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Frederick Bowman

Frederick Bowman

Male 1889 - 1978  (88 years)

Personal Information    |    Media    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    Event Map    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name Frederick Bowman  [1
    Born 24 Oct 1889  30 Francis Street North (initial house address was 19 Francis Street), Berlin, Waterloo County, Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Residence 1911  30 Francis Street North (initial house address was 19 Francis Street), Berlin, Waterloo County, Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Residence 26 May 1917  45 Riverside Drive, Kitchener, Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Residence 1948  5550 Mary Road, Montreal, Quebec Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Residence 15 Jul 1952  5550 Queen Mary Road, Apt 6, Montreal, Quebec Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Died 20 Jun 1978 
    Person ID I14256  All
    Last Modified 3 Jan 2019 

    Father Reuben S. Bowman,   b. 3 Aug 1852, near Berlin, Waterloo County, Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 5 Jan 1918  (Age 65 years) 
    Mother Louisa H. Geiger,   b. 17 Oct 1852, Berlin, Waterloo Township, Waterloo County, Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 08 Feb 1937, Kitchener, Waterloo County, Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 84 years) 
    Married 30 Dec 1879  Berlin, Waterloo Township, Waterloo County, Ontario Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Notes 
    Married:
    • Three records/references of the marriage of Reuben Bowman and Louisa Geiger have been located. Information provided in the three sources is not consistent.

      Marriage record ( view image) certifies that Reuben Bowman of Berlin, Waterloo County, Ontario and Louisa Geiger of Berlin, Waterloo County, Ontario were married by David B. Sherk, Minister of U.B.C. Waterloo at Berlin on the 30th day of December 1879. Witnesses were ?? Ziegler and Carrie Geiger.

    • http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~maryc/water79.htm

      011197-80 (Waterloo Co) Reuben BOWMAN, 27, carpenter, Canada, Berlin, s/o Joseph BOWMAN & Mary Ann SHOEMAKER married Louisa GEIGER, 27, Canada, Berlin, d/o Jacob & Elizabeth, witn: Albert ZIEGLER & Aaron ERB both of Berlin, 30 December 1879 in Berlin.

    • http://www.waterlooogs.ca/Newspapers/BerlinerJournal1880Marriages.PDF

      Dec. 23, 1879 - Ruben Baumann and Louise Geiger, both of Berlin, were married by Preacher Baumann of Freeport. Print date Jan. 8, 1880.

    Family ID F3807  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Alice Carmen Mitchell,   b. 10 Mar 1904, Dunmore, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 7 Aug 1998, Griffith-McConnell Residence, 5790 Parkhaven, Cote St. Luc, Quebec Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 94 years) 
    Married 1938  Australia Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Last Modified 31 Aug 2007 
    Family ID F6059  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - 24 Oct 1889 - 30 Francis Street North (initial house address was 19 Francis Street), Berlin, Waterloo County, Ontario Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - 1911 - 30 Francis Street North (initial house address was 19 Francis Street), Berlin, Waterloo County, Ontario Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 
    Pin Legend  : Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  • Photos
    30 Francis Street North, Kitchener, Ontario
    30 Francis Street North, Kitchener, Ontario
    Family of Reuben Bowman and Louisa Geiger at their home, 30 Francis Street North, Kitchener, Ontario about 1903. Reuben built this home for his growing family in 1889
    On balcony: Fred and Clayton Bowman.
    Below: Louisa, Hilda, Reuben, Dora, Edie (Edith), Gordon, Beatrice, and Ivan.
    Gordon Bowman and Frederick Bowman about 1998
    Gordon Bowman and Frederick Bowman about 1998
    Fred Bowman
    Fred Bowman
    Fred Bowman - WWI
    Fred Bowman - WWI
    Fred Bowman - WWI
    Fred Bowman - WWI
    Family of Reuben Bowman and Louisa Geiger 1892
    Family of Reuben Bowman and Louisa Geiger 1892
    Left to right back row: Reuben, Gordon, Beatrice, Clayton, Fred, Louisa. Girl in 'middle' row is Edie (Edith) Bowman. Sitting on floor in front is Dora Bowman. Louisa is pregant with Hilda in this picture.
    Five Bowman Children
    Five Bowman Children
    Left to right:

    Frederick Bowman, Beatrice Bowman, Edith Bowman, Clayton Bowman, Dora Bowman
    Fred Bowman and his sister Dora Bowman about 1914
    Fred Bowman and his sister Dora Bowman about 1914
    Photo was taken about 1914 at the home of Aunt Carrie Geiger and Uncle George Geiger at 187 Jay Street, Detroit, Michigan.

    Documents
    Birth record of Frederick Bowman and
birth record of Edith Bowman
    Birth record of Frederick Bowman and birth record of Edith Bowman

    Histories
    Agnes Street School, Berlin, Ontario Class Photo 1900
    Agnes Street School, Berlin, Ontario Class Photo 1900

  • Notes 
    • Source: "Reuben Bowman, His Family" by Fred Bowman 1948

      FREDERICK BOWMAN, the sixth child of Reuben and Louisa Bowman, was born at No. 19 Francis St. (now No. 30 Francis St. North) in Berlin, on October 24th 1889, just a week after the family had moved into the new house. When nine years of age, he had the misfortune of losing the sight of his right eye. He attended Agnes St. School, where he was instructed by such well remembered teachers as Miss Jessie Kaempf, Mr. H. Leslie Staebler and Mr. Richard Reid. After matriculating at the Collegiate Institute, he attended the University of Toronto, from which institution he graduated in civil engineering in 1911. He then joined the staff of the Dominion Bridge Co., of Montreal, with which company he is still connected in the capacity of a bridge erection engineer. In May 1917 he enlisted in the Canadian Railway Troops. He served with this Unit in Northern France, being promoted to commissioned rank shortly before the Armistice. In 1936 he was sent by his employers on loan to a construction company in Australia where he supervised the erection of the Storey Bridge at Brisbane. In 1938, while in Australia, he was married to Alice Carmen Mitchell, a native of Montreal. Returning to Canada in 1940, he was loaned to United Shipyards, supervising the wartime emergency construction of cargo and invasion vessels. They have no children and reside at 5550 Queen Mary Road in Montreal.

    • HIGHLIGHTS IN THE LIFE OF FRED BOWMAN 1972

      1899 Born on October 24th in the house at 120 Francis Street in Berlin Ont. The family had moved into the new house a mere two weeks before the event.

      1891 My earliest recollection was lying in the cradle in the down-stairs bed room. I had to vacate the cradle, graduating to the trundle bed, on the birth of my brother Gordon on September 8th.

      1894 I remember being taken to school by my sister Edie on a Friday afternoon as a visitor. I was told that when the teacher rang the little bell the class is dismissed and we could all go home. At four oclock the teacher rang her bell and I called out across the class room to Frank Treusch, “Frank yets gain ma haim” (Now we go home). It caused quite an uproar in the class.

      1895 Started in kindergarten at Agnes Street School. Miss Gray was the teacher.

      1899 Lost the sight of my right eye when a stick was accidentally poked into it. This happened while playing with other boys on April 1st.

      1900 In the class of H.Leslie Staebler. I must have done something really naughty so, as I was quite small, instead of the strap on the hand, he just picked me up by the scruff of the neck with one hand and applied the strap to my bottom, and this before the whole class.

      The members of this class were: Rhiny Miller, Alf Goften, Fred Zember, John Kurbitz, John Schmidt, Norm Schreiber, Oscar Miller, Eddie Hanson, Gord Schatz, Fred Miller, Emil Hornburg, Paul Schacht, Alvin Willets, Allan Ogram, Newt Bishop, Eddie Reitz, Erle Johnson, Harold Oswald, Sid Stansbury, Eddie Reuel, Nellie Dahmer, Minnie Schacht, Louisa Freund, Leonie Oschman, Emma Knorr, Mollie Sechtus, Martha Schwarts, Annie Schacht, Clara Euler, Leonie Rudy, Lilly Beitz, Emma Koehler, Emma Gralki, Emma Kressler, Emma Guenzler, Pearl Wildfong, Gertie Shade, Emma Pulkoski, Martha Dannecker.

      I was the only member of this class who, on leaving public school, went on to high school. The rest had to go to work to help support their families.

      1901 During these years we had a very congenial group of boys in the neighborhood. We played games in the commons, went camping, went swimming in places such as Schuster’s Creek, Bramm’s Pond, Waterloo Dam, Clemmer’s etc. The boys were Punch Zapfe, Harold Oswald, Charlie Bauman, Vorie Ernst, Plummer Hasenpflug, Harold Brandt, Rhiny Schippanowski, Mike Hagadorn

      1903 Passed high school entrance exams. My teachers at Agnes Street School were: Miss Gray, Miss Florence Devitt, Miss Jessie Kaempf, H.Leslie Staebler, Richard Reid. Entered the Berlin Collegiate and Technical Institute.

      1905 Went camping at Freeport on the Grand River. We were “The Hungry Seven”, composed of myself, my brother Gordon, Norm and Fred Schneider, Walter Zeller, Alf Goften and John Law. We all worked in town during the summer so we would bicycle to the camp each evening and back to town in the morning

      1907 Passed the Junior Matriculation Examinations. The teachers at the high school were: D.Forsyth, D.S.Jackman, G.R.Dolan, L.Norman, H.G.Martin, W.H.Williams, H.W.Brown, D.W.Houston, Miss. K.A.Fisher, Miss M.Zoelner

      1908 Passed the Senior Matriculation Examinations with one failure, Ancient History. Ephriam Huehnergard and I went to Toronto to write the supplemental exam which I passed this time. Entered the University of Toronto in the faculty of Applied Science, Civil Engineering.

      1910 Spent the summer months on a survey party for the Geological Survey of Canada on Vancouver Island. Most of the time was on a triangulation party which entailed climbing and observing from the higher mountains. Climbed such mountains as: Big Interior, Grey, Albert Edward, Arrowsmith and others. Was a member of the University gymnastics team.

      1911 Graduated in Civil Engineering From the University of Toronto. Worked for several months for Norman D.Wilson, a Toronto surveyor, in Toronto and Niagara Falls. Began working for the Dominion Bridge Company at Lachine as a draughtsman. R.B.Kenrick, Chief Draughtsman.

      1914 Was made a checker in the draughting room.

      1915 Worked about six months in the city office on projects in the city. Was initiated into the Masonic Order, Victoria Lodge No. 73. Was a member of the Lachine Boating and Canoeing Club intermediate paddling crew and won our fours race at Cartierville Regatta. The other members of the crew were Jimmy Bell, Dave Speck, and Dee Smart. Jimmy was killed at Paschandale and Dave was killed at Vimy Ridge.

      1917 Enlisted in the 15th reinforcing draft Canadian Railway Troops as private No.3547303, on May 24th. Sailed for England on the S.S. Justician in July and was stationed at Purfleet in Essex. Went to France in September and was attached to the 7th. battalion Canadian Railway Troops then stationed near Elverdinge in Belgium. Had previously tried to enlist in the infantry, artillery, engineers, army service corps, pioneers and army medical corps, all without success.

      1918 Given a corporal’s stripes in February. Was present at the battle of Paschendale, the retreat on the Somme and the final advance. Was promoted to the commissioned rank of Lieutenant and transferred to the 4th. Battalion, Canadian Railway Troops on October 13th. Was in Valenciennes at the time of the armistice.

      1919 Returned to England and was stationed at Whitley Camp and at Rhyll, North Wales. Sailed for Canada, arriving on September 5th, and was discharged on that date in Montreal. After a week’s visit to my home in Kitchener, returned to Montreal and again entered the employ of the Dominion Bridge Company as a checker in the draughting room.

      1920 Promoted to the rank of Squad Leader.

      1921 Sent to Saint John N.B. as Field Engineer on the erection of the C.P.R. railway bridge over the reversible Falls, E.C.Fitzsimmons, Foreman

      1922 Elected to the office of Worshipful Master of Victoria Lodge No. 73, A.F.&A.M. Sent to Gateneau Piont as a field engineer on the erection of the C.P.R. railway bridge over the Gatineau River. E.C.Fitzsimmons, Foreman

      1923 Field engineer on the erection of the railway bridge over the Abitibi River of Iroquois Falls. E.C.Fitzsimmons, Foreman

      1924 Field engineer on the erection of the highway bridge over the Chute Peribonka at Honfleur. Bill Robertson foreman

      1925 Field engineer on the erection of the highway bridge at St. Anne de Bellevue. E.C.Fitzsimmons, Foreman

      1929 Field engineer on the erection of ferry landings at Mulgrave N.S. George Estey, foreman. Started on the designing of erection equipment and methods for the erection of the Montreal South Shore bridge.

      1930 Erection engineer on the construction of the Montreal South Shore bridge (Jacques Cartier bridge) from 1930 to 1933. Lawrence McMahon and Alex McDermid, foremen.

      1934 Erection engineer on the construction of the Rechelieu River bridge at Sorel. Lawrence McMahon, foreman.

      1935 Erection engineer on the erection of the Isle D’Orleans suspension bridge. Lawrence McMahon, foreman.

      1936 Sailed for Australia on the S.S. Niagara from Vancouver. On the way we called at San Francisco, Honolulu, Suva and Auckland. On the stop at Suva I obtained one of each of the current coins of Fiji. This was the start of my coin collecting. On board ship I became very friendly with Mr.D.H.Ross, a retired Canadian trade commissioner living in Australia and with Mr. Fairbairn, a wool dealer from Dunedin. After dinner the three of us would walk arm in arm around the deck, ending up in the bar for a round of drinks. Arriving in Sydney I was met by Colonal Evans and then proceeded to Brisbane where I started work as assistant engineer to Mr. L.R.Wilson on the erection of the Storey Bridge over the Brisbane River at Kangarou Point. This work extended over the next four years.

      1938 Married to Alice Mitchell in Sydney, Australia. She came out from Montreal for the event.

      1940 Returned to Canada on the S.S. Mariposa, stopping at Auckland, Pago Pago, Suva and Honolulu. I again started work in the erection department of Dominion Bridge Co. Went to Port Alfred in charge of the erection of bauxite handling plant for the Aluminum Company of Canada. Herb Findlay, foreman. During this time we lived at 5550 Queen Mary Road in Montreal. Later went to Halifax in charge of the erection of a floating dry dock. Alex McDermid, foreman.

      1941 Appointed manager of the hull department of United Shipyards. During the next four years, forty-five liberty ships were built and launched. Jock Rannie, shipyard manager.

      1949 Erection engineer on the construction of the suspension bridge at Beauharnois. George Estey, foreman. Erection engineer on the construction of the highway arch bridge over the Chaudier River. George Estey, foreman.

      1952 Purchased the house at 210 53rd. Ave. Lachine.

      1955 Engineer on the erection of the Angus MacDonald suspension bridge at Halifax. Don Balmain, foreman. Presented with the second award medal by the American Numismatic Association for my article on the Canadian Bouquet Sous which appeared in the Numismatist.

      1956 I was appointed honorary vice president of the Canadian Numismatic Association.

      1958 Took leave of absence to go on an extended trip around the world. Sailed on S.S.Orcades from Vancouver. Made stops in San Francisco, Suva, Auckland, disembarking at Sydney. Visited friends in Sydney, Brisbane, Toowoomba and Melbourne. We also spent several days with Mr. and Mrs. Simpson on their cattle station Wyuna, at Barmundu in northern Queensland. Sailed from Melbourne on the S.S. Strathmore stopping at Adelaide where I made the acquaintance of Jim Deacon and Sid Hagley, both widely known numismatists, and a Perth. On the ship we sat at the table of Captain Slinn. Cardinal Gilroy of Sydney was also a guest at the Captain’s table. We became very good friends with the Cardinal and had lunch with him and his party on one occasion. We also became good friends with Major C.A.Dharnagala of Colombo and Mr. S. Rajanagayagan, an electrical engineer for the city of Colombo. We disembarked at Colombo and toured part of Ceylon by car visiting Putalam, Anuradhapura, Kandy, Sigeria, Nuwara Elyia and Kitulgala. Flew from Colombo to Madras in India where we visited Bangalore, Mysore, New Delhi, Agra and Bombay. Sailed from Bombay on the S.S. Asia for Naples, stopping on the way at Karachi, Aden, Suez, Cairo and Port Said. Toured part of Europe by car visiting Pompeii, Amalfi Drive, Capri, Rome, Florence, Venice, Como, Monte Carlo, and Genoa. While in Rome we met up with Isobel Alexander whose company we very much enjoyed while touring the city and the vicinity. Sailed from Genoa on the S.S.Augustus for New York. On this trip Alice won the Captain’s prize in the bridge playing competition.

      1959 Retired from the Dominion Bridge Company on pension.

      1968 Started spending the winter months in Florida. Received the Federal Centennial medal for work on Canadian Numismatics.

      1969 Awarded the first J.D.Ferguson award medal. Sold my entire coin collection and numismatic library.


  • Sources 
    1. [S106898] Private.




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