Individual Details

William was born in Pittsburgh, PA according to his death certificate from information given by his wife. His autobiography and census reports give Ohio as his birth place. Though William had no more than six months of formal education, he wrote a 57-page manuscript of his Civil War experiences in his latter years. The family information is incidental in his writing, and known to be inaccurate in some instances. One example of his inaccuracy is that he says his grandfather died in 1820 on the way to visit his father in Indiana, then later, says his father did not move to Indiana until 1842. His early memories are of his difficult life on his father's farm in Indiana. He enlisted for the Civil War when he was eighteen on 5 AUG 1862 and tells of his three years of arduous battles and illnesses. He says he returned home 5 AUG 1865. William's family left Indiana and settled on government land in Folk Co., Nebraska around the year 1872 according to his son's biographer.

Birth	10 DEC 1843	Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., PA
Marriage	26 JUL 1866	Mary BURNHEIMER
Death	12 APR 1912
Burial		Cottonwood Cem., Garfield Co., NE

Spouse	Mary BURNHEIMER (1845 - 1924)
Child	John H. BOWLBY (1867 - )
Child	Minda Ann BOWLBY ( - )
Child	Jessie Mina BOWLBY (1880 - 1957)
Child	Edith BOWLBY ( - )
Child	Effie BOWLBY ( - )
Child	Mary BOWLBY ( - )

Father	Robert BOLESBY/BOWLBY (1799 - 1875)
Mother	Susan ZEMER/ZEHMER (1813 - )
Sibling	Samuel BOWLBY (1845 - 1882)
Sibling	Matilda BOWLBY (1846 - )
Sibling	Sarah E. BOWLBY (1849 - )
Sibling	Susan BOWLBY (1850 - )
Sibling	Robert BOWLBY (1860 - )