Genealogy, Rowell, Garner, FOURTH

GENERATION

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10. JAMES WILEY ROWELL James Wiley was born on 9 Mar 1855 in Wilcox County, Al. He died on 8 Dec 1908 at East Point, Louisiana. He is buried in Springhill Cem. near Ringold, La..


As told by William Edward "Ed" Rowell, 21 Feb. 1963.........

James Wiley and Sadie Ann homesteaded 80 acres of land near Old Sparta, Bienville Pa. La. Up to about this time Old Sparta was the County Seat and was situated about 8 miles west of the town of Bienville.

They remained on the homestead until about 1895 or 1896, selling the homestead they moved to Des Arc. This is about two miles above Loggy Bayou on Red River. A year or two later they moved to about a mile above East Point. Then about 1898 or 1899 moved to the outlet of Loggy Bayou, where it empties into Red River. Here James Wiley Rowell did some farming, as a tenant, operated a Ferry across both Loggy Bayou and Red River. He did commercial fishing off and on and helped in the plantation store on Saturdays. It was here Wiley died on 8 Dec. 1908, of what the doctor said was Swamp Fever. Being very sick, he was sent to the hospital in Shreveport, where he died a short time later. The family then moved into the hill country of Red River Parish some 12 or 15 miles Northeast of Coushatta-Holly Springs area. About 1915 the family moved to near Hall Summitt where 40 acres had been bought. This land lay next to the Mt. Zion Cemetery. This land was sold in 1917, I believe, and the family moved to Shreveport, La.

I, William Edward "Eddie" Rowell, born on the old homestead in Bienville Parish 15 May 1892. I cannot recall anything about the old home, and very little about living on the River at Dec Arc. This was about 1896. The things I remember best was gathering pecans, and how the steamboats that were on Red River at that time would frighten me with their whistles.

I started to school when we lived one mile above East Point. There was only six months of school but we would not be able to go all of that time. Just what we could get in between finishing one crop and starting another.

After the family moved to where Loggy Bayou empties into Red River, I began to help my faher in fishing and running the ferry as well as in the fields. At about the age of 12 years, I could run the Bayou Ferry alone when Dad was away. I had to quit school when Dad died in 1908. I was then 16. At about this time a mill had started at East Point sawing out Cypress shingles. My Dad had helped build it, and then helped in its operation until he died.

To support the family I took over his job and worked for about a year when the mill shut down. This experience in the maufacture of shingles later led me to the Mounce Mill near Castor. A year of so later, or about 1910, we moved into the hill country northeast of Coushatta, La. I immediately went down with plural pneumonia and was very sick for about two months. The doctor had to puncture my side to drain off the fluid that was collecting. This left me with scars that caused my rejection from service in World War I.

In 1914 we heard of a shingle mill that was operating near Castor. My brother Leonard and I, between crops, went up and secured a job from W. E. Mounce, owner of the mill. At crop time Leonard went back home. I stayed on for a few months longer and then I too returned home which was now near Hall Summit.

JAMES WILEY ROWELL was married to SADIE ANN GARNER on 29 May 1879 in Bienville Parish, LA..

11. SADIE ANN GARNER was born on 31 Jul 1859 in Atlantic, Gwinnett County, Ga. She died on 8 Dec 1950 in Shreveport, La. at the home of daughter Ollie Belle.(15) She was buried in Springhill Cem. near Ringold, La..

Listed in the 1910 Census of Red River Parish. Living in home of Sadie Ann Garner Rowell, were sons; Berry 28, Leonard 20, Eddie 17, Daughter Ollie B. 15, and son Adrian 9. Also living in Sadie's home were four boarders. She was listed as having a boarding house.

Listed in the 1920 Census of Caddo Parish. Living in the home of Sadie Ann Rowell, were: son Adrian 19, Leonard 30, Eddie 27, daughter Ollie Hayes, 25 Milton Hays (s-in-l), g-dtr Lorraine Hayes 11/12, and dtr-in-law Alicia Rowell.

As told by Ollie Belle Rowell McGee.....
When Sadie's family first moved to Shreveport, La. they moved into a house at the corner of Texas Ave. and Common St. It was known to be the "Red Light District" at that time. Having just moved to Shreveport, they didn't know that. Upon seeing men come and go out of some of her neighbors houses during the day and night, she asked her son Leonard Linden why? When he explained to her, she had a fit and insisted he "GET ME OUT OF HERE"!!!!

1975, When asked, Rex Stevenson, Sadie Ann's grandson stated that the Stevenson boys got their dark complexion, and black hair from being Indian. He said that Sadie Ann always said their Indian heritage came from the Rowell side of the family. Rex's daughter, Barbara Ruth, remembered "Little Granny" telling this story when she was little. At this time, I have not been able to find the proof.
Children were:

child i. BERRY M. ROWELL was born on 28 Nov 1880. He died on 11 Feb 1916. He was buried in Springhill Cem. near Ringold, La.
child ii. MERTIE MAY ROWELL was born on 29 Sep 1883. She died on 24 Jul 1885.
child5 iii. EVIE IREAN ROWELL.
child iv. LEONARD LINDEN ROWELL was born on 26 Dec 1889. He died on 1 Aug 1932 in Shreveport, La.. He was buried in Springhill Cem. near Ringold, La. Mar. Fannie Bounds. No children.
child v. WILLIAM EDWARD ROWELL was born on 15 May 1892. He died in Shreveport, La.. Mar: 1st Dolly Mary Mounce. 28 Nov. 1918, Mar: 2nd Merdie Crane, 23 Jan 1951.

As told by William Edward Rowell, 21 Feb. 1963
In 1914 I returned to the Mounce Mill. Then in January of 1918 I came to Shreveport, worked on the street car for two months, and then returned to the mill again. Dollie Mounce and I were married 28 Nov. 1918. We spent about one more year at the mill, then we moved to Shreveport, La. I again got a job on the street car, remaining with the company for 37 1/2 years, retiring in July of 1957.

My wife, Dollie died 24 May 1949 at Shreveport. La. She is buried at Pleasant Grove Cemetery near Ringold, La. My brother, James Adrian Rowell, was married to Helen Marie Mounce, my wife's sister. Helen Marie died 13 Jan. 1938, in Shreveport, La. and is buried at Pleasant Grove Cemetery, same as her sister, my wife.

child vi. OLLIE BELLE ROWELL was born on 3 Dec 1894. She died on 24 May 1971 in Shreveport, La.. She was buried in Forest Park Cem. in Shreveport, La. Mar: 1st 30 July 1912, Lamont Price, (Divorced) Mar: 2nd 18 April 1919, William D. Hayes. Mar: 3rd 27 Nov. 1924 Abner B. McGee. Ch: Lillian Price b. 31 May 1913, Eddie Price, b. 6 June 1915, d. 15 Feb. 1918, Lorraine Price, Frances Hayes, b. 13 April 1920, James Robert Hayes, 27 Jan. 1922, Adopted son Alton Leon b. 15 Sept. 1927.
child vii. JAMES ADRIAN ROWELL was born on 11 Aug 1900 at East Point, La. He died in Calion, Union County, Ark. Mar: 1st Helen Marie Mounce, 2nd Fannie Leopard. His children are all from 1st mar.: Marie, 30 April 1921, Laverne, 26 March 1923, Adrian Jr. 19 Oct. 1925, Donald, 29 July 1929.

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