In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1915) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1846, Delaware county
From History of Preble County Ohio: Her People, Industries and Institutions (1915), A Biographical history of Preble County, Ohio : compendium of national biography (1900)
ROBERT E. LOWRY.
Robert Eaton Lowry was born in Delaware county, Ohio, November 2, 1845, his parents being Andrew J. and Elizabeth (Cunningham) Lowry, the latter a native of Delaware county and the former of Ireland, whence he was brought to America by his parents during his infancy. The family located on the James river, seventy-five miles below Richmond, and there remained for seven years, after which they came to Ohio in 1828, locating in Delaware county. The father of our subject was a farmer by occupation and followed that pursuit throughout his active business career. He died in January, 1893, but his wife is still living in Delaware county. They have a family of five children who yet survive, namely: Robert
E.; Mrs. Julia Grennan, of Oxford, Butler county, Ohio, whose husband has been a teacher in the Oxford high school since April, 1866; Phoebe L., wife of William O. Dixon, of Liberty, Delaware county; Mrs. Mary E. Randall, of Claiborne, Union county, Ohio; and Philo John, who is a railroad conductor, making his home in Wellington, Kansas.
Mr. Lowry, of this review, having acquired his preliminary education in the common schools, continued his studies in the Central College of Franklin county, Ohio, and in the Miami University, being graduated in the latter, on the completion of the Latin and scientific course, in 1871. He then devoted his attention to educational labors, successfully teaching in Butler, Preble and Montgomery counties until May, 1885. He became a resident of Preble county in August, 1873, and in 1884 he was elected county surveyor, serving for six years as surveyor and engineer. In 1891 he began the study of law under Judge J. W. King, and was admitted to the bar in 1893, after which he opened an office in Eaton, practicing alone in this city until January 1, 1900, when he formed a partnership with his old preceptor, Judge King. This firm enjoys a liberal patronage. While alone in practice Mr. Lowry followed civil engineering and surveying to some extent and still owns his instruments.
On the 29th of December, 1872, occurred the marriage of Mr. Lowry and Miss Emily Hamilton, a native of Butler county, Ohio, a daughter of Robert and Mary C. (Fuller) Hamilton. The father was a Scotchman and the mother was a native of Connecticut. Mrs. Lowry was educated in the public schools of Kokomo, Indiana, and for several years before her marriage and for five years after her marriage she successfully engaged in teaching. Mr. Lowry is a representative of the Masonic fraternity in which he has attained the Royal Arch degree, and in the chapter has served as principal sojourner. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias fraternity. During the civil. war he enlisted four times, but was taken out by his father each time on account of his youth. The fourth time, however, he was mustered into the service before his father arrived on the scene and this necessitated a discharge from the service. He is very proud of the old parchment which indicated that he was a member of the army. His father enlisted in the One Hundred and Fortysixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving for one hundred days. By reason of his enlistment Mr. Lowry is entitled to membership in the Grand Army of the Republic, and belongs to the post of Eaton. He has always been a stanch friend of the soldier, having a just appreciation of the great work which the boys in blue did for their country. He is one of the city school examiners of Eaton and has always taken an active interest in educational matters. He served for two terms, from April, 1896, until April, 1898, as mayor of Eaton. His wife is a member of the Disciples church, and he was reared in the Presbyterian faith, but is not now identified with any denomination.
As printed in A Biographical history of Preble County, Ohio : compendium of national biography (1900). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
ROBERT EATON LOWRY.
Robert Eaton Lowry, the historian of this volume, is an attorney of the Preble county bar, and has been a resident of that county since August, 1873. He was born on November 2, 1846, in Delaware county, Ohio, and through his own efforts and earnings, was educated at Central College Academy, eleven miles northeast of Columbus, Ohio, after which time he attended and graduated from Miami University, in th class of 1871. During the winters, while attending the academy and university, he taught school in Delaware, Franklin and Butler counties, and, after his graduation, he taught until 1885, being employed seven years at Gratis, Ohio, when he was honored by the people of Preble county, who elected him to the office of county surveyor, for six years, since which time he has been employed as an attorney.
During the Civil War he enlisted no less than four times, in various regiments, but, on account of his age, was dismissed and sent home, because of the opposition of his father, the last time after muster in Company B, Forty-sixth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, from which he was discharged. Upon his return home, his father went in the One Hundred and
Forty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, so that every member of the family, by blood or marriage, carried Uncle Sam’s honorable discharge, if old enough. The subject of this sketch served as mayor of Eaton for two years, from May, 1896, and has been for ten years a member of the Eaton public library, and also served as treasurer of the law library.
The father of the subject of this sketch, Andrew J. Lowry, was born in the state of Virginia, near the mouth of James river, in January, 1822. His parents, Andrew Lowry and Mary Lowry, came from County Down, Ireland, about sixteen miles southeast of Belfast, to that state in 1820, and with the great-grandfather, Andrew Lowry, came to Delaware county, Ohio, with their families in 1828, when they settled in Liberty township, where Andrew Lowry and his wife died, in 1836 and 1838, respectively. Andrew J. Lowry grew to manhood and lived in Liberty township all his life, owning a farm of one hundred and fifteen acres. He died on the farm in January, 1893. Andrew Lowrv had five brothers, John, Samuel, Robert, David and Crosby, and one sister, Ann, who married Philo Thomas.
The mother, Elizabeth (Cunningham) Lowry, married Andrew J. Lowry in January, 1844, and to them six children were born: Joseph C., who died in boyhood; Robert E.; Julia E., who married Lawrence E. Grennan, of Oxford, Ohio, both now deceased; Phoebe L., who married William Dixon, now deceased; Mary E., who married Edward O. Randall, both of whom are since deceased, and Philo J., now of Amarillo, Texas. The parents of Elizabeth Lowry were Barnett and Mary (Eaton) Cunningham, who were natives of Connecticut, and came with their parents to Delaware county, Ohio, about 1805. Mary (Eaton) Cunningham’s father was the government surveyor of most of the land in Delaware county, and a direct descendant of that John Eaton who landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1624, and emigrated to the colony of Connecticut, in 1636, as related on his tombstone in the Berlin cemetery. To Barnett and Mary Cunningham were born eleven children, John, Joseph, Hugh, Elizabeth, James, Jane, Margaret, Phoebe, Mary, Barnett and one who died in infancy. All are deceased except Margaret. Elizabeth Lowry was born in December, 1821, and died in September, 1903. Robert E. Lowry married Mary Emily Hamilton on December 29, 1872, the daughter of Robert and Mary Hamilton, who was born on October 16, 1846, near Somerville, Ohio. The father, Robert Hamilton, was a native of Kilmarnock, Scotland, coming to this country when a young man, to Connecticut. The mother was the daughter of Joseph and Amy Cornish Fuller, who lived and
Google died in the Farmington valley, about fifteen miles west of Hartford, Connecticut. Robert and Mary Hamilton were the parents of seven children, Joseph, Martha, Amy, Mary Emily, William, Thomas B. and Sarah A. Robert Hamilton died in 1869, sixty-one years old; Mary Hamilton died in 1902, eighty-five years old. Both were buried at West Elkton, Ohio, they having come to Butler county, in 1838, shortly after their marriage.
Robert E. Lowry and wife moved to Eaton, Ohio, in 1885. After serving a term as surveyor, he was admitted to practice law, in 1892, and practiced by himself until 1900, when he formed a partnership with Judge J. W. King, and, later on, Harry G. King became a member of the firm of King, Lowry & King, which so continued until Judge King’s death, March, 1908, after which the firm became Lowry & King, and has so continued.
Mr. Lowry belongs to Bolivar Lodge No. 82, Free and Accepted Masons, to Eaton Chapter No. 22, Royal Arch Masons, to Waverly Lodge No. 143, Knights of Pythias, and to Mulharen-O’Cain Post No. 3, Grand Army of the Republic. Mr. and Mrs. Lowry belong to the Presbyterian church, of Eaton, in which he officiated as a deacon. In fact both were educated and reared as Presbyterians, and as Republicans, and still hold the faith of their childhood, both religiously and politically. They each have, during their married lives, tried to be loving, cheerful and capable helpmeets to each other, and good and respectable citizens of the county, who tried to help push the car of progress along, although at times fate has seemed to have dealt with them somewhat harshly. They have endeavored to remember the motto:
“When God sorts out the weather and sends rain,
Then rain’s my choice,” as the proper spirit for those who pray, “Thy will be done.”
As printed in History of Preble County Ohio: Her People, Industries and Institutions (1915). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1915. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.