DOWLER, JOANNA GERTRUDE WALL, for many years one of the most popular educators of Cass County, and a lady of scholarly attainments and charming personality, was born in New York City, July 28, 1838, a daughter of David F. and Mary (Welsh) Wall, natives of Dublin, Ireland, who met in New York City after their arrival in this country, and there married. Mr. Wall was a farmer, and after he moved to Vermilion County, Ill., served that county as clerk. In the meanwhile, however, he had lived in Pennsylvania and Indiana, serving in the latter place as a railroad employee. During the winter of 1839-40 he settled in Vermilion County, and after purchasing a farm, lived upon it a short time, then moved to Danville, Ill., where he died in 1846. Following his demise, his widow and children went to Quincy, Ill., where the widow died about 1856.

Early recognizing the necessity of becoming self-supporting, Joanna Gertrude Wall, now Mrs. Dowler, learned the millinery trade at Quincy, and when she had sufficient money saved, took a college course at the Jacksonville College. When her money was exhausted, she resumed work at her trade, thus alternating until she had completed her studies with Prof. Bowick, who, in 1851, had come to Beardstown. Mrs. Dowler taught school under him, and for fifty-two years was a teacher, during the last two years devoting her attention to instruction in drawing. Feeling then that she had completed her work along educational lines, to the great regret of many she retired, and since then has resided in her exceedingly comfortable home on East Fifth Street, Beardstown.

In 1862 Miss Wall was married to Dr. Moses Morton Dowler, born in the state of Virginia, a physician of high standing who carried on a large practice at Beardstown and Rushville. He was a carefully trained professional man, having been educated at Bellevue, New York, and the Rock Island Medical College. His death occurred in 1906, at Kansas City, Mo., where he is buried. Dr. and Mrs. Dowler were the parents of the following children: Arthur S., who is a physician of Panora, Iowa; Walter R., who is of Oakland, Cal., and Florence Marie, who was a graduate of the Beardstown High School and taught there for one year, but died in 1902, aged twenty years. Mrs. Dowler is a member of the Methodist Church, and is active in its many avenues of usefulness.