Classification scheme:
Hist. Mss.1.186
Title: Abraham M. and Catharine Bowman fonds
Dates of creation: 1895- [199-]
Physical description: 25 cm of textual records
Biographical sketch: Abraham M. Bowman (Jan. 14, 1874-Apr. 24, 1964) was the eldest son of Levi Bowman and Barbara Martin. On February 23, 1897 he married Catharine Brubacher (Aug. 13, 1873-Oct. 3, 1964). She was the daughter of Henry M. Brubacher (1838-1910) and Magdalena Algeiger (1843-1911). Abraham and Catharine had three children; only one, Henry, survived to adulthood.
Although an Old Order Mennonite, Bowman was never a farmer. He apprenticed at Elias Kreutzinger's from 1891-1894, and worked at H.J. Hall's in Waterloo until 1897. He and an uncle then set up a planing mill on the Heidelburg Road, but it burned in 1900. He then returned to work for H.J. Hall for several years, then for Charles Mueller Coopery until 1910. The family moved to Elmira in 1911 where he set up a contracting and building materials business. In this capacity he gained some contracts to dig and install parts of the new water system in the town. He began to work for Elmira Water Works in 1914, and then worked for the Elmira Public untility until 1947. He was superindentendent beginning in 1918, and manager of the Utility from 1932-1947. He worked for a time at the Preston P.U.C. until 1958 after they moved to Preston.
Bowman took many correspondence courses from the International Correspondence School in Scranton, Pennsylvania, even though his public school education had ended with grade 8. His studies eventually qualified him as a professional engineer in 1938 both for electrical and water work. This was of course very unusual for an Old Order Mennonite.
At the time of the division in the Old Order Mennonite community, Abraham and Catharine joined the Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Conference. They purchased their first car in 1937. He had been baptized Sept. 21, 1892 at the old Conestoga meetinghouse; Catharine was baptized Sept. 13, 1891 at Martin's meetinghouse in Waterloo.
Custodial history: Donated to the Mennonite Archives of Ontario by Edna Hunspurger Bowman on March 16, 1999.
Scope and content: The fonds consists of diaries kept by both Abraham and Catharine, as well as miscellaneous clippings, financial books, genealogical records, photographs and correspondence.
Notes: Photographs which formed part of the collection have been moved to the Photograph Collection.
For further information see Edna Hunsperger Bowman, Life story of Abraham Martin Bowman, 1874-1964 (Cambridge, Ont. : E.H. Bowman, 1998).
Original archival description created by Sam Steiner.
File list:
Series 1: Diaries
- Diary, Catharine Bowman, 1949-1951; Diary, Catharine Bowman, 1952-1954
- Diary, Catharine Bowman, 1958-1960; Diary, Catharine Bowman, 1961-1962
- Trip diary, Abraham and Catharine Bowman, to Markham and other Ontario locations, 1933-1942
- Trip diary, Abraham and Catharine Bowman, to Pennsylvania with Elias Barkey and wife, 1935
- Trip diary, Abraham and Catharine Bowman, to Indiana, 1938
- Trip diary, Abraham and Catharine Bowman, to Indiana, 1914 (in small booklet issued by Elias A. Brubacher of the Baden Woollen Mills. (Elias was Catharine's brother)
- Diary, Abraham M. Bowman, 1897 (original pages)
- Diary, Abraham M. Bowman, 1897 (typescript copy)
- Diary, Abraham M. Bowman, 1895 (typescript excerpts)
- Diary, Abraham M. Bowman, 1918-1950 (holograph copy and photocopy; 1918 entries may be original)
- Wall calendar, "Compliments of Abraham M. Bowman" 1899
- Wall calendar, "Compliments of Abraham M. Bowman" 1900
- Diary, Abraham M. Bowman, 1928-1933; 1938-1950 (holograph copy; entries differ from #10 above)
Series 2: Miscellaneous
- Day book, Abraham M. Bowman, 1891-1894
- Day book, Abraham M. Bowman, 1900-1901
- Day book, Abraham M. Bowman, 1905
- Recipe book, Catharine Bowman, 1910? (in small booklet "Compliments of S.B. Bricker & Co., Waterloo, Ont.")
- Guest book, Catharine Bowman, 1936-1942; includes loose notes
- Guest book, 60th wedding anniversary, Feb. 23, 1957
- Correspondence
- Lena Brubacher to "Dear Sister" Catharine?, 1890s (original and partial translation)
- David B泩ger (Ohio) to Mary Martin (Conestogo, Ont.), Dec. 24, 1860 (original and translation)
- Catharina B泩ger (Putnam Co., Ohio) to Maria and Magdalena Martin, December 18, 1873 (original and translation)(Magdalena Martin was the sister of Barbara Bauman, Levi Bauman's wife and Abraham Bowman's mother; Magdalena was unmarried and lived with Levi and Barbara Bauman)
- Pricilla Dresch to "Dear Cousin", Aug. 20, 1893 (original and partial translation)
- Elias [Brubacher] to Katie [Brubacher], Nov. 29, 1894 [photocopy]
- Chas. Kreutziger, Sept. 18, 1895 (a letter of reference for Abraham M. Bowman as a machine hand)
- Levi and Barbara Bauman to "Dear Friend" Oct. 7, 1896 (original and partial translation)
- Catharina B泩ger (Putnam Co., Ohio) to Dear Cousins (Barbara Bowman?), Feb. 18, 1874 (original and translation)
- From the family register of grandparents Brubacher (translated)
- Catharine Brubacher, song sung for Abraham B. Martin and wife Susannah Kraemer after the wedding in 1891 (original and translation) - News clippings related to Abraham M. Bowman
- "A lack of education did not prevent builder from learning" Elmira Independent, May ?, 1988
- "Superintendent given award for meritorious work" in Elmira Signet (Feb. 9, 1939), 1 -- Complete issue
- "P.U.C. Superintendent A.M. Bowman resigns" in Elmira Signet (Dec. 12, 1946), 1 -- Complete issue ; also Jan. 2, 1947 issue reporting a major ice storm
- "Around town" (about A.M. Bowman) in Galt Evening Reporter, (Aug. 11, 1954), 4
- "PUC chief at Preston is aged 83," Kitchener Record, (May 28, 1957)
- "Abraham Bowman, 83, named manager, Preston Utilities," (n.d.)
- "Abraham M. Bowman... appointed manager of Preston public utilities last week," Preston Times, (June 5), 1957
- "Brantford Man new manager of PUC; A. Bowman remains as an assistant," Preston Times, (August 28, 1957)
- "Abraham Bowman to be paid signal honor, recognize outstanding service to commissions," Preston Times, (May 7, 1958), 3
- P.U.C. veteran nominated for A.W.A. hall of service," Galt Reporter, (May 2, 1958)
- "Abraham Bowman dies; served with local PUC," Evening Reporter (Apr. 25, 1964), 14 - Memorial books, obituaries, correspondence related to deaths of Abraham Bowman and Catharine Bowman, 1964
- Levi B. Bowman auction poster, 1906
- Awards (copies) and correspondence related to awards received by Abraham M. Bowman, 1939-1958
- Memorabilia including Red Cross Society enrolment book (1943), letterhead from Preston work; letterhead from Elmira; American Water Works Association code of practice (1945); note pad slip from Elias A. Brubacher, Baden Woollen Mills; letter from Edna Bowman to Peter Coghlan re: A.M. Bowman (1989); "Events of interest to the family" extracted from Bowman diaries; list of A.M. Bowman travels from 1903-1960s; Autograph book from a trip to Ohio and Indiana, 1895.
- Genealogical references -- Daniel M. Bowman obituary (May 30, 1949); list of Bowman grandparents copied from Catharine Bowman Bible; list of B泩nger relatives in Ohio made by Bowman.
- Correspondence received by Abraham and Catharine Bowman, 1943-1944