Individual Details

Roland De Vere BOWLBY (12) was born 3 Feb 1867 near Carey OH. He married Charlotte B. LOMBARD 15 Sep 1891. He died 2 Jan 1948, and is buried in Maple Grove Cemetery, Findlay OH.

Newspaper obituary c. 1948:
Roland BOWLBY Passes
Funeral rites were held Monday afternoon at the Russell Herman Funeral home in Findlay, O., for Roland D. BOWLBY, 80, retired oil driller and father of Russell D. BOWLBY of St. Clair. He had been bedfast until his death on Friday from a stroke suffere [sic] two and one-half years ago. Roland D. BOWLBY was the last of a family of 10 children. He was born Feb. 3, 1867, in Wyandotte county near Carey, O., the son of James and Amanda (GRINDELL) BOWLBY. He lived in St. Clair for 18 years and during that time worked for Mason Brothers until he retired because of ill health shortly before returning to Findlay in 1936. On Sept. 15, 1891, he married Charlotte B. LOMBARD and she survives him. Also surviving are a son Russell BOWLBY, St. Clair; a daughter, Mrs. Harry RUCH, Findlay; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Another daughter, Mrs. Nita LAWRENCE, preceded him in death. The funeral was held at 2:30 p.m. Monday with Rev. Seth ADAMSEN officiating. Interment was in Maple Grove cemetery, Findlay. Pallbearers were team-mates of Bill Bowlby LAWRENCE, a grandson, on the Findlay semi-pro basketball team. Mr. and Mrs. Russell BOWLBY and family attended the funeral. Flowers were sent by the Charles Fulton Legion Post of St. Clair and friends at the Diamond Crystal Salt company.

Obituary (The Republican-Courier, Findlay OH, 3 Jan 1948, pg. 14):
RETIRED DRILLER CALLED BY DEATH
Funeral to be Held on Monday for Roland D. BOWLBY
Roland Devere BOWLBY, 80, of 203 ½ North Main street, retired oil driller, died at 4:15 o'clock yesterday afternoon in the Hancock county home. He had been bedfast since suffering a stroke two and one-half years ago.
Mr. BOWLBY was the last of a family of 10 children. He was born on Feb. 3, 1867 in Wyandot county, near Carey, a son of James and Amanda (GRINDELL) BOWLBY. He moved to Hancock county ten years ago from St. Clair, Mich.
On Sept. 15, 1891 he married Charlotte B. LOMBARD, and she survives.
Also surviving are a son, Russell BOWLBY, St. Clair, Mich.; a daughter, Mrs. Harry E. (Doris) RUCH, 728 Center street; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. One daughter, Mrs. Neta LAWRENCE, preceded him in death.
The body was taken to the Russell E. Herman funeral home where friends may call after six o'clock this evening.
Funeral services will be held there at 2:30 p.m. Monday with Rev. Seth ADAMSON officiating. Interment will be in Maple Grove cemetery.

***From Ruth Bowlby CARLETON (excerpts from autobiography):
Grandpa had a beautiful voice. At one time he had been a member of a quartet along with the man who wrote "Down by the Old Mill Stream" [Tell Vanlue TAYLOR]. He played the guitar + piano, among other things.
My days as Little May ended when my aunt [Neta] died soon after her little boy was born. I was very ill at the time, just barely surviving pneumonia, + I do not believe I was actually told of her death — + yet I knew. My grandmother + grandfather took [their grandson] + raised him as if he were their own child. At this point they lived on Thornapple St. (later on Orchard) + when I was 9 + began to take piano lessons I would practice after school on her piano. When I would arrive, grandma would put on her hat + go out on her errands. It was a bit difficult for me to practice + baby sit at the same time, so somehow or other dad + mother managed to buy a piano so I could practice at home.
I do remember an earthquake in our area when I was very young. I was sitting on my grandpa's lap + fell off. This upset me (in more ways than one!) Because I adored my Grandpa BOWLBY. As the first child, grandchild etc in the family, I no doubt received more than my share of attention, but grandpa was special — so big + loving + with such a comfortable lap to sit on while he sang to me. I remember one song about Noah's Ark, "The animals went in, two by two, the hippappatamus + the kickangeroo." He'd sing "The peanut sat on a railroad track, its heart was all aflutter, A train came roaring down the track, Toot toot peanuts butter. Oh — it aint gonna rain no more, it aint gonna rain no more, how in the heck can I wash my neck if it aint gonna rain no more?" He'd sing "Bill Bailey won't you please come home?" + "Father, dear father, come home with me now — the clock in the steeple strikes two" where poor little Willie died at the end but father wouldn't leave the bar to join the grieving family.
Another parade that I remember I watched from the porch of the CARLETON house on Second + Cass Streets where my grandparents rented the upstairs apartment. The porch was screened in summer + a cool place to sit on a hot July day. When the parade passed by, we all laughed at the discomforture of a young lad who sat in a bath tub on a float sponsored by the local plumber. Later on, after I'd met + married the CARLETON's oldest grandson, we lived for a while in that house with our sons... across from the City hall which included the fire station. The old city hall is gone now (a new + larger fire station + a library bldg now sit on that plot of land) + so is the CARLETON house + all the neighboring houses of the two boys' childhoods.
Roland BOWLBY was known for his fondness for cornmeal mush; he once ate so much his family was afraid he'd killed himself.*******
(Note: Comments in [brackets] are from me)

Birth	3 FEB 1867	near Carey, Wyandotte Co., OH
Census	1880	Ridge Twp., Wyandot Co., OH
Marriage	15 SEP 1891	Charlotte Blanch LOMBARD
Death	2 JAN 1948 or 7 JAN 1948	Hancock Co., OH
Burial		Maple Grove Cem., Findlay, Hancock Co., OH

Spouse	Charlotte Blanch LOMBARD (1873 - 1970)
Child	Russell DeVere BOWLBY (1892 - 1973)
Child	Nita/Neta Blanch BOWLBY (1895 - 1926)
Child	Doris May BOWLBY (1898 - 1983)

Father	Squire James BOWLBY (1831 - 1913)
Mother	Amanda R. GRINDLE (1836 - 1901)
Sibling	Ellen BOWLBY (1858 - 1912)
Sibling	Emma L. BOWLBY (1859 - 1934)
Sibling	Alice A. BOWLBY (1862 - 1903)
Sibling	Hattie BOWLBY (1864 - 1907)
Sibling	Orville C. BOWLBY (1869 - 1926)
Sibling	Noland H. BOWLBY (1871 - )
Sibling	Violetta A. BOWLBY (1872 - 1876)
Sibling	Alfred Barton BOWLBY (1874 - 1889)
Sibling	Joseph Weldon BOWLBY (1877 - 1918)
Sibling	Bert BOWLBY (1884 - 1923)

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