Named after doctor

My grandfather was Rawls Coston Bowen. He was often called "Shorty". I have often wondered where the Rawls Coston name came from. His son was named Rawls Coston Bowen, Jr. He was called R.C. 

Rawls was born in 1889 in Lincoln County, Tn. In those days it was often a practice to name a child for the doctor who delivered it. Today I searched and found that in fact, there was a Dr. Hamilton Ralls Coston who was born in 1866. He attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. He graduated in 1889 and practiced his first few years in Fayetteville, Lincoln County, Tn.

I believe in his first year of practice he probably delivered Rawls Coston Bowen who was given the doctor's name.

The Coston name also endures in the name of my brother John Coston Rasmussen.

Here is the text of Dr. Coston's obituary:

Funeral services for Dr. H. R. Coston, 79, for 30 years before his retirment a practicing physician in Birmingham, will be held at 11 a. m. tomorrow in the Brown-Service, Norwood, Chapel, the Rev. O. Fred Cooper, pastor of the Norwood Church, officiating, with burial in Elmwood Cemetery.

Dr. Coston died January 31 at the Alexan Rest Resort in Signal Mountain, Tennessee, where he had resided a year. He was a graduate of Vanderbilt University, class of 1889, a member of Zamora Temple, and of the Norwood Methodist Church.

Dr. Coston was a native of Lincoln County, Tennessee, having been born in Mulberry on August 24, 1866. He married Rose Caughran, who died in 1941. He practiced for the first few years after graduation from Vanderbilt here in Fayetteville.

In addition to his son here in Fayetteville, Dr. Ralls M. Coston, he is survived by two daughters, Miss Eunice Coston, Atlanta, and Lieut. Mary Coston, WAC Fort Lewis, Washington; another son, James M. Coston, Atlanta, and four grandchildren.

Source:

Lincoln County News

Fayetteville, Tennessee

Thursday, February 7, 1946

 The Bowen>Boren>Boring>Bowring line is very interesting and convoluted. I have written here about recently making the connection from Bowen > Boren. This took me back to the Borings>Bowrings in England.

A descendent of that line is a Chaney Boring. He was born in Washington County, NC, later part of TN. His name is sometimes written as Chana Boren. In his will he leaves $200 to a "John Dorsey Boren the grandson of Nicolas Boren". 

I have spent a lot of time trying to find a Nicolas Boren in the line that goes back to Maryland and then England. But, the only Nicolas Boren I have been able to find is not from that line. In fact it is claimed that Nicolas Boren (1756-1826) was from Ireland! Nicolas married Mary Catherine Hampson. They had a daughter Margaret Boren who was the third wife of Chaney Boring. So, even though their names are similar, they apparently were not related! So when Chaney left $200 to John Dorsey Boren grandson of Nicolas Boren, he wasn't leaving to someone in his family line, but rather to another, unrelated line of Borens!!

I hope you can see how easy it is to get very confused when tracing these old family lines. But, it is rewarding when you finally get the pieces to fall into place.

P.S. I have some doubts about the claim that Nicolas Boren was from Ireland. He may be related to the Borens out of Maryland that Chaney was from. I will continue to keep an eye out for more on Nicolas.

Bowen meets Bowen

There was a prominent family of war heroes who were granted land in Tennessee following the revolutionary war.  One member of that family went on to be a Governor of Tennessee. Their name was Bowen. They were descended from the Evan Ap Owen family that came to America from Wales. William Berry Bowen of this family married a Malissa Bradley who's father was James Bradley. James Bradley had another daughter named Clementine Bradley. Clementine married James Daniel Bowen. They had a son named William Rich Bowen, who was my Great Grandfather. James Daniel Bowen's family traces back through the Bowen>Boren> Boring line back to England.

So, although both of those families became Bowens there is apparently no relationship between them. We are connected to the line from Wales only by the marriage through the Bradley family.

DNA

 Here are family members that have been connected for Henrik Rasmussen II's autosomal DNA test. This includes all blood relatives within eight degrees of separation — up to sixth great-grandparents and out to third cousins.

Top portion of the list:

Lue (Taylor) Berg Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% b. 8 Nov 1893

Elmer Borden Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% X-Chromosome DNA ~6.25% b. 1901

Minnie (Taylor) Borden Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 7 degrees ~1.56% X-Chromosome DNA ~6.25% b. 1885

John Boren Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 6 degrees ~1.56% b. 1750

Rosie (Rich) Boren Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% X-Chromosome DNA ~3.12% b. 16 May 1887

Abinodla Boring Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% b. 1760

Absolom Boring Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.39% b. 1751

Anne (Dorsey) Boring Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.39% b. 1685

Chaney Boring Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% b. 1769

James Boring Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 7 degrees ~0.78% b. 16 Nov 1714

Sarah (Boston) Boring Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 7 degrees ~0.78% b. 7 Feb 1729

Thomas Boring Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.39% b. 1687

William Boring Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.39% b. 1736

Hillard Boston Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.39% b. 1703

Mary (Eskridge) Boston Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.39% b. 1707

James Bowen Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 4 degrees ~6.25% b. 1818

James Bowen Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 5 degrees ~3.12% b. 1773

Myrtle (Hensley) Bowen Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 2 degrees ~25.00% X-Chromosome DNA 50.00% b. 10 Mar 1894

Queen (Smith) Bowen Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 3 degrees ~12.50% X-Chromosome DNA 50.00% b. 26 May 1867

Rawls Bowen Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 2 degrees ~25.00% X-Chromosome DNA 50.00% b. 29 Sep 1889

William Bowen Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 3 degrees ~12.50% b. 15 Apr 1859

Clara (Taylor) Bullard Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% b. 17 Nov 1904

Nancy (Taylor) Cashion Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% b. 24 May 1791

Mandie (Taylor) Dennis Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 7 degrees ~1.56% X-Chromosome DNA ~6.25% b. 23 Mar 1861

Louise (Renegar) Derrick Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% X-Chromosome DNA ~6.25% b. 1910

Aliza (Taylor) Dodd Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 7 degrees ~1.56% X-Chromosome DNA ~6.25% b. 14 Aug 1877

Amos Dodd Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% X-Chromosome DNA ~6.25% b. 5 Nov 1899

Charely Dodd Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% X-Chromosome DNA ~6.25% b. 10 Jun 1902

Ruby Dodd Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% X-Chromosome DNA ~3.12% b. 20 Oct 1907

Ida (Rich) Eldridge Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% X-Chromosome DNA ~3.12% b. 1889

Joel Ethridge Stubblefield Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 6 degrees ~1.56% X-Chromosome DNA ~6.25% b. 1780

Ethyl (Renegar) Gilbert Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% X-Chromosome DNA ~6.25% b. 18 Jan 1898

James Hensley Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 3 degrees ~12.50% X-Chromosome DNA ~25.00% b. 1845

Joseph Hensley Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 4 degrees ~6.25% b. 1804

Naomi (Smith) Hensley Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 3 degrees ~12.50% X-Chromosome DNA ~25.00% b. 27 Oct 1865

Nancy McClure Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 5 degrees ~3.12% b. 1781

Texanna (Taylor) McGuairt Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% b. 25 Jan 1902

Maud (Rich) Meyers Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% X-Chromosome DNA ~3.12% b. 27 Feb 1883

Camilla (Taylor) Pennell Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 7 degrees ~1.56% X-Chromosome DNA ~6.25% b. 5 Aug 1855

Charley Pennell Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% X-Chromosome DNA ~6.25% b. 15 Jan 1887

Claud Pennell Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% X-Chromosome DNA ~6.25% b. Dec 1890

Dora Pennell Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% X-Chromosome DNA ~3.12% b. 29 Jan 1877

Kate Pennell Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% X-Chromosome DNA ~3.12% b. 1 Feb 1880

Mary Pennell Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% X-Chromosome DNA ~3.12% b. 29 Dec 1896

Maud Pennell Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% X-Chromosome DNA ~3.12% b. 3 Feb 1883

Ollie Pennell Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.78% X-Chromosome DNA ~6.25% b. 1 Aug 1894

Private person managed by Brown-29467.

John Poston Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.39% b. 1724

Margaret (Baldridge) Poston Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.39% X-Chromosome DNA ~6.25% b. 1719

Robert Poston Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 7 degrees ~0.78% X-Chromosome DNA ~6.25% b. 1751

Sarah (Cunningham) Poston Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 7 degrees ~0.78% X-Chromosome DNA ~6.25% b. 1760

Rachel (Boren) Price Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 8 degrees ~0.39% b. 1758

Living: Henrik Rasmussen Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 0 degrees 100.00% X-Chromosome DNA 100.00% b. 19 Jun 1948

Mary (Bowen) Rasmussen Find Relationship ancestors descendants Autosomal DNA 1 degree 50.00% X-Chromosome DNA 100.00% b. 1930

Solomon Smith

 Great-Grandparents, Solomon and Martha Smith, and Grandfather Solomon Smith, 

by Ivah Smith Winegarner

It has been said that "distance lends enchantment" and upon looking back through the years, I believe that this is quite possible. Hamlin Garland wrote of his boyhood in Iowa, Boy Life on the Prairie, in a most fascinating way, and Hal Borland wrote of his childhood experiences in eastern Colorado in a manner equally interesting. Miss Louise Erdman has related the story of her life as a little girl in Life Was Simpler Then.

I'm going back a little further and shall try to record in a limited fashion something of the lives of my grandparents who, I believe, experienced the ups and down of pioneer men and women of their day. (If our grandparents were, as Thoreau says, "rich in the things they could do without," they were rich indeed. Or did we all enjoy "Genteel Poverty'?)

Solomon Smith, my grandfather, was born on November 25, 1817, in Spartanburg District of South Caroline. His father, also Solomon Smith, was said to have come from Virginia, but this is as far back as we have been able to trace the Smith family. Great-grandmother Martha Smith is a relative of whom we know very little. Grandfather Solomon was the 8th child in a family of 9 children. His mother was quite ill when he was very young, and he nursed a Negro "mammy" until his mother could care for him again. When he was two or three years of age, his parents crossed the Smokey Mountains and moved almost directly west into Tennessee, into Lincoln County, near what is now Flintville, or possibly a few miles east of Fayetteville. There they lived on a farm for ten years. Their Post Office at that time was "George's Store" but it is now a thing of the past.

Two or three of the older children married in Tennessee and stayed on in that state, but the rest of the family, in 1829, migrated to Illinois, settling about six miles northeast of Salem, where they lived for a number of years. 

It was here, so the story goes, that Great-grandmother Martha used to have attacks of the "hippe," or, according to Webster's Dictionary, was "hipped," or depressed. In my daughter's world, it would be said that she had "cabin fever." The depression was caused by loneliness, too large a concentration of domesticity, and probably little or no association with distant neighbors. Her lot was probably "just hard work."

It is said that at such times, Great-grandfather would hitch up the oxen and take her for a little ride. Great-grandmother also made ginger bread to sell when a buyer could be found. All of the above moves were made in covered wagons, as there were few railroads at that time. One record says that the Smith Family came to Illinois in four-horse wagons. Another tells of their driving oxen. Probably both horses and oxen were used. My great-grandparents never left Illinois, but lived out their lives in Marion County. Both are buried in a small, now-abandoned cemetery, about a half-mile south of U.S. route 50, at the edge of a woods, southeast of the old Stringtown School house.

Grandfather grew up on the home farm in Marion County and at the age of sixteen began driving a stage on one section of the route between Vincennes, Indiana and St. Louis, Missouri. This he continued to do for three years, through rain and mud (sometimes so deep that four horses were often used to draw the stage). 

Once, while driving through a lonely and wooded stretch of the route, with the trees close in on every side, he saw in the road in front of him a tall, black silk hat directly in the path of the stage. He was quite sure that this was a ruse to stop the stage, so, instead of stopping to pick up the hat, he urged the horses to greater speed. If there were robbers nearby who planned to hold up the stage, no one ever knew.

On this stage route, my grandmother, Elizabeth Ann Holstlaw, lived with her family, seven miles east of Salem. Grandfather, while driving the stage, often stopped at the house, supposedly for a drink of water. I suspect the real reason was for a chat with Elizabeth Ann. Be that as it may, they were married in 1837, when Grandfather was twenty years of age and Grandmother was sixteen. Grandfather quit the stage driving job and went to farming. In 1837 farming in Illinois was rough and most difficult. There were no markets and poor equipment.

At the age of forty-four, Grandfather and two of his sons marched off to war--the Civil War--where they served for three years in the Union Army. Grandfather served a First Lieutenant in Company G, 22nd Illinois Infantry, under Colonel Daugherty. He was a charter member of the J.D. Moody Masonic Lodge in Iuka, Illinois. This may have saved his life. At one time, while on a southern battlefield, Grandfather had stopped to help a wounded comrade when a Confederate soldier rode up and demanded his surrender at the point of a gun. Grandfather indicted by some sign that he was a Mason, and the Confederate quickly rode away.

At one time, he was captured, but after learning that he had had experience in nursing the sick, he was released and sent to the home of a southern officer who was ill or wounded. There he was treated as one of the family. Grandfather was said to have been an excellent nurse, and he ministered to many in his home neighborhood. He was at one time or another Post Master, merchant, and farmer. He was a charter member and elder in the old Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Iuka. 

I never knew my grandfather, but his family and friends surely held him in high esteem. Father said, "I never knew a better man." At the age of 64, in 1881, his life work was ended, and he was laid to rest in the Old Bethel Cemetery, southwest of Iuka. A rather tall stone just back of the church building marks the graves of my grandparents.

Another fun connection.

 

Patsy Cline the singer

 Myrtle Hensley Bowen was my grandmother. Her Hensley family has some interesting history. Just for fun, the singer Patsy Cline was born Patsy Patterson Hensley. She married a Cline.