William Bowyer obituary, The Marlboro County Herald, Volume 1, number 5,
Bennettsville, South Carolina, Thursday October 1, 1931, page 5. The
obituary was transcribed by Wm Greene and his sister (about 1980), from the
Bennettsville library holdings due to the fragile nature of the newspaper.
Mr. Greene shared a copy of the transcription with Mary Stephens Scrudder
2005.
Mr Wm Bowyer
Mr. Wm Bowyer died at the local hospital yesterday morning following an
illness extending over a period of several weeks. The remains were carried
to Whitner Undertaking company and the body will remain in the chapel until
the funeral services are held at 11 o'clock this morn. Interment will be in
the family plot at Beauty Spot Cemetery.
Mr. Bowyer was the son of M/M Thomas Bowyer native Tennesseean, and was born
in Mississippi. During his early childhood his parents moved here and he
has made this county his home ever since. He was from pure English stock
and was a man of high endearing qualities. In early manhood he married Mary
Cope and his union was blessed with fourteen children. Four of these, along
with his wife, have preceded him to the grave. His wife died September 4,
1925. The children that survive are: B. B. Bowyer, C. S. Bowyer of Oteen,
N.C., Edgar Bowyer of Atlanta, Ga; M.T. Bowyer of Miami, Fla; Sam J. Bowyer
of Bennettsville; Wm C. Bowyer, U.S. Navy; Miss Willie Bowyer of Wilmington,
N.C.; Mrs. A. B. Knipe of Atlanta, Ga; Mrs Fred E. Greene, of Greensboro, N.
C.; and Mrs W. J. Inglis of Greenwood, S. C.
Mr Bowyer was a member of the Methodist Church and was in every sense of the
word a Christian. He was a remarkable man and all that came in contact with
him realized the worth of the man.
Although deprived of both arms when he was ramming a cannon here in the
early fall of 1880, celebrating the arrival of Wade Hampton, who had come to
address the citizens of the county and also celebrating Hampton's election
as governor of the state of South Carolina. Thereby ending the CarpetBag
Rule and the era Negro office holders in the state, he was not content to
sit idly by but continued his farming enterprises at his home place near
Tatum and only a few years ago did he discontinue these operations.
During the celebration he was assisted in manning the cannon by Messrs J. P.
Campbell, Arch McCall, who lost one arm in the explosion, that cost Mr
Bowyer both of his; Sam Brown, and J. R. Sampson, the father Ruric N[?]
Sampson.
For the past three years Mr Bowyer has been making his home with his son Sam
J. Bowyer here and has been a regular attendant upon the services of the
Men's Evangelistic Club and these of the Methodist Church. A good man has
been called to his reward and his passing brings such sorrow to his many
friends and relatives here."
Submitted by Mary Scrudder, Apr 2006.
