2. William A. Cowan 1893
William A. Cowan (Willie)
Willie was born in 1893 at Owego and died in 1913 at age 19 of Pneumonia. Willie was the second child of William and Inga Cowan, being born two years after Mae. He was called Willie and possibly named after his mother's earlier child, Billy, of a previous marriage who died as a toddler. The child and father both died in the latter part of 1888 or in 1889. Of course, Willie's father and grandfather were also named William.
Willie attended one room country school at Owego School No 2, District #9 of Ransom County. A souvenir of attendance for the period of March 1901 to June, 1902 was given to the pupils by the teacher, Margaret Stoffel and his name is listed. Owego Township is about 12 miles to the southwest of Sheldon toward Lisbon.
Possibly the only picture of Willie is an oval studio photograph taken of him at about age thirteen in about 1907 with his sister Jane (Margaret) and brother Martin. Willie is wearing a dark double-breasted suit with trousers that come to the ankles and high lace boots. He has a high collar white shirt and a large floppy (what looks like colorful) bowed tie. His hair is parted in the middle. Jane, standing to his right, is about six or seven and is wearing a white dress with dark knee socks and buckle shoes. Her hair is long and combed back in curls. Martin is about three to four years old and is wearing a white children's suit with short pants and long dark socks.
Willie moved away from the farm and worked on the railroad selling newspapers a few years (probably up at Fargo) and it is unlikely that his younger brothers and sisters knew him very well at all. Willie worked as a news butcher on the railroad - selling newspapers to people as they traveled from place to place. He likely lived on the trains and the railroad boarding houses. This would have been about 1905 or so when railroads were flourishing and people were traveling. What a time - Great steam engines, billowing smoke, piercing whistles and conductors that hollered, "All Aboard!" - - and news butchers that hollered, "Git'cher paper here!"
Willie is buried at the Enderlin City Cemetery, lot 91 and his grave marker reads, "William A. Cowan 1893 -1913." His dad Jim Cowan purchased his grave. Possible information in the Sheldon Enterprise? A distant relative - the McMillan Iron Works of Buffalo, N.Y, built the great steam engines of the time. May his soul rest in peace.
Willie was born in 1893 at Owego and died in 1913 at age 19 of Pneumonia. Willie was the second child of William and Inga Cowan, being born two years after Mae. He was called Willie and possibly named after his mother's earlier child, Billy, of a previous marriage who died as a toddler. The child and father both died in the latter part of 1888 or in 1889. Of course, Willie's father and grandfather were also named William.
Willie attended one room country school at Owego School No 2, District #9 of Ransom County. A souvenir of attendance for the period of March 1901 to June, 1902 was given to the pupils by the teacher, Margaret Stoffel and his name is listed. Owego Township is about 12 miles to the southwest of Sheldon toward Lisbon.
Possibly the only picture of Willie is an oval studio photograph taken of him at about age thirteen in about 1907 with his sister Jane (Margaret) and brother Martin. Willie is wearing a dark double-breasted suit with trousers that come to the ankles and high lace boots. He has a high collar white shirt and a large floppy (what looks like colorful) bowed tie. His hair is parted in the middle. Jane, standing to his right, is about six or seven and is wearing a white dress with dark knee socks and buckle shoes. Her hair is long and combed back in curls. Martin is about three to four years old and is wearing a white children's suit with short pants and long dark socks.
Willie moved away from the farm and worked on the railroad selling newspapers a few years (probably up at Fargo) and it is unlikely that his younger brothers and sisters knew him very well at all. Willie worked as a news butcher on the railroad - selling newspapers to people as they traveled from place to place. He likely lived on the trains and the railroad boarding houses. This would have been about 1905 or so when railroads were flourishing and people were traveling. What a time - Great steam engines, billowing smoke, piercing whistles and conductors that hollered, "All Aboard!" - - and news butchers that hollered, "Git'cher paper here!"
Willie is buried at the Enderlin City Cemetery, lot 91 and his grave marker reads, "William A. Cowan 1893 -1913." His dad Jim Cowan purchased his grave. Possible information in the Sheldon Enterprise? A distant relative - the McMillan Iron Works of Buffalo, N.Y, built the great steam engines of the time. May his soul rest in peace.