HISTORIES OF
MARY ANN BOWLER &
JOSIAH LEAVITT
MARY ANN BOWLER LEAVITT
Mary Ann Bowler was born on Aug 30, 1873 at Snieton, Nottinghamshire, England. She was the 6th child and 3rd girl born to Matilda Hill and James Samuel Page Bowler. She was named after her father’s older sister, Mary Ann. She was raised in the Mormon Church and the gospel from infancy.
On the 23rd of October 1880 Mary Ann with her family left Liverpool, England enroute to New York City. They were on the ship, Wisconsin. Mary Ann’s father got a job as steward on the ship to help the family with their passage fare. While sailing on the ocean they were caught in a terrible storm. For awhile it looked like they would surely meet with destruction. Some of the other ships did sink in that storm, but the passengers of this particular boat claimed that it was through their faith and prayers that their lives were preserved.
After they landed in New York they got aboard a Pennsylvania Railroad car just out of New York City and came to Ogden, Utah. There they visited with old friends who had been on a mission to England, the Joseph Morley family. Later they came to Salt Lake City. No one was there to meet the train and they didn’t know where to go so they spent the night in the old tithing house. The next day they headed for Hebron, Utah. When they got to Modena, Brother Huntsman met them to take them to Hebron. He had one wagon for 10 people and their luggage. Of course there wasn’t enough room so they sent some of their trunks to Cedar City with someone else. They didn’t get them until the following spring.
When they got to Hebron Bishop Terry was waiting for them. Matilda, Mary Ann’s mother, was utterly exhausted. The trip had been almost too much for her. 2 months later she bore her last son, George Hebron.
Mary Ann attended school that year in Hebron with Mr. Peck as her first teacher. Later Julia Westover taught her.
Mary Ann’s father went to Cedar City to get work. He had been trained in the art of shoe making. He had some equipment but no supplies. He got a job in the shoe factory. They were just getting it started. Here he worked until the family sent for him because of the illness of his wife. The authorities in Cedar City let him take some leather and other materials to make shoes with which he was to return for pay of the goods. Shortly after he got back to Hebron there was a fire that burned the saddle shop and all of his leather and tools and supplies.
He had to go back to Salt Lake City for new tools and supplies so they went for conference and they took the younger children with them. J.S.P. got a job in the shoe factory there and they stayed for about two years. Mary Ann worked for a Mr. and Mrs. Raymond. She did general housekeeping, moping, dishes and tending children. The family had word of a job opening at Panaca, Nevada so they came back to the southern part of Utah and later went to Panaca. Mary Ann worked for Jetter Snow doing general house work. Finally they decided to try their luck at Gunlock. They had heard so much about the beautiful place and how they could raise fruit, vegetables and most anything to eat. Maybe there would be a place for them there.
As soon as they got in Gunlock and met all the people, Mary Ann was attracted to Eliza Leavitt and she went often to listen to her tales and hear about her son Josiah who was working in Arizona. She happened to be visiting there one day when Josiah came home. She liked him immediately. Six months later they were married. They moved into Josiah’s brother Joe’s home, a 2 room red adobe house. Their first two children were born there. Then they bought the house from Joe. Their children came very fast. They had to have more room so they built a lean-to room on the west end of the house.
Mary Ann was a good manager. She tore rags for rugs, dried fruit, raised foodstuffs and traded at the Wooley Lund store for supplies. She made butter, shipped cream, did all her own sewing, gave music lessons, sold dishes, all to help with a little income for the family.
While Josiah was on his mission Mary Ann stocked a store and sold groceries to the neighbors. She managed the house and also the farm and cattle. The children were good to help. All the older children were boys but they still helped in the home.
Mary Ann lost little Bennie with yellow juantice when he was just a week old. Her sister Kate lost a child at the same time. Then they lost little Agatha from burns she received when her dress caught fire in the fireplace. She had many sorrows but her family was her pride and joy. She loved to watch her children perform. She organized two orchestras in the family. Nearly all her children could play something and most of them could sing. They had a wonderful home life. Their home was the gathering place for the young people.
They moved to Mesquite, Nevada so some of the children could attend high school and while they were there Mary Ann died on 21 March 1921 of flu and pneumoni..