Leslie Bowen ^{1 2}

  Noted events in his life were:

• He appeared on the 1900 US Census in Illinois Township, Nelson, ND on 5 June 1900. ¹

1900 US Census
Sheet 1A, District 100, Family 9, Roll 1230
Illinois Township, Nelson County, North Dakota
Farm owned, with mortgage
Married 10 years
Leslie J. Bowen..Head..May 1868..32..IL..Farmer

(Living with wife, 3 children, mother-in-law, and brother.)
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• He appeared on the 1920 US Census in Illinois Township, Nelson, ND on January 1920. ²

1920 US Census
Sheet 8B, District 79, Dwelling 16, Family 16, Roll 1337
Illinois Township, Nelson County, North Dakota
Farm owned with mortgage
Leslie Bowen..Head..51..IL..Farmer

(Living with wife and 2 daughters.)
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Leslie married Myrtle Howser, daughter of William Noah Howser and Mary Gaddis, in 1890.^{1 2} (Myrtle Howser was born in May 1871 in Illinois ^{1 2 3} and died after 1 January 1920.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• They appeared on the 1900 US Census in Illinois Township, Nelson, ND on 5 June 1900. ¹

1900 US Census
Sheet 1A, District 100, Family 9, Roll 1230
Illinois Township, Nelson County, North Dakota
Farm owned, with mortgage
Married 10 years
Leslie J. Bowen..Head..May 1868..32..IL..Farmer
Myrtie Bowen..Wife..May 1871..29..IL..3/3
Clint C. Bowen..Son..Nov 1894..5..IL..At School
Mauree M. Bowen..Dau..Feb 1897..3..IL
Dean Bowen..Son..Jun 1899..11m..IL
Mary A. Howser..Mother-in-Law..Jul 1842..57..OH..Dress Maker..married 36 years..6/6
Sylvester Bowen..Brother..Jul 1866..33..IL..Farm Laborer..Divorced

NOTE - Many of the Howser families moved from Logan County, Illinois to Nelson County, North Dakota at varying times between 1884 and 1899 . These included Charles Houser and family who moved around 1899, his brother Arthur C. Howser and family, his uncle James Morrison Howser and family, and another uncle, Charles Metcalf, whose mother was his aunt Meldonetta and who was probably the first to move there around 1884. Charles' sister, Myrtie, had married Leslie Bowen and they were also living nearby and they were probably the last to move to North Dakota in the beginning of 1900. All three of the Howser families were listed consecutively on the census which might indicate they were immediate neighbors but I don't know how far apart they actually lived. It took the enumerator 5 days to visit just 10 households on this particular page.

The parents of Arthur, Charles, and Myrtie were apparently still married but living separately; the father was living with Charles and the mother was living with Myrtie.
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• They appeared on the 1920 US Census in Illinois Township, Nelson, ND on January 1920. ²

1920 US Census
Sheet 8B, District 79, Dwelling 16, Family 16, Roll 1337
Illinois Township, Nelson County, North Dakota
Farm owned with mortgage
Leslie Bowen..Head..51..IL..Farmer
Myrtie Bowen..Wife..48..IL
Eva Bowen..Dau..14..ND
Louisa Bowen..Dau..11..ND
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