James Elias ROWLAND (1858 - 1903)
Sibling	Isaac Elmer ROWLAND (1861 - 1865)
Sibling	Alvah Howard ROWLAND (1866 - 1907)
Sibling	Austin Everett ROWLAND (1869 - 1874)
Sibling	Harvey Chalmers ROWLAND (1873 - 1962)

Father	WHITE ( - )
Mother	Elen DONAHO ( - )

Notes

Birth

Bessie C. Rowland was adopted by Elias Rowland. Her death certificate gives the same date for her birth and death but gives her age as 23 years, 3 months, and 23 days. Her date of birth is 6 August 1883 using the date of death and age given on her death certificate. This is the same date of birth as on her marriage license application.

Marriage

J. Nelson Lewis (AKA James Negley Lewis) married Bessie Rowland without divorcing his first wife, Minnie Lewis, nee Dunkle. There are articles in the Indiana County newspapers in March and July, 1905 describing his arrest for bigamy, subsequent guilty plea, and sentence. He received a two year sentence on 3 July 1905 for adultery, bigamy, and forgery that he served in Western Penitentiary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Death

Her tombstone gives 1907 as her date of death but this is incorrect.

Endnotes

1. "Pennsylvania County Marriages, 1885-1950," index and images, Family Search (https://familysearch.org : accessed 27 January 2017), J. Nelson Lewis and Bessie C. Rowland, 2 November 1904; Westmoreland County Marriages, Volume 29, page 165 , number 19236; FHL microfilm 1,316,392.

2. Bureau of Vital Statistics, Pennsylvania Department of Health, "Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963," database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 January 2017), Bessie C. Rowland, died 29 November 1906; citing Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Death certificate number 103446.

3. Brush Valley Methodist Cemetery (Brush Valley, Indiana County, Pennsylvania), Find A Grave, database and images (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 30 January 2017), memorial page for Bessie C. Rowland, Find A Grave Memorial # 52414819, memorial created by Burke Stoughton, photograph by Burke Stoughton.

4. "Pennsylvania County Marriages, 1885-1950," index and images, Family Search (https://familysearch.org : accessed 27 January 2017), J. Nelson Lewis and Bessie C. Rowland, 2 November 1904; Westmoreland County Marriages, Volume 29, page 165 , number 19236; FHL microfilm 1,316,392.

5. "WEDDINGS OF A WEEK LEWIS-ROWLAND," Wedding notice, The Indiana Progress, 9 November 1904, page 12; Newspapers.com (http://www.newspapers.com : accessed 25 January 2017). "J. Nelson Lewis, of town, and Miss Bessie Catherine Rowland, daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Elias Rowland, of Brushvalley, were married on Wednesday at high noon, at the home of the bride in the presence of a number of relatives and near friends of the couple...".

6. Bureau of Vital Statistics, Pennsylvania Department of Health, "Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963," database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 January 2017), Bessie C. Rowland, died 29 November 1906; citing Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Death certificate number 103446.

7. Bureau of Vital Statistics, Pennsylvania Department of Health, "Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963," database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 27 January 2017), Bessie C. Rowland, died 29 November 1906; citing Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Death certificate number 103446.

8. Brush Valley Methodist Cemetery (Brush Valley, Indiana County, Pennsylvania), Find A Grave, database and images (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 30 January 2017), memorial page for Bessie C. Rowland, Find A Grave Memorial # 52414819, memorial created by Burke Stoughton, photograph by Burke Stoughton.