Jessie Bowe Family

 From left to right top row -
Lucetta Snowden - Deceased, Marie Brooks - Deceased, survived by brother William H. Bowe, Sr, and sister Louise Gregory

 From left to right bottom row- (Deceased)
 Jessie Bowe, Jr,   Jessie Bowe, Sr & Hattie (Spellman) Bowe,   (Father & Mother)  Otis Bowe
                                       
Elizabeth Treadwell - center

* Currently no picture available for Nathaniel, Geneva, & Annie Dora

Bowe Family History

WILLIAM BARTLETT and SARAH ELIZABETH BOWE

     William Bartlett "Bart" Bowe was born February 1865 in North Carolina to Alfred and Nancy Bowe.  He was described (presumably in his later years) as short and fat with light brown skin with his great-grandson Calvin Jerome Bowe, son Otis and Kathrine Bowe resembling him.  His designated race listed on subsequent census records was "mulatto".  On 29 December 1887, Bart was united in matrimony to Sarah Elizabeth Sylvester by a Justice of the Peace.

Bartlett and Elizabeth had the following children, all born in Pasquotank County, NC.

    - William R. Bowe born June 11, 1889, died February 29, 1944 - married to Emma J. Sutton
    - Nathan Bowe born October 11,1894, died December 1972, married to Estelle Overton
   - Elmira Bowe born August 16, 1897, died July 1971, married first to Will Nixon and then to Deacon Riley B. Cooper
   - Jessie Bowe born January 6, 1900, died April 3, 1969, married to Hattie Spellman

William Bartlett Bowe earned his living as a farmer.  The family attended Rebecca AME Zion Church then later Galilee Baptist Church in Weeksville, NC.  In 1920, the family was living in a rented house in Salem township in Pasquotank Co.  The family then consisted of Bart, Lizzie (Elizabeth), Jessie, and John Mullen, a widower who was enumerated as a companion to Bart Bowe.

He is buried in the Rebecca AME Zion Church cemetary.

Jessie Bowe, Sr

Jessie Bowe, Sr was born in Pasquotank Co., NC, on January 6, 1900 to Barlett Bowe and Sarah Elizabeth Sylvester.  He married Hattie Spellman on January 21, 1921. To this union were born the following children:

  Nathaniel Bowe (Estelle Overton)
  Jessie Bowe, Jr (Ann Johnson)
  Marie Bowe (1st Walter Williams) (2nd Shelton Brooks)
  Lucetta Snowden (Arthur Snowden)
  Otis Bowe ( Kathrine White)
  Elizabeth Clotee Elizabeth (Perry Treadwell)
  Louise Bowe (Charles Gregory)
  William H. Bowe, Sr ( Mary Lister)

    Jessie was a farmer and lived in Camden, NC when he was a sharecropper.  Later he had two house built, 215 and 217 Oak Grove Ave. He and Hattie live in 217 Oak Grove and Marie Bowe Brooks and Shelton (Sweetney) currently live in 215.  Jessie was described as a nice, quiet, and easy going man.  He smoked a pipe and was of average height about 5'9" or 5'10" or so with a light to medium brown complexion, sleepy eyes and an easy smile.

   He was a member of Galilee Baptist Church of Weeksville, NC and served on the Senior Usher Board.

    Jessie Bowe Sr, died of cancer on 3 April 1969 at Albemarle Hospital, Elizabeh City, NC.  He is buried at the New Oak Grove Cemetary on Pear Tree Road, just at the corner of the street from from where he lived on Oak Grove Ave.

 

HATTIE BEATRICE (SPELLMAN) BOWE

 

Hattie Beatrice Spellman was born 15 September 1905 to Charles Allen Spellmanand Louisana Overton.  Her family lived in Weeksville, NC.  On 21 January 1921, at the age of fifteen, she married Jessie Bowe Sr.  To this union were born the following children:

  -  Nathaniel Bowe
  -  Marie Bowe Brooks
  -  Lucetta (Bowe) Spellman
  -  Louise (Bowe) Gregory
  -  Elizabeth Clotee (Bowe) Treadwell
  -  Otis Bowe
  -  Jessie Bowe, Jr
  -  William Henry Bowe, Sr
  - Annie Dora  Bowe

Hattie Bowe, along with her husband, Jessie, belonged to Galilee Baptist Church in Weeksville, NC. She was a member of the Usher Board for many years.  She was a lively woman and in the habit of dipping snuff.  She was petite, had medium brown skin and in her later years long grey-silver hair which she liked to wear braided.

In addition to the above named children, she also gave birth to two or three sets of twins, all of which died in infancy.  Their son Nathaniel also preceded their deaths as did their daughter Annie Dora, who was killed at the age of fourteen.

In April 1969, her husband, Jessie Bowe died leaving her widowed. Two years later, her sister-in-law Elmira, became seriously ill.  Hattie, along with Elmira's children, helped to take care of her until her death in July 1971.

As years past she'd make cakes and pies that everybody loved.  Every Sunday there would be a couple cakes on the table just waiting for us to eat it !  She would also make the best quilts from scraps of shirts, pants, and other blankets.  They would be nice and heavy.  The kind that makes you not want to get out of bed!

If you pull up in the yard in the middle of the night, she'd be the one peeping out the window without turning on a single light in the house, sliding the curtain back just enough to see who is in the yard!

Later, Hattie suffered a stroke and resided at Guardian Care, a nursing home in Elizabeth City, NC.  Every Sunday after church the family would come to visit her.

Hattie spellman died 14 Februray 1990.

The Bowe Family began more than seven generations ago with a farmer in Pasquotank County, North Carolina who was married to an Indian woman.  Like most families of that day, they made their living by farming.

The next generation were also farmers, who lived in a section of Pasquotank County known as Weeksville.  Bartley and Lizzie Bowe were lovingly called grandpappy and Grandmammy.  Their son, William Raleigh Bowe, born in 1889 was to become the next generation of Bowe's.  He chose as his help mate, Emma Jane Sutton.  She was born in 1894 and was the daughter of William Henry and Ella Jan Sutton. 

Papa and Mama wanted to start a family right away, but their first born, a set of twins died at birth.  However, God's blessings was showered upon them as they became the parents of ten children;  Gladys, Rufus (buddy), Clara Mae (Duke), Elizabeth, William (Dee), Andrew (Tran), Lenora (Hunk), Riddick (Corn), Emma (Tyn), and Julius (Judas or lovingly Juke).

Papa was a quiet, hard working man, never having much to say.  It was noted that when he did speak, only a few words were to get his point across.  He worked for many years as a farmer, but in his final years he was employed at The Coast Guard Air Station, in Elizabeth, City, North Carolina.

Mama was the opposite of Papa, outspoken, always asking "why".  She also was a hard worker doing domestic work during the day and sometimes taking in ironing at night.  She worked many days in the slaughter house cleaning beef or pork.  Trying her best to bring in extra income that was very much needed, to take care of their family. 

They moved to several sections of Pasquotank County before settling on the homestead on Creek Road.  they brought their home from T.S. Cooper and through the efforts of the total family working together, Papa paid off the mortgage in January 1944.  Mr. Cooper told them "that he never believed that they would be able to pay for their home".  In those days, it was uncommon for black families to reach such a goal.  Most families that attempted to buy their homes lost them because they could not keep up with payments.

Mama and Papa saw many rough times during their life together.  Just to mention one particular day, Tran got his hands in some lye and rubbed it around his eyes, Clara Mae swallowed a straight pin, while at the same time Dee was sick with Typhoid fever and pneumonia.  It was at times like these, when they knew their "faith in God was the only thing they could rely on".

Along with the good old days came memories of syrup buckets used for lunch pails, long walks to school, no matter how bad the weather (sometimes as far as five miles), riding to Church or town in the horse and buggy, wearing snuggles, pulling taffy candy and making molasses.

Papa attained two greatest dreams in January 1944 he became the owner of his home and retired from the Coast Guard Air Base.  His life was devoted to providing and caring for his family which he did faithfully until his death at the age of 50, in February of 1944, only one short month of attaining his dreams.

Mama remained a widow for many lonely years because she knew she could never repay "Papa".  It was about 20 years later that she met and married Charlie A. Sawyer, another quite and meek man who gave her many years of companionship and devotion until his death.

Mama was strong, never allowing her faith to weaken.  It was this faith that sustained her through the death of her two husbands and four of her children; Lenora, Clara Mae, Judas and William.  She also lost other close members of her family, but never forgot that "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away".

Mama knew that "the race was not given to the swift, nor to the strong, but to those who endurth to the end", Ecclesiastics 9:11.  She was remembered by most as always fussing or complaining, and it seemed that no one could please her, but in her last days she was meek and humble, thankful, never complaining even when you would catch her holding her heart or when your saw the frowns of pain on her face.  She never gave up, as she would lie in the hospital, she continued to exercise her faith be calling on the name of Jesus as the pain and misery weaken her body.  She truly endured to the end, which came on March 10th, 1980.

The strength exhibited by mama and Papa can still be seen in the generation of their children and grandchildren that followed.  Only faith in God, will sustain us during the rough times, as it did for Mama and Papa.  "A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children; and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just"  (Them that live just or according to Gods Word) Proverbs 13:21

No actual picture of Will.  Jessie Bowe's only sister Elmira Bowe Nixon is pictured here.
 

Jessie Bowe Sr's brother and sister in law, Nate and Estelle Bowe.  Nathaniel Bowe was born on October 11, 1894 in Pasquotank County to Bartlett Bowe and Sarah Elizabeth Sylvester.  He was first married to Geraldine Britain Bowe to which three children were born.

Nathan Bowe, Jr.
William Bowe
Queenie Bowe

Nathaniel was later married to Estelle Overton Bowe to which four children were born:

Ruth Bowe (David Brookins)
Ernest Bowe(Elizabeth Brooks)
Sadie Bowe(John L. Conway)
Bertha (Deloris) Bowe

Nathaniel moved his family from Pasqotank Co. to Perquimans Co. to Winfall on Swing Gate Road around the corner from Melton Grove Baptist Church, where the family became members.  The family later moved to a house in the curve on Wiggins Road closer to the center of Winfall.
Daddy Bowe as he was called by all, a farmer.  He was around 6ft. tall with a dark brown complexion.  He chewed tobacco and loved to drink coffee.  He was friendly and likable man who was always willing to help a neighbor and friends. 
Nathaniel Bowe died December 23,1972 of a stroke at the Chowan Hospital, Edenton, NC.  He is buried in the Melton Grove Church Cemetery alongside his wife Estelle and with four of his seven children.

His descendants are seven grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and nine great-great grandchildren.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nathaniel & Estelle Bowe