Bennie Harpie Bowers (1913 - 1988)

Born 9 Jun 1913 in Smith County, Texas, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Gertrude (Arthur) Bowers — married 28 Aug 1943 in Bexas County, Texas, United States

Died 14 Sep 1988 at age 75 in Hideaway, Smith, Texas, United States

Biography

CWO U S AIR FORCE

WORLD WAR II-KOREA

Bennie H Bowers, the son of John Thomas Bowers (1864-1918) and Olive Hannah Lee Hall, was born in 1913 in Lindale, Smith, Texas, USA.^[1]

Bennie Bowers, his parents and siblings, were enumerated in the 1920 census of Lindale, Smith, Texas.^[2]

Bennie lived with his sister, Bama, and her family when the 1930 census of Precinct 7, Smith, Texas, USA.^[3]

Bennie, 26 and single, was a Corporal in the U.S. Army at Fort Benning, Georgia, when the 1940 census was enumerated.^[4]

Gertrude and Bennie Harpie Bowers were married on 28 August 1943 in Bexar County, Texas.^[5]

Bennie registered for the World War II draft when he was 32, married to Gertrude A Bowers, and living at 523 Crosby Street, San Antonio, Bexar, Texas; he was 6-ft, 180 lbs, blue eyes, brown hair, ruddy complexion; tatoo mark on left arm.^[6]

Bennie enlisted as a Master Sergeant on 20 November 1945 in the Air Corps in Brown County, Texas.^[7]

Bernie enlisted 29 December 1948, discharged 22 September 1961.^[8]

Research Notes

Spouse: Are Mary and Gertrude the same person? No marriage record found for Mary, only Gertrude, but his newspaper obituary has surviving spouse Mary Bowers.

Sources

1. ↑ Birth: "Texas, U.S., Birth Certificates, 1903-1932"
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2275 #405572 (accessed 13 November 2023)
   Bowers born on 28 Jun 1913, son of J G Bowers & Ollie Hall, in Lindale, Smith, Texas, USA.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHTV-LXC : Thu Nov 09 07:10:18 UTC 2023), Entry for Ollie L Bowers and Williams Bowers, 1920.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1930", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HVHP-52M : Tue Oct 03 16:44:35 UTC 2023), Entry for Carlos W Prather and Bama L Prather, 1930.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K7L3-8RG : Thu Oct 05 08:27:09 UTC 2023), Entry for Bennie H Bowers, 1940.
5. ↑ Marriage: "Texas, U.S., Select County Marriage Records, 1837-1965"
   Bexar County Clerk's Office; San Antonio, Texas; Bexar County Marriage Records; Volumes: 85; Pages: 308; Certificate Number: 149817
   Ancestry Record 9168 #132299221 (accessed 7 November 2023)
   Bennie H Bowers marriage to Gertrude Biggs on 28 Aug 1943 in Texas, USA.
6. ↑ Military: "U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947"
   National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Texas, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 148
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2238 #20315701 (accessed 13 November 2023)
   Name: Bennie Harpie Bowers; Gender: Male; Race: White; Age: 32; Relationship to Draftee: Self (Head); Birth Date: 9 Jun 1913; Birth Place: Lindale, Texas, USA; Residence Place: San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, USA; Registration Date: 27 Oct 1945; Registration Place: San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, USA; Employer: None; Height: 6; Weight: 180; Complexion: Ruddy; Hair Color: Brown; Eye Color: Blue; Next of Kin: Gertrude A Bowers;
   Household Members (Name) Age Relationship:
   Bennie Harpie Bowers 32 Self (Head).
7. ↑ Military: "U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946"
   National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland, USA; Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, 1938-1946; NAID: 1263923; Record Group Title: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1789-ca. 2007; Record Group: 64; Box Number: 00271; Reel: 27
   Ancestry Record 8939 #3446120 (accessed 13 November 2023)
   Name: Bennie H Bowers; Race: White; Marital Status: Married; Rank: Master Sergeant; Birth Year: 1913; Nativity State or Country: Texas; Citizenship: Citizen; Residence: Brown, Texas; Education: 1 year of high school; Enlistment Date: 20 Nov 1945; Enlistment Place: San Antonio, Texas; Service Number: 06259191; Branch: Air Corps; Component: Regular Army (including Officers, Nurses, Warrant Officers, and Enlisted Men); Height: 97 (he's 8-feet tall); Weight: 506 (yikes!).
8. ↑ Military: "U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010"
   Original data: Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) Death File. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Page number: 1
   Ancestry Record 2441 #14038813 (accessed 13 November 2023)
   Name: Bennie H Bowers; Birth Date: 9 Jun 1913; Death Date: 14 Sep 1988; Enlistment Branch: AF; Enlistment Date: 29 Dec 1948; Discharge Date: 22 Sep 1961.

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/121996379/bennie-harpie-bowers

This person was created through the import of Bowers.ged on 20 January 2011. The following data was included in the gedcom. You may wish to edit it for readability.