The Wm. H. Bower Family of Philadelphia, PA, and His Descendants

The William H. Bower Family Of Philadelphia, PA, And His Descendants

Welcome!

Hi, my name is Lori, and I am researching my GG Grandfather, William H. Bower/Bauer's, family of Bavaria, Germany, and Philadelphia, PA. I would like to find out from where in Bavaria my GG Grandfather came, and the names of his ancestors and other relatives. I would like to know anything more about any of his seven children, especially his son, Frederick, who was an artist and illustrator.

I am also trying to find my cousin, Christine or Christina BENKER. In the 1950's, she was living with her family in the Bauer family homestead in Bavaria. This was a stone farm house and was where my GG Grandfather was born.

If you can help, please e-mail me at belafayette@aol.com

William H. Bower

c. 1912

Family Report

William Henry Bower (Bauer) (My GG Grandfather) was born on October 30, 1843, in Bavaria, Germany. He died on March 22, 1914, in Philadelphia, PA. He is interred in the family mausoleum at the West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, PA. He emigrated from Bavaria to Philadelphia around 1870, and became a U.S. citizen in 1880. He was a chemist and did business as the Wm. H. Bauer Dye and Bleach Works. The name was later changed to the Bower Dye Works. It was located at 911-14 Fairmount Avenue in Philadelphia. He married AMELIA LENTZ, b. December 7, 1853, d. October 16, 1921. She was the daughter of ____ and F. (MAAZ) Lentz, who emigrated from Germany.

William H. and Amelia resided at 1744 N. 13th Street in Philadelphia. They spent their summers at their country estate in Norriton, Pennsylvannia. Norriton is located in Montgomery County. The couple had seven children:

1. William (My G Grandfather) b. August 15, 1875, in Philadelphia, d. December 2, 1938. He was in business with his father and served as the company President after the death of his father in 1914 until his own death in 1938. He married AMELIA SCHAFFHAUSER who was born on March 9, 1876, in Philadelphia, and died on December 14, 1952, in Concord, NH. She was the daughter of Jacob and Barbara (FRITINGER) Schaffhauser, who were both born in Germany.

More on the Schaffhauser Family

William and Amelia owned homes in Philadelphia, N. Wildwood, New Jersey, and St. Petersburg, Florida.

William and Amelia had two children:

(a). Charles J. (My Grandfather) b. June 28, 1906, d. March 13, 1967. He graduated from the Pennsylvania Military College in 1929. He was on the varsity polo team all four years. During his summer vacations from P.M.C., he was a beach lifeguard at Wildwood, NJ. He married AMELIA ELIZABETH MARTIN who was born on September 12, 1908, and died on May 10, 1967. She was the only child of Robert and Letitia (DORNAN) Martin of Germantown, PA. Mr. Martin was a business manager in Philadelphia.

Charles and Amelia had four children:

William, Charles, Robert (My Father), and Bruce.

(b). Amelia, b. March 29, 1898, in Philadelphia, d. May 25, 1989, in Searcy, Arkansas. She married first, James Patterson See. Secondly, she married ___ WHEELER. They resided in Benton, Arkansas. She had no children.

2. Henry, was born on April 20, 1877, in Philadelphia, and died on July 5, 1921, in Atlantic City, NJ. He married MARTHA ___. They had no children. He was in business with his father and served as Salesman.

3. Frederick, was born September 13, 1888, in Philadelphia, and died on April 12, 1942, in Ocean City, NJ. He was an artist and illustrator. He and his partner, Franz Sesshafft, had a gallery at 1020 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. Frederick also sold his works at the Henry M. Taws Gallery at 920 Arch Street in Philadelphia. Frederick married ELIZABETH CROSBY, who was born on September 13, 1885, in Massachusetts. She too was an artist. Frederick was listed in the 1999 edition of Who Was Who in American Art.

The couple travelled the world extensively and had no children.

4. Emelia was born on September 12, 1878, and died on June 2, 1881.

5. Clara was born on September 29, 1880, and died on September 29, 1921. She was a member of the William Nickel Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star, No. 240. Clara never married.

6. Florence "Florrie", was born in November of 1886, in Philadelphia, and died on May 4, 1976, in Darby, PA. She married MYRON LEWIS UPHAM, b. 1883, d. 1952. Mr. Upham was a weathy businessman. The couple resided at a large estate in Bala Cynwyd, PA. They had an adopted son named Devereaux, b. May 24, 1919, d. July of 1986. He was adopted by the Upham's on November 1, 1921. Devereaux Upham married and had one child, Patricia.

7. Caroline was born in 1890, in Philadelphia, and died in 1965, in Margate City, NJ. She married EDWIN LOCKWOOD HAGGAS, who was a world-renowned naval architect and engineer. He was recognized as creating the design for the first all aluminum boat and was the originator of the sea skiff both in name and design. Among the many boats constructed from his designs was the "Buckaroo," built for Glen Stewart and hailed in boating circles as the first streamlined yacht. Mr. Haggas also created an original design for a war fleet of 73-foot torpedo boats for the Belgian Navy. Caroline and Edwin had two daughters, Elaine and Dorothy. Elaine was born in 1921. Dorothy was born in 1916. Dorothy was an artist and attended classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. She died in 1993.

My G Grandparents, Wm. and Amelia (Schaffhauser)

Bower's

Family Hymn Book Notes

All Listings for the Bower Surname at the

Westminster Cemetery

Bala Cynwyd, PA

All Listings for the Bower Surname at the

Northwood Cemetery

Philadelphia, PA

All Listings for the Bower Surname in the Wildwood,

New Jersery, City Directories for the years:

1922, 1924, 1926,1937-38, 1946, 1960, 1964.