Dwight Owen Tomlinson - Civil War Soldier Buried in Farmer Cemetery

Member of Evans Post G.A.R. 149, Bryan

Dwight Tomlinson had a relatively short, and perhaps sad, life.  Born on July 18, 1845, in Williams County, he joined the family of Giles H. and Eunice Tomlinson.  His older brother by two years, Walter S., would join him in the service of the Union Army.  His younger brother by two years was Frank Tomlinson.  



 Giles, in 1860, was a merchant with real estate worth $6000 and a personal estate worth $14,000, quite a sum for the day.  Unfortunately, Dwight's mother had died five years before, when Dwight was 9 years old.  By the time of this census, Giles, at 50, had remarried a younger woman, Electa, who was then 23.  They added baby Ida to the family.

On August 20, 1862, when Dwight was barely seventeen, he went to Bryan to enlist with the 111th Ohio Infantry, Company C.  His brother, Walter, had enlisted the year before.  Dwight stayed with the 111th all through the war, mustering out on June 27, 1865 at Salisbury, North Carolina.

On March 19, 1868, Dwight married Mary Saul.  They settled in Washington Township, where Dwight began farming.  By 1870, he had real estate worth $2500.  Mary Saul Tomlinson died in 1873; the couple was childless.

Dwight could not be found in the 1880 census, but his obituary and other sources suggested that he moved to Williams Center, his home.  However, on November 10, 1886, the register of the Soldiers and Sailors Home in Dayton reported his admission.  He was 41 years old, 5' 9" tall, with a light complexion and gray hair and eyes.  Dwight reported that he suffered a disability from the war, contracted in Bowling Green, Kentucky in February, 1863 - heart and lung disease, specifically.  He stayed in Dayton a little over a year, being dismissed on January 11, 1888.  Not much life was left for Dwight; he died on October 9, 1888 at the age of 43.

His obituary appeared in the Bryan Press on October 18, 1888 on page 3:

"Dwight Oren Tomlinson was born in Bryan, July 18th, 1845, and died Oct. 9th, 1888, aged 43 years, 2 months and 22 days.  In 1848 he moved, with his parents, to Wms. Center, near which place he lived the balance of his life, excepting the three years which he served in the war.  

He was one of four children, three sons and a daughter, the fruit of the marriage of Giles Tomlinson and Eunice A. Ensign.  His mother and infant sister died when he was nine years of age; his father and brother, Walter, reside at Wms. Center, while his younger brother lives near Des Moines, Iowa.  

He enlisted in the 111th O.V.I in 1862 when at the age of 17 and served in the war until its close.  After returning from the war, he located on a farm and married Miss Mary Saul, who died in 1873, leaving no children.  He was a member of Evans Post No. 149, G.A.R., of Bryan and his funeral was conducted by that order.  The sermon was preached by the pastor of the M.E. Church of Williams Center."

Farmer Cemetery

The Commemorative Biography of Northwest Ohio noted that Dwight "...never recovered from the effects of the hardships of army life, his death which occurred in 1890 (incorrect), being doubtless hastened thereof." 

Lewis G. Bowker - Farmer Post, G.A.R. - PART TWO

Emily Elizabeth Weldon Bowker

Continued...

The most poignant letter, and the last preserved of Lewis Bowker, was one to his wife, Emily.  Dated January 11th, 1862, it came from the field hospital and its handwriting was much more chaotic and hurried than all the letters before. Lewis was sick, very sick.
He dated his letter 1862, not remembering that the new year had come in.

Six days later, on January 17th, 1863, Lewis Bowker died of typhoid fever in the field hospital at Bowling Green, Kentucky.


"Bowling Green Ky Jan 11th 1862
Dear Wife

You will think strange when I tell you that I am lying in a hospital and have been quite sick but am getting better
Last Christmas I was taken with a severe headache not only headache but sore head
every move made it jump
It kept so until I came here 
I got some medicine downtown but could not get it regular
I thought I would (carry?) to this Hospital
I have been quite sick but the fever is broke now and I think I will be around in a few days
I received 4 letters from Farmer yesterday    two from you and one from R. I. Gibbons Mother
They appear to enjoy themselves first rate
Em I wish you would go and see them often
I am glad to hear that you keep as well as you and (fleashy?)
I hope you will continue to enjoy yourself
Do not worry about me for my fever  is broke and I think I will be around in 4 o 5
I come here the 5th 
The Rebbles have burned a bridge and tore up the track between here and Louisville so it has botherd the mail some
I should have written to you more but I did not know as I could send it bot the mail comes by boat now
you must all write often for it is difficult for me to write you can see that
Some of the boys stay with me every night
I think they are very kind and I shall remember them for it
I suppose ?? and Mary are with you by this time which I guess will make a house full pretty near
but I suppose they will have (most?) of their new house dont now soon
But I must stop for I am week
write often all of you
direct as usual
Box 114 Bowling Green Ky
From Your Husband
L. G. Bowker"

One of the mysteries of Lewis G. Bowker is his burial. The source used by www.findagrave.com for Lewis
stated that the monument in Farmer Cemetery was a cenotaph, a memorial stone only, meaning that his body was buried elsewhere.

However, several clues seemed to conflict with that conclusion.  The first is the burial of Emily Bowker.  She chose to be buried with her husband in Farmer Cemetery in 1933. 
The second clue was a letter written by James Cleland, a local soldier who knew Bowker and was privy to arrangements concerning his body.  He wrote a letter home on January 19, 1863, just two days after Lewis died. 

 
"Fort Baker, Kentucky
January 19, 1863

...I suppose you have heard before this of the death of Sergeant Lewis G. Bowker, as it was telegraphed home.  They would have sent the corpse home but they could not raise money enough.  It required thirty dollars.  They got a dispatch yesterday in answer to the one sent home from Foot.  He said to send him home and they would pay the expense.  He will be took up tomorrow morning and sent, or that is the intention now."

Letter from Corp. John Cleland to his sister, Mary Jane, "Jennie," Cleland.


One might conclude that the "Foot" mentioned in the letter was the man that Lewis boarded with - a wealthy man for his time, having his real estate valued at over $9000 in 1860, and his personal goods at the same valuation.  He could have afforded to get Lewis's body home. 
 So the question of the location of Lewis Bowker's burial still exists.  Is he buried in Farmer Cemetery or in Bowling Green, Kentucky?

Emily Bowker applied for her much needed pension as soon as she could and received it for many, many years, as she never remarried.

G.A.R. memorial ribbon, Lew Bowker Post, Farmer, found among the possessions of Hiram F. Rice

 Emily spent her years with her one and only daughter, Louie Alice, who eventually married Robert Ensign.  They all moved to Trumbull County about 1908.  Emily's 90th birthday party was reported in the local newspaper on January 18, 1933:

 Emily Bowker died not long after her birthday on February 3, 1933. She was brought back home to Farmer for her burial.  The Crescent-News ran several obituaries.

February 2, 1933 -

and on February 8, 1933 -

 

Farmer Cemetery

W. P. A. Cemetery Survey - Farmer Cemetery, Farmer Township

The Works Progress Administration was formed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in reaction to the Great Depression as a means of employing Americans and stimulating the economy.  Established in 1935, one of the projects of the W.P.A. was to conduct Historical Records Surveys, one of which included finding information on cemeteries and the graves of veterans.  The W.P.A. was disbanded in 1943, but the historical information provided on these surveys continue to be of interest and are, thankfully, preserved.

In this series, some of the general surveys of Defiance County cemeteries will be shared, transcribed as written with a few punctuation and/or spelling changes for readability.  The surveys were probably done around 1936.
For more up to date information on the cemeteries, check out this chart on our website:
 http://defiancecountygenealogy.org/cemeteries.html

Farmer Cemetery

1. Name of cemetery:
The Farmer Cemetery, Farmer Center, Ohio

2. Location, how reached:
This beautiful cemetery is located one half mile west and one quarter mile north of the village of Farmer Center, Ohio, reached by going west on route #2 from the village limits and turning north at the first half mile cross road.  Follow this road one quarter mile and the cemetery is on the left or west side of the road.  It cannot be missed as it faces and abuts the road.

3. General description, size, appearance, denomination, fencing, etc.:
This cemetery is the fourth largest in the county, and one of the finest and best kept up, and as the Hicksville Cemetery has some of the most costly markers in any graveyard.  It is heavily wooded with pine, cedar, maple and oak, and quite a few walnut trees.  Its shrubbery and hedges are very beautiful and well trimmed and it has (been) well kept, diverse stone and two gateways, it is fenced both with an evergreen hedge and an ornamental iron fence.

It is laid out in large lots, which are larger than any other cemetery we have made as yet, and a lot of these private lots are terraced up as mounds with concrete walls around them and steps leading up to the ground above.  The Wilder- Nicely plot is the finest of these.

This graveyard contains fifteen acres, is undenominational and is municipal being owned by the village of Farmer Center and Farmer Township.  Lots are sold to individuals; it is said to be the most costly burial ground in the county.

Photo from www.findagrave.com

5.  Name and date of first burial recorded:
There is a monument in this graveyard, a small white slab, which says erected to the memory of Eff. J. Reigle in 1818, however, he was not buried at this spot then, as this district in 1818 was never heard of or passed through by white men.  His body was interred here later, possibly about 1840; in the years 1839 and 1840, this place was used as a burying ground by the early settlers.

Fidelia Bronson was buried here in 1839.  However, the graveyard was not opened officially until during the Civil War.  At that time, there were around twenty five graves scattered on this farm.  All were moved to this one spot in 1863, and a Farmer Township graveyard started, at first with five acres.  It has been used extensively ever since.

6. Names of important persons buried there, for what noted:
Naturally, a cemetery of this size and age, there are many old, early pioneer settlers buried here.  There is Mike Nicely, 1813 - 1883; Alec Roan, 1825 - 1903; John Erlsten, 1839 - 1929; Gil Thompson, 1809 - 1906; Moses Gardner, 1811 - 1881; A. P. McConkey, 1838 - 1906.
All the above mentioned men were founders of the families of the same name who reside in the district today.    

Then there is the grave of John Norway, 1836 - 1911, one of the co-founders of Farmer Center, Ohio, who was mentioned in my History of Farmer Center, Ohio.

Darias Allen, 1807 - 1869, one of the richest men in the township, who left a fortune to his heirs.

The earliest birth record is that of Jacob Knight, 1787 - 1855, who was an old War of 1812 soldier.

Philip Noble, 1816 - 1887, first sheriff of Defiance County in 1845 and for whom Noble Township was named.

The Hon. A. G. Biglow, noted historian, scholar and man of letters, born in 1806, died 1875, one time representative to Congress, noted college professor, etc.

Photo from www.findagrave.com

7. Markers of unusual appearance:
The finest markers are those on the Wilder - Nicely lot, built up and marble, modern Roman style marker, with an urn of the same material on each side, and five headstones of the same material in front.  
 

Wonderful photo from www.findagrave.com showing the Wilder-Nicely plot

  The lots of the Fickle families, three in number are fixed up almost as nice.
Then the high pedestal type stone of the Hon. A. G. Biglow is worthy of note and the highest in the cemetery.

There is also a huge granite marker of gray erected to the memory of Walter Tomlinson, 1843 - 1935, which is the most modern and of the Roman type.  It is almost square stone five feet high, thick and wide.  

  
There are, by far, more fine and handsome markers in this cemetery for its size than in any other graveyard of its size. This graveyard ranks with Riverside at Defiance, Ohio and Forest Home at Hicksville, Ohio, in beauty, well-kept grouns, fine markers and noted personages, and costly upkeep.

8. Unusual epitaphs:
The usual run of readings are on the stones in this graveyard.  The main oddity is the marker erected to the memory of Eff. J. Reigel, who died, and the stone of Hon. A. G. Biglow, which gives a brief history of his life.

9. Is cemetery used for new burials?
This cemetery is one of the most used graveyards in Defiance County today.