1112 Mill 

Nedra Bowman  (1916-1978) 

Van Valentine Bowman was born 1 Jul 1879 in Rohnerville, California, to Daniel and Julia Bowman. His father, Daniel, worked as a blacksmith.  When Van was about 2 years old, the family moved to Umatilla County, Oregon, where he eventually had eight siblings.    

Van’s life diverged from that of his family in 1900 when he enlisted in the U.S. military, likely fudging his age a bit. He served in the U.S. Expeditionary Forces during the Philippine insurrection that lasted from February 1899 to July 1902. After being discharged in 1901, he settled briefly in San Francisco, where he worked as a wool sorter. By 1905, Van had moved to Salem, Oregon, where he found work at the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill as a wool sorter, most likely until 1908.  

In late summer of 1908, Van married Mary E. Geissel in Pendleton, Oregon. The couple rented a home there and Van worked as a cleaner at the dye works of Pendleton Woolen Mills. Van and Mary eventually moved to Portland, Oregon, by 1917. Van had a job as an overseer at a woolen mill. Three children were born to the family – Robert, Audrey, and Nedra. After the death of Van’s father in 1918, his mother came to live with the family.  

Post-1920, Van explored new opportunities as a wool buyer, spending a short time in Eugene before moving to California. By 1929, Van lived near his birthplace, Rohnerville, in a suburb of Fortuna. His daughter Audrey married Harold Larson in nearby Eureka in January 1930. Over the next decade, Van tried his hand at tailoring but eventually returned to wool-buying by 1940. During this time, son Robert graduated from high school and joined his father in the wool business. Youngest daughter Nedra, worked as a telephone operator in Eureka by 1943.  

In 1946, Van and Mary moved to Eureka, where Van and son Robert established a sporting goods store. Van passed away on 12 Jan 1948, and was interred at Ocean View Cemetery in Eureka. His wife Mary lived with daughter Nedra until her own passing in 1984 and was buried beside Van. 

1910  Van V. Bowman. Age: 29. Birth: 1881 in California. Residence: Rents home at 123 Perkins Ave, Pendleton Ward 2, Umatilla, Oregon. Married HOH. Father born in Kentucky. Mother born in California. Occupation: Cleaner at Dye Works. Household members: Van V. Bowen, age 29, Ohio; Mary E. Bowman, age 18, wife, born in Iowa.  

1920  Van V. Bowman. Age: 38. Birth: abt 1882 in California. Residence: Rents home at 1133 E 10th W, Portland, Multnomah, OR. Married HOH.  Father born in Kentucky. Mother born in Oregon. Occupation: Overseer, Woolen Mill. Household members: Van V. Bowman, age 38, HOH; Mary Bowman, age 28, wife; Audrey Bowman, age 9, daughter: Robert Bowman, age 6, son; Nedra Bowman, age 3, daughter; Julia Bowman, age 64, mother.   

1930  Van V. Bowman. Age: 40. Birth: abt 1881 in California. Residence: Rents home in Bucksport, Humboldt, California. Married HOH. First marriage at age 27. Occupation: Tailor in a Tailor Shop. Veteran, Spanish American War. Household members: Van V Bowman, age 49, HOH; Mary E. Bowman, age 37, wife; Robert Bowman, age 16, son; Nedra Bowman, age 14, daughter.   

1940  Van V. Bowman. Age: 59. Birth: abt 1881 in California. Married HOH. Residence: Owns home in Loleta, Humboldt, California. Occupation: Wool buyer. Highest grade completed:  8th grade. Household members: Van V. Bowman, age 59, HOH; Mary E. Bowman, age 47, wife; Nedra L. Bowman, age 24, daughter, telephone operator.       

1901  Valentine V. Bowman, wool sorter, rms 339 6th. 

1903  No Val Bowman.   

Salem 

1905  Van V. Bowman, sorter, TKWM, bds 430 Ferry 

1908  Van V. Bowman, bds 1112 Mill 

1909/10  No Bowman names 

Eureka, California 

1946  Van V. Bowman (Mary E) wool buyer h 2836 Williams 

Mary E. Bowman. Birth: 1892. Death: 1984 in Humboldt County, California. Burial: Ocean View Cemetery, Eureka, Humboldt, California. Plot: Section M. Memorial ID: 280550976 

East Oregonian 20 May 1918, p. 1 – Pioneer of County Dies in Automobile. Death of Daniel Bowman, father of Van V. Bowman.   

The Times Standard (Eureka, CA) 13 Jan 1948, p. 7 – Van V. Bowman succumbs here.  Van V. Bowman, 68, associated with his son in Bowman Sporting Goods Store here and a former wool buyer, died on 12 Jan 1948. Born in Rhonerville, he served in the Spanish American War and a member of that veteran organization.   

1910 Oregon Birth Record.  Audra Marie Bowman born to Van Bowman 30 and Mary Geissel 19 on 22 Sep 1910 in Pendelton, OR.  Van b in CA.  Mary b in IA.  

WW 1 Draft Reg. Van Valentine Bowman.  508 Emerson, Portland, Or.  Age 37, b 14 Feb 1881.  Overseer, Portland Woolen Mill.  NOK Mary E Bowman same address.  Med build and height.  Brown hair and eyes.  

1917 Oregon National Guard Military Record.  Van V Bowman.  B in Rhonerville, CA.  Age 36y9m.  5’6”, 178 lbs., dark complexion, brown hair.  Wool Grader.  Recruited by Capt. Beach.  508 Emerson St, Portland, OR.  NOK Mary E Bowman same address.  Enlisted for 2 years on 19 Nov 1917.  Dropped from rolls 16 Jul 1918, non-attendance.  

1948 Application for Military Headstone.  Van V Bowman.  Enlisted 31 Jul 1899.  Disc 2 May 1901.  Artificer.  35th US Vol Infantry.  B 1 Jul 1879.  D 12 Jan 1948.  Ocean View Cemetery, Eureka, CA.  Res 2521 D St, Eureka, CA.    

CA Death Index.  Nedra Lucile Bowman. SSN 545098678.  B 22 Feb 1916 in CA.  D 22 Nov 1997 in Humboldt Co, CA.  Mothers maiden name Geisel.  Father’s name Bowman.