Mary Scott Shands and James Rufus Bower

JAMES RUFUS BOWER was born March 25, 1844 in Salem, Virginia,⁴⁶ and died July 25, 1929 in Norfolk, Norfolk, Virginia.⁵³³⁵ He is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia.^{5335, 456}

He married MARY SCOTT SHANDS on May 27, 1868,⁶⁷¹² daughter of MARTHA JANE SMITH and ELVERTON ADOLPHUS SHANDS. She was born March 1, 1845 in Rockingham County, Virginia,¹⁸²⁴ and died June 10, 1875 in Bedford County, Virginia.¹⁸²⁴

• Descendant Reports
  • William Scott Descendant Report (Ancestor of Mary S. Shands)

Children of MARY SCOTT SHANDS and JAMES RUFUS BOWER:

1. MARTHA BOWER, b. February 26, 1869, Roanoke, Bedford, Virginia;⁵³³⁵ m. WILLIAM DEAN on November 12, 1889 in Roanoke, Bedford, Virginia²²¹⁰; d. January 24, 1948, Harrisonburg, Rockingham, Virginia.⁵³³⁵
2. JOHN BOWER, b. October 7, 1871, Bedford County, Virginia;⁵³³⁵ m. (1) SARAH CHAMPE MITCHELL on December 22, 1897 in Bedford County, Virginia¹⁷⁹⁹, m. (2) GRACE D. HATCHER on June 4, 1917 in Washington, District of Columbia¹⁸⁰⁰; d. August 7, 1943, Bedford County, Virginia.⁵³³⁵
3. WILLIAM S. BOWER, b. December 5, 1872, Charlemont, Bedford, Virginia;^{2169, 2948} m. (1) MARY CAROLINE WAMPLER on June 28, 1895 in Westminster, Carroll, Maryland⁹¹³², m. (2) MARY HENRIETTA CRAPSTER in March, 1920⁹¹⁴⁸; d. June 21, 1920, Tanners Creek, Norfolk, Virginia.⁵³³⁵
4. BABY BOY BOWER, b. June 10, 1875, Staunton River District, Bedford, Virginia;²¹⁶⁹ d. June 10, 1875, Bedford County, Virginia.¹⁸²⁴

Military Service

Marriage Announcements and News

Rockingham Register, June 4, 1868⁶⁷¹²

MARRIED

In Harrisonburg, on Wednesday, May 27th, by Rev. T. U. Dudley, James R. Bower, Esq., of Bedford county, and Miss Mary Scott, eldest daughter of the late Capt. Elverton A. Shands, of Harrisonburg, Va.

Newspaper Articles

Roanoke Times, April 24, 1895²⁶¹⁰

J. R. Bower, of Bedford, was in town yesterday. Mr. Bower was formerly a citizen of this place.

Harrisonburg Daily News, August 24, 1907²⁵⁸²

A party composed of J. W. Bowers, his daughter Miss Blanche Bowers, and his two grandchildren, Miss Mary Dean and William Dean, left yesterday for the Jamestown Exposition.

Census Records

Date	Location	Enumerated Names
March 16, 1850719	Rockingham County, Virginia	Elverton Adolphus Shands Martha Jane Smith Mary Scott Shands Sarah Rives Shands William Shands
June 6, 1860718	Harrisonburg, Rockingham, Virginia	Elverton Adolphus Shands Martha Jane Smith Elverton A. Shands Mary Scott Shands Sarah Rives Shands William Shands Frank Rives Shands
June 24, 1870721	Otter, Bedford, Virginia	James Rufus Bower Mary Scott Shands Martha Bower
June 8, 1880745	Otter, Bedford, Virginia	James Rufus Bower William S. Bower