Rowe Genealogy

You'd think I would have the most information about my own surname. I haven't found any family histories for this line yet. This information is primarily from family recollection except where otherwise noted.

Generation One

This family appears in the 1880 U. S. census for Elk, Sanilac County, Michigan which is North of Detroit. The surname is entered as Roe, but has been corrected by another researcher to Rowe. The California Death Index has William Walter's mother's maiden name as Kipp. It's possible that she was the first wife of William above, but it would have to be prior to 1861 or she also had the first name Catherine as that's William's wife name in the 1861 Canadian census.

In a 1900 census for the same location as the 1880 census, the widower William appears with son James and daughter-in-law Clara. The record also states that William and his children came to the U. S. in 1877, which is two years later from what William Walter stated in his 1900 census record. In the 1910 census he said he emigrated in 1892. This is the year of his marriage so perhaps he was confused as to the question. The birth locations for William and his wife match what William Walter Rowe stated for his. The names David and James are repeated in the next generation. One difficulty in making a link is that there are several birth years for William Walter Rowe from 1860 in the California Death Index to 1867 in the 1920 U. S. Census.

A David Thomas Rowe appears in the 1900 census for Cleveland, Ohio. In it, he states he emigrated to the U.S. in 1876. The same census indicates, his daughter Elizabeth was born there in 1895. An older daughter was born in Saginaw, Michigan in February 1892. A possible scenario, is that William Walter moved to Cleveland with his brother. It would have to have been between February and August of that year. This makes it unlikely that he met his wife there unless it was a whirlwind romance. Another scenario is that he traveled there to marry so his brother could be present. A third scenario is the William Walter preceded his brother to Cleveland.

This family from the 1871 Canadian census record is a close match for William Walter's age given in the 1900 and 1910 census records. The elder William was born in England which doesn't correlate with William Walter's father being born in Canada as per his census information. A William and Harriet Rowe appear in the 1891 Canadian census with the son Thomas and three younger children at a different location in Canada. There's a slight variation in ages. William Walter said he emigrated in 1875 when he would have been 9 or 10 years old. Unless he went to live with relative, it's a pretty young age to be leaving home. No record for William and Harriet could be found in the 1880 U. S. census.

The connection has been suggested by another researcher. The information is from the 1880 U. S. census for Pittsfield, Washtenaw County, Michigan, which is just West of Ypsalanti. Family lore gives Ypsalanti as the Michigan home of the family. It's also close to Detroit. Matthew was born in Ireland, whereas William Walter says his father was born in Canada. Isabella was born in Canada, but her parents were born in Ireland as well. Phyllis (Rowe) Ingram of generation four below visited England and said she went to the town from where her ancestors, most likely her grandparents, lived. This doesn't match up with this line. The census page indicates it was recorded 1 June 1880 which would have been before William Walter's birthday making two years off if the 1865 date of his birth is correct.

Generation Two

m 2 Aug 1892 Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio Catherine Agnes Davis b 18 Feb 1868 Wisconsin d 1 Mar 1944 San Luis Obispo, California

William and his parents were born in Canada as per several census records. The year of his birth is less clear. The year 1865 is chosen as it appears in two census records closest to his birth: 1900 and 1910. The 1920 census has ca. 1868 and the California death index has 1860. The birth month and day are from the last source. The index also gives his mother's maiden name as Kipp.

Catherine's (also Katie, Katherine, and Cathleen) birth year is also from the 1900 census. The 1910 census has her born ca. 1873 and the 1920 census has her born ca. 1871. The California Death Index has her born in 1862. In addition, the index gives Catherine's mother's maiden name as King which was also given to her son.

Catherine's father was living with her in 1900 with the name William P. David, born March 1830. William immigrated to the U. S. in 1865. He and his parents were born in Ireland. A search of the census records for a Catherine with a father William Davis turned up an 1880 record for La Crosse, La Crosse County, Wisconsin. The widowed father, William, was born in Ireland about 1825, which is five years older than in the 1900 census. The children William H., aged 26, born Michigan; Thomas, aged 23, born Michigan; John P., aged 21, born Michigan; Mary K., aged 19, born Wisconsin; Katie A., aged 15 (three years younger than the 1900 census), born Wisconsin; and James F., aged 12, born Wisconsin. A James Davis was the witness at Catherine's wedding. No other such father daughter connections were found.

In searching for the children of William Davis, an 1870 census record for P. R. Davis was found. While the names doesn't match, there's a strong correlation with the children. William's wife is Elizabeth aged 40. Both parents were born in Ireland. The children are: S.E, female, aged 18, born Massachusetts, W. H., male, aged 17, born Michigan; Thomas, age 15 born Michigan; Mary, age 13 born Michigan; John, age 10 born Wisconsin; Ann, age 8, born Wisconsin; K. A., female, aged 6, born Wisconsin; and J. F, male, aged 4, born Wisconsin.

William and Catherine were married at St. John's Cathedral in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio,which is in the North Eastern part of the state. The certificate was signed by the rector of St. John's Cathedral in Cleveland, Ohio. The original marriage certificate is in the possession of Roberta (Rowe) Lopez. The records of St John's Cathedral state the William was from Detroit and that both were Catholics. It is unknown why such a distant location was selected. The next year they were in Detroit where their eldest son was born. Perhaps they were on there way to Niagara Falls for a honeymoon.

William W. Rowe, street car conductor, appears in the Detroit directories at various addresses from 1892 to 1904. The 1900 census has William Rowe (spelled Rowa), his wife Catherine A., and their four children William J., John P., Mary M., and David K. and Catherine's father William P. David. Numerous documents give Catherine's maiden name as Davis so the surname for William P. must be a mistake. The census also states the William Walter immigrated to the U.S. in 1875. The address in the census is the same as in the city directory for that year.

William appears in the Los Angles city directory in 1910 through 1912 at two addresses with the occupation of conductor. The 1910 census has William Rowe (spelled Rone), his wife Catherine, and their four living children in Gardena, Los Angeles County, California. William and his parents were born in Canada, Catherine in Wisconsin, and the children in Michigan. Catherine's parents were born in Ireland. In this census, William immigrated to the United States in 1892, which is the same year as his marriage. His occupation is an electric car conductor.

The 1917 World Was I draft card of John Patrick has him living in San Miguel, San Luis Obispo County, Calfiornia. The 1918 World Was I draft card for his son David shows him working with his father in farming in the same location. In the 1920 census (spelled Row - just can't get the name spelled right) the family was still living in San Miguel. By this time, son William had left the household and married. Based on this census, William was born ca. 1868. Grand daughter Roberta (Rowe) Lopez remembers them living in San Miguel where William ran a crop wholesale business that eventually failed.

The dates of William's and Katherine's deaths are from the California Death Index. They are buried in the Old Mission Catholic Church Cemetery in San Luis Obispo, California. Catherine is listed as Catherine E. Rowe.

Mary died of Meningitis and was buried 31 Mar 1901 at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan, Section 1, tier 2, grave 207. The name Marian was given on the death certificate. Mary M. is from the 1900 census, which is clearly written. Perhaps the census taker misheard the former name for the latter.

The stillborn female was buried 20 Jan 1900 at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan, Section 4, tier 10, grave 132.

Generation Three

(Children of William Rowe and Katherine Davis)

ROWE, William James b 11 Jul 1893 Detroit, Michigan d 4 May 1982 Gaviota, California

m 7 Nov 1914 San Jose, California Eunice Evelyn Coats b 5 May 1893 Contra Costa County, California d 26 Jun 1979 Goleta, California

William registered for the draft June 1917. On the form, he said he was born in Detroit, Michigan, lived at 826 South 3rd, San Jose, California, and his birth date as above. At the time, he was working at Keystone Grocery. When his father's business failed William came north to San Jose where he first worked for the Alexander Company driving a truck between San Jose and King City. In 1920, he was a 'Coffee Manger' according to the census. At the time they lived at 826 Third Street in San Jose. The 1930 census has him in the same business, but now in San Gabriel, California. They lived as 1519 Emperor Ave. The family returned to San Jose where William (Will) was a vice president in charge of coffee procurement for S & W Fine Foods. They lived in Menlo Park and later in Atherton. In 1951 William, Eunice, and her mother returned to San Francisco from Vancouver, British Columbia on the Mombasa. William and Eunice gave their home address as 174 Alameda St. (Alameda de las Pulgas), Atherton. When he retired, they first moved to a house at 549 Hull Street that they bought from William Patton who was a cousin of Eunice. Finally, they moved to a beach home near Gaviota, California. For enjoyment, Will played golf. He was good enough to play in the PGA Senior Tour according to his son.

Will met Eunice at the candy store her family ran in San Jose.

ROWE, John Patrick b 16 Jun 1895 Detroit Michigan d April 1968 San Marino, Los Angeles County, California

m 1926 Ida Miller b 1896 Salt Lake City, Utah d 1 Mar 1988 Los Angeles County, California

John's birth date and location are from his World War I draft registration card. The 1930 census has John, Ida, and son John on 4330 Georgia Street in San Diego, California where John was a manager at a coffee company. Ida worked for the Fluor Corporation.

ROWE, Agnes C. b 14 Feb 1903 Michigan d 27 Nov 1969 San Luis Obispo County, California

The 1930 census has Edwin and Agnes C., Dolores C., and Agnes F. living at 321 12th Street, Paso Robles, California

ROWE, David King b 4 Dec 1899 Michigan d 24 Feb 1958 Paso Robles, California

David registered for the draft 12 Sep 1918. He said he was farming with his father in San Miguel, San Luis Obispo County, California and that his mother's name was Catherine.

The 1920 census has David and Vivian living with her parents on 12th Street in Paso Robles, San Louis Obispo County, California. The next census had the family on East Orange Grove Avenue in Pasadena Township, Los Angeles, California where David was a bond house salesman.

David and Vivian are buried in the Paso Robles District Cemetery in San Luis Obispo County, California. Vivian's middle name is given as Boyd in the cemetery index.

Generation Four

(Children of William Rowe and Eunice Coats)

m 23 Jun 1942 Rudy Hayward Kalenborn b 5 Nov 1915 California d 7 May 1987 Los Angeles County, California

m Mar 1945 James Scott Ingram b 4 Mar 1905 Rhode Island d 22 Jul 1987 Santa Barbara County, California

m Jack Culver Denhart b 28 Jun 1917 Windham, Montana d 2 Feb 1985 Auburn, California

m 27 Aug 1948 Nancy Bartlett Dutton b 26 Mar 1922 East Lansing, Michigan d 18 Dec 2005 Bothel, Washington

Beck, as William was known for most of his life, graduated from Sequoia High school in Redwood City, California and then San Jose State University, San Jose, California. During World War II he flew an SB2C dive bomber as an ensign in the U. S. Navy from December 1944 to November 1945. After the war he became a broker for coffee, tea, and spices. From 1955 until his retirement shortly before his death, he worked for E. A. Johnson & Company of San Francisco and was well known throughout the industry. His family first lived in Palo Alto and Menlo Park, California before briefly moving to New Jersey. The family returned to California in 1955 and lived in San Mateo. After his divorce, he lived in Belmont, California where he died.

Nancy was born and raised in East Lansing, Michigan. She attended Michigan State, which is in the same city, and graduated with a Bachelors degree in psychology. During the World War II, she was sergeant in the WAC's and served in the pentagon. After the war, she moved to Palo Alto, California and was living in a flat in the same house as Beck. After her mariage, she kept house and raised four children. Later in life, she did volunteer work for Planned Parenthood.

m 7 Nov 1952 Gordon Ross Lopez b 7 Jun 1921 Los Angeles, California d 18 Dec 1974 Torrence, California

(Children of John and Ida Rowe)

ROWE, Robert Thomas b 12 Apr 1933 San Diego County, California d 27 Mar 1979 Los Angeles County, California

(Children of David King and Vivian Rowe)

The dates for Betty are from an index for the Paso Robles District Cemetery in San Luis Obispo County, California. The name in the index is Elizabeth Ann Rowe. David (died 1982) is buried in the Paso Robles District Cemetery.

ROWE, Lois E. b 9 Oct 1924 San Luis Obispo Country, California d 13 Apr 2009 Stateline, Nevada

Generation Five

(Children of William Rowe and Nancy Dutton)

Even I spent time working in the coffee industry: as a broker in San Francisco and as a plant manager for Superior Tea & Coffee in Honolulu, Hawaii.

ROWE, Roberta Ellen b 9 Jan 1952 Menlo Park, California d 6 Oct 1999 Davis, California

Robin Rowe Gamper, which became her legal name when she married, graduated from the University of California, Davis in 1975. She lived almost all of her adult live in Davis. After receiving her teaching credential she taught elementary school in Winters, California for 18 years and would have done so for many more years had she not succumbed to breast cancer at an early age. She will surely be remembered by the many children she taught and for her special extracurricular programs such as Star Party and Farm Day. She was an avid cook and had a special talent for deserts, one of which won her first place in a competition.

m 22 Aug 1981 Stanislaus County, California Connie Roxann McClanahan b Hanford, California

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William Walter Rowe of Michigan