The full biographical sketch as printed, transcribed from the public-domain book. Spelling and wording are the original author’s; a few scanning errors may remain.
JOHN U. BOWMAN.
John U. Bowman, now deceased, was for many years a resident of Zanesville and left behind him the record of loyal citizenship and an honorable career in business and social life. He was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1836. His father, Urich Bowman, was a native of Germany, as was his wife, Regina. They removed from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, to Ohio, settling in Zanesville, and here the father followed the baker’s trade, which he had learned in early life.
John U. Bowman was only four or five years of age at the time of the parents’ removal to this city. Having attended the public schools and mastering the branches of learning which fitted him for life’s practical and responsible duties, he then took up the painter’s trade and not only mastered the bus- iness of house painting but also learned the butch- er’s trade with his uncle. In the winter seasons he followed the latter pursuit and in the summer months engaged in house painting. He was thus occupied until the outbreak of the Civil war, when he enlisted for three months’ service, becoming a member of Captain Playford’s Company in 1864. Flis regiment was formed at the time of Morgan’s raid. Mr. Bowman was taken ill while in the service and for a year remained in poor health. In fact it was illness lie there contracted which virtually terminated his life. Following bis re- turn from the war he devoted his attention to the trades of painting and paper hanging and after working as journeyman for some years became a contractor along those lines and had many pa-
trons whom he worked for year after year. There were constant demands made for his service, his excellent work insuring him a continuation of a liberal patronage. He always did his work in a careful and painstaking manner, putting forth every effort to please, and by reason of fair prices and straightforward dealing was accorded a very gratifying patronage.
In 1859, in Zanesville, Mr. Bowman was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Startler, who was born in Belmont county, Ohio, and was a daugh- ter of Matthias Startler, also a native of that county. Her paternal grandfather, Henry Start- ler, wa° of German birth and, coming to America in colonial days, .served in the Revolutionary war. Unto Henry and Mary Startler, while residents of Belmont county, was born a son, Matthias Startler, who, after arriving at years of maturity married Catherine Snyder, a daughter of George and Fanny (Southard) Snyder. Matthias Start- ler departed this life in 1901. at the very advanced age of ninety-three years, but the mother of Mrs. Bowman only lived to the age of thirty-three years.
Mr. and Mrs. Bowman became the parents of four children : Robert, who is a painter by trade and is now engaged in civil engineering in the west, married Jennie Ratliff and has four child- ren : Charles ; Helen, the wife of Bert Lawger, by whom she has one child ; Edna, and Raymond. Ella, the second member of the Bowman family, is the wife of Andy Hoffman. Minnie is living with her mother. Charles, a painter by trade, wedded Miss Mary Taylor and has one child, Giarlotte.
Mr. Bowman espoused the cause of the republi- can party on attaining his majority and continued to give it his support until his death, but was never an office seeker. He belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Zanesville and also to the Grand Army post and in both of these organi- zations he took an active and helpful part, being in sympathy with their basic principles. Almost his entire life was spent in Zanesville and those who knew him from boyhood davs up to the time of his death were numbered among the stanchest friends, which fact indicates that his life was at all times worthy of respect. He left his family an untarnished name and be is yet remembered by many who knew him and who appreciated his ex- cellent traits of character.
Source: Biographical Record of Muskingum County, Ohio. See the original pages at the Internet Archive.
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