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Tyree & Bowling Families: Fayette & Putnam

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Francis Tyree, son of Richard Francis Tyree and Sarah Johnston, b 12 Apr 1805, Virginia; d. 18 Jun 1868 at Sewell*, Fayette County, WV; m.22 May 1834 Greenbrier County, WV to Margaret McClung, b. 2 Mar 1815 Greenbrier County, WV; d. 28 Jan 1880 at Poca, Putnam County, WV of paralysis. Margaret McClung Tyree is buried at Ortin Heights Cemetery at Rock Branch. Their children were:

  1. William M. Tyree, b. 30 Apr 1835 Greenbrier County, WV; d. 4 Apr 1901, Lewisburg, Geenbrier County, WV; i. Old Stone Presbyterian Church Cemetery;
  2. Martha Ann Tyree, b. 30 Jun 1839 Fayette County, WV; d. 19 Jun 1888 Putnam County, WV; i. Ortin Heights Cemetery, Rock Branch, WV; m1. James Seaton Bowling *see below; m2. John W Aylor 30 Aug 1879 Putnam Co, WV (no issue this union);
  3. Samuel F. Tyree, b. Oct 1840 Fayette County, WV; d. 14 Jan 1912, Greenbrier County, WV; i. Frankford Cemetery, Frankford, WV;
  4. John McElhenny Tyree, b. 30 Apr 1842 Fayette County, WV; d. 14 Oct 1880, Poca District, Putnam County, WV. Cause of Death: drowning; i. Ortin Heights Cemetery
  5. George Augustus Tyree, b. 19 Sep 1843 Fayette County, WV; d. 20 Nov 1864 at Blue Sulphur Springs, Greenbrier County, WV; i. McClung Cemetery at Blue Sulphur, Greenbrier County, WV.

*i.e. Sewell Mountain as this is the location of the Old Stone House and the family cemetery. Not to be confused with Sewell, a small mining town that can be found on Google Maps west of and down over the mountain from Babcock State Park, Clifftop, WV within the New River Gorge.

JAMES SEATON BOWLING, b. Aug 1831 Amherst County, VA; d. 3 Jan 1874 Kanawha River, Putnam County, WV; i. Ortin Heights Cemetery, Rock Branch, WV; m. 19 May 1859 Fayette County, to MARTHA ANN TYREE (see Tyree family, above). Their 6 children and descendants are as follows:

  1. INFANT SON BOWLING, b. abt 1860; d. 16 Apr 1860 Putnam County, WV; i. Ortin Heights Cemetery, Rock Branch, WV;
  2. LEWIS FRANCIS BOWLING, Dr., b. 7 Mar 1861 Kanawha River, Putnam County, WV; d. 17 Apr 1937 Charleston, Kanawha, WV; i. Ortin Heights Cemetery, Rock Branch, WV. Never married; Received his education as Physician at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN. Served as a WV Delegate as a Democrat from Winfield, WV.
  3. WILLIAM PENN BOWLING, b. 18 Oct 1863 Putnam County, WV; d. 2 May 1933 Charleston, Kanawha, WV; i. Ortin Heights Cemetery, Rock Branch, WV; m. Katie Miller 1896; i. Ortin Heights Cemetery; 4 children;
  4. ANNA M BOWLING, b. abt. 1866; d. 27 Apr 1915 Charleston, Kanawha County, WV; m.6 Jan 1897 Putnam County, WV to James Edward Erwin, a widower and Physician. 2 daughters; Obituary from the Clarence Courier;
  5. MARY IMBODEN “MOLLY” BOWLING, b. 16 Mar 1868 Putnam County, WV; d. 10 Oct 1953 Charleston, Kanawha, WV; i. Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington D.C.; m. 9 Sep 1890 Frank Lee Tyree, son of Samuel Tyree, son of Richard Francis Tyree (b. Fayette County) at Locust Grove, Putnam County, WV. Samuel Tyree and family are enumerated in the 1880 Davidson County, TN Census. Nashville, TN is the seat of Davidson County and the location of Vanderbilt University where Frank Lee Tyree Sr received his Engineering education. Frank attended Vanderbilt University along with Lewis Francis Bowling, his future brother-in-law. Two sons of record were born to Mary Imboden Bowling and Frank Lee Tyree, Sr;
  6. JOHN S BOWLING, b. 21 Mar 1872 Putnam County, WV; d. 16 Aug 1951 Huntington, Cabell, WV; i. Ortin Heights Cemetery, Rock Branch, WV; m. 1902 Roma Alice Kent (b. Cabell Co); 1 child born.

Descendants of William Penn Bowling & Katie Miller

  1. JOSEPH LEWIS BOWLING, b. 13 Oct 1896 Putnam County, WV; d. 12 Mar 1965 Charleston, Kanawha, WV; i. Ortin Heights Cemetery, Rock Branch, WV; never married.
  2. JAMES SEATON BOWLING, b. 20 Sep 1898 Nitro, Putnam, WV; d. 21 Jun 1941 Huntington, Cabell, WV; i. Ortin Heights Cemetery, Rock Branch, WV; m1. Bertha Phillips 9 Oct 1920, Charleston, Kanawha, WV.
        1. JAMES SEATON BOWLING Jr, b. 6 May 1921 Columbus, Franklin, OH; d. 11 Aug 1998 Sonora, Tuolumne, CA; m. Kathrine Louise Ahlstrand 10 Nov 1945 San Francisco, CA. Children: 3 daughters, not named in the obituaries.
        2. JOHN WILLIAM BOWLING, b. 14 Apr 1924 Charleston, Kanawha, WV; d. 30 Mar 2002 Charleston, Kanawha, WV; i. Cunningham Memorial Park, Charleston, WV; m. Betty Jane Fields 1945 Kanawha County, WV. One child of record:  Rebecca A Bowling, b. 14 Sep 1946 Charleston, Kanawha, WV; d. 19 Jun 2023 Huntington, Cabell, WV; m. Homer G. Toler of Cyclone, WV 31 Dec 1965 at Clintwood, Dickenson County, VA.
  3. MILLER PENN BOWLING, b. 10 Mar 1903 Poca, Putnam County, WV;  8 Apr 1954 Beckley, Raleigh, WV (Pinecrest Sanitorium, TB); i. Sunset Memorial Park, Charleston, WV; m. Elizabeth Ann James (widow) 29 Nov 1928, Vandalia, Kanawha, WV; no children. Resided at London, Kanawha, WV.
  4. WILLIAM AYLOR BOWLING, b. 7 Feb 1906 Sattes, Kanawha, WV; d. 27 Apr 1987 WV; i. Ortin Heights Cemetery, Rock Branch, WV; m1. Lilly May Rutledge before 1940; “May” died 1942; m2. Mary Jean Jeffries 14 Jan 1952 Kanawha County, WV; one child of record: James Lewis Bowling, 23 Jan 1956 Charleston, Kanawha, WV; d. 24 Jan 1956 Charleston, Kanawha, WV; i. Ortin Heights Cemetery, Rock Branch, WV.

*James Seaton Bowling Sr. m2. Norma Virginia Bennett 22 Jun 1929 Parkersburg, Wood, WV; one child of record:  Richard Bennett Bowling, 10 Aug 1935 Putnam, WV; d. 22 Jun 1936 Charleston, Kanawha, WV; i. Ortin Heights Cemetery, Rock Branch, WV.

Descendants of Anna M Bowling & James E. Erwin

  1. Mattie E Erwin, b. 9 Jan 1890 Milton, Cabell, WV; d. 15 Feb 1909 Clarence, Shelby County, MO; Obit (search Mattie Erwin)
  2. Nelle Bowling Erwin, b. 7 Nov 1900 Cabell County, WV; d. abt. 1986 Charleston, Kanawha, WV; m. Charles Robert Stouch 21 Dec 1929 Lewisburg, Greenbrier, West Virginia. Three children were born to the union: Ann Wall, Roberta Phillips, and Charles Joseph Stouch;

Descendants of Mary Imboden “Molly” Bowling & Frank Lee Tyree

  1. Frank Lee Tyree, Jr., b. 2 Oct 1892 Poca, Putnam, WV; d. 4 Feb 1969 Kanawha County, WV; m. Frances Hall. Both are buried Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D. C. Two children were born to Frank and his wife, neither of which survived one year:
      1. Frances Hereford Tyree, b. 20 Jan 1941, d. 23 Jan 1941; i. Spring Hill Cemetery, Charleston, WV;
      2. Frank Lee Tyree III, b. 7 May 1945, d. 1 Jun 1945; i. Spring Hill Cemetery, Charleston, WV;

Descendants of John S. Bowling & Roma Alice Kent

  1. Margurite Bowling b. 11 Dec 1903; d. 7 Jul 1989 Huntington, Cabell, WV; m. Aldan Smith 22 Apr 1925 Huntington, Cabell, WV. Aldan Smith d. 6 Aug 1944 at Huntington and is buried at Ortin Heights Cemetery, Rock Branch, WV. There were no children of record located born to the Smiths.

Descendant of William Aylor Bowling & Mary Jean Jeffries

  1. one child of record: James Lewis Bowling, 23 Jan 1956 Charleston, Kanawha, WV; d. 24 Jan 1956 Charleston, Kanawha, WV; i. Ortin Heights Cemetery, Rock Branch, WV.

I often admired the Bowling house in my youth and after having moved away for a few years, wondered on return visits why it would be left to ruin and decay. I suspect it is due to the deaths of so many heirs, disinterest, and possibly the inability to afford the maintenance of such an illustrious residence.  The absence of the house itself leaves a yearning for a glimpse of days gone by.