6. Lee Cowan 1898 - 1963
Lee Cowan was born. November 15, 1898 and died. Dec. 20, 1963. Lee was the seventh child of William M. Cowan and the second child of his wife Delia. A newspaper clipping from the Sheldon Enterprise of November 18, 1898 states: “Born to Mr. and Mrs. William Cowan of HighlandTownship November 15th, a son. The Enterpriseis glad to note that the old-timers are still doing something to sustain the population of the "Bonnie Highland.” This child was Lee and William was 58 years of age and Dell was 30 at the time. Lee was born on the farm at Owego Township in southeastern North Dakota.
Lee grew up at Sheldon and attended school at Sheldon. According to the newspaper, there was a Cowan School at Sheldon. Lee was younger by far than any of the other children: His oldest brother, Jim was 24 years older and his sibling closest in age was Stan who was 12 years older. Lee’s closest friend and compatriot was his nephew Lloyd who was just two years younger that himself. Lloyd was a son of his brother Jim.
According to an Owego Consolidated School record, Lee attended upper grades at Owego Consolidated School at Sheldon during the school year 1914-1915. The parent listed on the record is Wm. Cowan. The teacher was Stanley Prideaux whose salary was $75.00 per month. According to the record, it appears that was the year the school opened. Lee was then 16 and his father was 74. Lee’s father died two years later in 1917.
A neighbor of Lee’s was the Van Horn family. I am told that the Van Horn’s had a place north of McLeod and that their farm was adjacent to William and Dell’s place. Listed in the upper grade were Kate Van Horn and her sister Louise. Kate, born 1902, was then 14. Lee married his schoolmate, Kate Van Horn about five years later in 1921. The U. S. Census report of 1910 shows the George Van Horn family at Sandoun and states that George worked as a stockman.
George was born in 1871 in Dakota Territory. His father was from Pennsylvania and his mother was born in Germany. His wife’s name was Stefanie and she was born in 1882 also in Dakota Territory. In 1910 they had been married for ten years and had four living children. The children in 1910 are Louise E., 9, Hattie L. (Kate), 7, and Mabel C., age 10 months.
At age 22, on February 24 of 1921, Lee married Kathryn (Kate) Van Horn of Owego Twp. They were married at Lisbon (the county seat). During the early years of their marriage Lee and Kate farmed and had a livery stable at Lisbon and Kate worked for a time as a waitress in a cafe in town. About a year and a half later, on June 4th, 1922, their only child, Doris, was born at Lisbon.
Kate’s sister Louise, born 1900, married Lee’s nephew Lloyd Cowan (who was “head man” on the farm on May 4th of 1920. According to the 1920 census taken in the early days of January Loyd (sic.) Cowan, age 22 was living at the farm of George Van Horn and worked as “head man.” Four months later, on May 4th of 1920 they were married. They then lived at Granville until the early 1940’s when they moved out to California.
A photograph taken during the summer of 1923 shows a group of about twenty adults and children posing in front of a small home on the plains. The couple sitting at the center have just gotten married and the bride is holding a bunch of flowers and has a braided ring of fresh flowers in her hair. Lee is standing at the back holding one year old Doris and Kate is standing at his side. The persons getting married are apparently friends at Lisbon.
A photograph taken in the summer of about 1924 show Lee and Lloyd Cowan on the Owego Baseball team - - It’s a group of nine guys in their early twenties posing for a group photograph. Automobiles of the early twenties are visible in the background and the fields are flat for as far as one can see. Lee and Lloyd would have a strong interest in baseball all of their lives and Lloyd eventually became manager of several ball clubs on the west coast. Note that Owego is also the name of the school that the boys attended as children. Their school attendance at Owego is recorded in a school souvenir of back in 1901 - 1902.
A photograph taken in the summer of 1925 shows Lee and Kate and Doris; Lees mother Dell and her husband George Griffin; Dell’s sister Esther Carr; and George’s grandson Ray Evans. They are posing in front of a 1923 roadster and a small barn is in the background. My guess is that George and Dell have driven down from Granville for a visit with Lee and Kate. Lee’s dad William Cowan died eight years before this photograph was taken.
A photograph taken during the summer of 1928 shows Lee and Kate and their daughter Doris standing in the field in front of the “cook car”where they lived when Lee was threshing. The cook car was like a small house on a big wagon and this is where Kate would prepare the meals for the threshing crew. Lee is wearing a suit with a vest and bow tie and Kate is wearing a Sunday dress and hat. Little Doris, six years old, is wearing a white dress with leggings and a light coat and cap. The fields are flat for as far as one can see. Shortly after that summer, the family moved to Granville where they lived for the next twenty years.
After W.W.II broke out in the early 1940’s, Lee and Kate moved to Bremerton, Washington where Lee worked on ammunition at the shipyards. Kate’s sister Louise and her husband Lloyd and her brother George and his wife Wilma all went out to Bremerton together to work at the shipyards. Their daughter Doris, now 20 years old and niece Madelyn worked there, as well. After the war, Lee and Kate moved to Myrtle Creek, about 60 miles from the Pacific Ocean in southern Oregon. Lee worked in the plywood mills at Myrtle Creek and was still working there when he died on December 20th, 1963 at the age of 65. Katheryn died in 1980 seventeen years later at age 77 in Lincoln County.
Doris says she has many pictures of Lee and the family from years ago.
7A Doris Cowan
Doris was born on June 4, 1922 at Lisbon, North Dakota. In the mid 1920’s, the family moves to Granville where they then lived for the next twenty years until the early 1940’s. Dorisis an only child and as she grew up attended Granville high School. Doris and Madelyn, daughter of Lloyd and Louise Cowan, are close in age and were close friends as they grew up and still are today. According to a letter of Aunt Inga, in June of 1938, at age 16, Doris and Madelyn go to visit their aunt Anne and uncle Bob Cowan and their family at Douglas. Cousin Stan, 27, was married and living at Flasher or Garrison then. Cousin Margaret was a little younger in age. According to aunt Inga, Dorisis just a picture of her mother, Kate. In June of 1940, Doris and Madelyn graduated from Granville High School.
At the beginning of W.W.II, Doris moved to Bremerton, Washington with her parents where she and Madelyn worked at the Navy Shipyards. When Lee and Kate later lived at Myrtle Creek, Oregon their milkman was Randolph Randleman. Doris and Randy became acquainted, courted and were married on June 28, 1954. After their marriage, Randy worked as a logger and millwright in Plymouth. Randy and Doris then moved to Toledo, Oregon where they have lived for many years. Toledois 5 miles from the ocean and about 120 miles to the north of Myrtle Creek. Doris and Randy have no children.
Doris says that they have been close to Bob and Anne Cowan of Douglas, North Dakota and to the children of Lloyd and Louise Cowan of California over the past many, many years. They are particularly close to Lois’s daughter Robin to whom they feel like adoptive parents. Doris says that Madelyn and Bill were out to visit in September of 1994. Doris had a triple bypass surgery in July of 1995 and it all turned out well. Doris has information on the family, growing up, and about Dell and Lynne.
Lee grew up at Sheldon and attended school at Sheldon. According to the newspaper, there was a Cowan School at Sheldon. Lee was younger by far than any of the other children: His oldest brother, Jim was 24 years older and his sibling closest in age was Stan who was 12 years older. Lee’s closest friend and compatriot was his nephew Lloyd who was just two years younger that himself. Lloyd was a son of his brother Jim.
According to an Owego Consolidated School record, Lee attended upper grades at Owego Consolidated School at Sheldon during the school year 1914-1915. The parent listed on the record is Wm. Cowan. The teacher was Stanley Prideaux whose salary was $75.00 per month. According to the record, it appears that was the year the school opened. Lee was then 16 and his father was 74. Lee’s father died two years later in 1917.
A neighbor of Lee’s was the Van Horn family. I am told that the Van Horn’s had a place north of McLeod and that their farm was adjacent to William and Dell’s place. Listed in the upper grade were Kate Van Horn and her sister Louise. Kate, born 1902, was then 14. Lee married his schoolmate, Kate Van Horn about five years later in 1921. The U. S. Census report of 1910 shows the George Van Horn family at Sandoun and states that George worked as a stockman.
George was born in 1871 in Dakota Territory. His father was from Pennsylvania and his mother was born in Germany. His wife’s name was Stefanie and she was born in 1882 also in Dakota Territory. In 1910 they had been married for ten years and had four living children. The children in 1910 are Louise E., 9, Hattie L. (Kate), 7, and Mabel C., age 10 months.
At age 22, on February 24 of 1921, Lee married Kathryn (Kate) Van Horn of Owego Twp. They were married at Lisbon (the county seat). During the early years of their marriage Lee and Kate farmed and had a livery stable at Lisbon and Kate worked for a time as a waitress in a cafe in town. About a year and a half later, on June 4th, 1922, their only child, Doris, was born at Lisbon.
Kate’s sister Louise, born 1900, married Lee’s nephew Lloyd Cowan (who was “head man” on the farm on May 4th of 1920. According to the 1920 census taken in the early days of January Loyd (sic.) Cowan, age 22 was living at the farm of George Van Horn and worked as “head man.” Four months later, on May 4th of 1920 they were married. They then lived at Granville until the early 1940’s when they moved out to California.
A photograph taken during the summer of 1923 shows a group of about twenty adults and children posing in front of a small home on the plains. The couple sitting at the center have just gotten married and the bride is holding a bunch of flowers and has a braided ring of fresh flowers in her hair. Lee is standing at the back holding one year old Doris and Kate is standing at his side. The persons getting married are apparently friends at Lisbon.
A photograph taken in the summer of about 1924 show Lee and Lloyd Cowan on the Owego Baseball team - - It’s a group of nine guys in their early twenties posing for a group photograph. Automobiles of the early twenties are visible in the background and the fields are flat for as far as one can see. Lee and Lloyd would have a strong interest in baseball all of their lives and Lloyd eventually became manager of several ball clubs on the west coast. Note that Owego is also the name of the school that the boys attended as children. Their school attendance at Owego is recorded in a school souvenir of back in 1901 - 1902.
A photograph taken in the summer of 1925 shows Lee and Kate and Doris; Lees mother Dell and her husband George Griffin; Dell’s sister Esther Carr; and George’s grandson Ray Evans. They are posing in front of a 1923 roadster and a small barn is in the background. My guess is that George and Dell have driven down from Granville for a visit with Lee and Kate. Lee’s dad William Cowan died eight years before this photograph was taken.
A photograph taken during the summer of 1928 shows Lee and Kate and their daughter Doris standing in the field in front of the “cook car”where they lived when Lee was threshing. The cook car was like a small house on a big wagon and this is where Kate would prepare the meals for the threshing crew. Lee is wearing a suit with a vest and bow tie and Kate is wearing a Sunday dress and hat. Little Doris, six years old, is wearing a white dress with leggings and a light coat and cap. The fields are flat for as far as one can see. Shortly after that summer, the family moved to Granville where they lived for the next twenty years.
After W.W.II broke out in the early 1940’s, Lee and Kate moved to Bremerton, Washington where Lee worked on ammunition at the shipyards. Kate’s sister Louise and her husband Lloyd and her brother George and his wife Wilma all went out to Bremerton together to work at the shipyards. Their daughter Doris, now 20 years old and niece Madelyn worked there, as well. After the war, Lee and Kate moved to Myrtle Creek, about 60 miles from the Pacific Ocean in southern Oregon. Lee worked in the plywood mills at Myrtle Creek and was still working there when he died on December 20th, 1963 at the age of 65. Katheryn died in 1980 seventeen years later at age 77 in Lincoln County.
Doris says she has many pictures of Lee and the family from years ago.
7A Doris Cowan
Doris was born on June 4, 1922 at Lisbon, North Dakota. In the mid 1920’s, the family moves to Granville where they then lived for the next twenty years until the early 1940’s. Dorisis an only child and as she grew up attended Granville high School. Doris and Madelyn, daughter of Lloyd and Louise Cowan, are close in age and were close friends as they grew up and still are today. According to a letter of Aunt Inga, in June of 1938, at age 16, Doris and Madelyn go to visit their aunt Anne and uncle Bob Cowan and their family at Douglas. Cousin Stan, 27, was married and living at Flasher or Garrison then. Cousin Margaret was a little younger in age. According to aunt Inga, Dorisis just a picture of her mother, Kate. In June of 1940, Doris and Madelyn graduated from Granville High School.
At the beginning of W.W.II, Doris moved to Bremerton, Washington with her parents where she and Madelyn worked at the Navy Shipyards. When Lee and Kate later lived at Myrtle Creek, Oregon their milkman was Randolph Randleman. Doris and Randy became acquainted, courted and were married on June 28, 1954. After their marriage, Randy worked as a logger and millwright in Plymouth. Randy and Doris then moved to Toledo, Oregon where they have lived for many years. Toledois 5 miles from the ocean and about 120 miles to the north of Myrtle Creek. Doris and Randy have no children.
Doris says that they have been close to Bob and Anne Cowan of Douglas, North Dakota and to the children of Lloyd and Louise Cowan of California over the past many, many years. They are particularly close to Lois’s daughter Robin to whom they feel like adoptive parents. Doris says that Madelyn and Bill were out to visit in September of 1994. Doris had a triple bypass surgery in July of 1995 and it all turned out well. Doris has information on the family, growing up, and about Dell and Lynne.