Squint Shot 100710

In 1875, the following article was published in The Fowlerville Review for Mr. and Mrs. Rufus H. Fowler:

Wooden Wedding~~Saturday evening last was the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the nuptials of Mr. and Mrs. Rufus H. Fowler. About fifty invitations had been issued and at a seasonable hour, the guests began to arrive bringing with them their woodenware, etc. Among the numerous presents we mention a few of the more prominent: a handsome bedroom set from Mrs. Fowler's friends, two neat little stands, several wash tubs, pails, brooms, mop sticks, and numerous other articles, both useful and amusing, and in all amounting in value to about seventy dollars. At about nine o'clock, an excellent repast was served and after having partaken of the viands to the satisfaction of the inner man, the remainder of the evening was spent in singing and playing and a real sociable good time that will long be remembered. As the "wee small hours" drew near, the company began to withdraw leaving behind them their many well wishes for the future happiness and prosperity of Mr. and Mrs. Rufus H. Fowler.
In my research, I thought I had come across an obituary for Rufus Fowler, but it must be stuck in some folder that I just cannot put my hands on. Anyhow, reading about how someone's fifth anniversary was spent seemed a lot nicer.

Anyhow . . . while searching for this one, and knowing I didn't have an obituary for John B. Fowler (the original one that passed away in 1842), I was stopped in my tracks when I came across the following notice printed in The Fowlerville Review in 1885:

Mr. John B. Fowler, who has been the victim of consumption for the past few years, died of that disease at the residence of his father-in-law, Geo. Baker, on Wednesday night. Mr. Fowler was a young man of marked ability, and having been a resident of this village nearly all his life, was known by all and to be a young man of sterling worth and integrity, who commanded the respect and love of all. While his death has been looked for by all his friends for the past year, it was none the less hard to hear when the end of his suffering was reached.

Can we assume this was a possible direct descendant of the John B. Fowler, brother of Ralph Fowler, who had arrived in this area in 1836, but died in 1942? And of what relation would Rufus have been, years later, to the original Fowlers? If I perchance ever come across the obituary for Rufus Fowler, I will definitely post it, and maybe a few mysteries will be solved.

In the meantime, as I came across more Fowlers in my research, following are articles from The Fowlerville Review (the first from 1875, then 1880, and the last from 1885) giving glimpses of some Fowler family activities:

We are informed by Richard Fowler and several others who are at work on Mr. Aflect's new residence just south of the village that quite a sprinkling of snow fell one week ago last evening.

Word was received late on Tuesday that Geo. Fowler, of Lansing, son of R. Fowler, of this place, had lost an arm in the sash and blind factory at Lansing. The particulars have not yet been received.

Lewis Fowler, Frank Fowler, Wm. Fowler, John Caston, Wm. Caston, and Lewis Austin, were arraigned before Justice Pullen on Saturday for creating a disturbance at the closing exercises of the school at Six Corners on the 13th. It is claimed that the parties arrested have been in the habit of attending such entertainments and creating disturbance. One of the boys had been expelled from the school for unbecoming conduct and it was claimed the boys were taking revenge. Their trial was set down for Wednesday and after being out until three o'clock on Thursday morning, the jury failed to agree, standing three for and three against conviction. The case will be tried again on Thursday, April 9th.