Sunday's Obituary - Joseph C. Fowlie

Tombstone of Joseph Fowlie, Rosehill Cemetery, Rockwell City, Iowa

Joseph Charles Fowlie was my great grand uncle and was an older brother of Frank Brown Fowlie, my great grand father. According to my notes, Joseph was born October 5, 1879 in Garrison, Benton County, Iowa to Alexander Brown Fowlie, of Aberdeenshire, Scotland and Mary Kiesel, of Kankakee County, Illinois. He is listed as their 4th child. He died January 3, 1908 of pneumonia in Rockwell City, Calhoun, Iowa. He was buried at Rosehill Cemetery, Rockwell City, Calhoun, Iowa.

You are probably reading this thinking, "Hey, that tombstone says 1881, not 1879! What's up with that?" Well, the tombstone must be wrong. Family records indicate October 5, 1879. The 1880 Census of Jackson Township, Benton County, Iowa dated June 1, 1880 has Joseph listed as age 8/12, born in October [1879]. The 1900 census of Twin Lakes Township, Calhoun County, Iowa has Joseph listed as age 20, born October 1879. The tombstone photographed above, by me in March 2011, was directly in line with his parents and adjacent to the Fowlie monument, so it is for the "right" Joseph Fowlie. My only guess is that someone made an error in making the tombstone and the death notice. Perhaps the tombstone is a replacement or there was no stone to start with and the new stone was based upon the following death notice.

This death notice is from the Rockwell City Advocate, January 23, 1908.

Death of Joseph Fowlie

The community was shocked yesterday when the announcement was made on the streets that Joseph C. Fowlie had passed away after an illness of about ten days with pneumonia, his death occurring at the home of E.M. Reynolds. Deceased was born in Benton county [Iowa] and was aged 27 [sic] years, 3 months and 17 days. He came to Rockwell City with his parents when about five years old and has resided near here since that time. He leaves to mourn him four sisters and seven brothers. The funeral occurs this afternoon at 2 o'clock from the Baptist church, deceased being a member of that organization.