Dr. Frederick John Bowen

Dec. 11, 1865 - Jul. 28, 1937

Dr. Frederick J. Bowen, 71, Livingston County coroner since 1898, died at his home Wednesday, July28, 1837, following an Illness of several months, during which time he was confined to his home.

Doctor Bowen was born Dec. 11, 1885 in Chautauqua county, N. Y., the son of Joshua D. Bowen and Louise Emily Babcock. His paternal grandfather was a soldier in the War of 1812 and his maternal ancestry extends back through the Revolutionary War, King Philip's and other Indian Wars to The Mayflower. Attended Castile School.

For a time he attended the Union schools at Jamestown, later at Castile, besides several district schools. He graduated from the South Bend, Indiana, high school in 1888. While in school and after graduation, he was assistant superintendent of the South Bend Electric Light Company, earning sufficient money to pay his way through the Chicago College of Physicians and Surgeons.

In 1890, he began the practice of medicine at Tuscarora, removing to Mount Morris village in 1887. He served as a member of the U. S. Board of Pension Examiners throughout the administrations of McKinley, Roosevelt and Taft. In 1898, he was appointed by Governor Frank Black to the office of Livingston county coroner and has been continuously reelected, holding the office at the time of his death.
Took Special Courses

In 1884, he took the full course of instruction at the New York Post Graduate School of Medicine, and, in 1911, a special course In Diagnosis at the Harvard Summer School of Medicine. Doctor Bowen made occasional contributions to his profession, among them, a paper on typhoid fever, read before the Lake Keuka Medical Society, and, later the Association of Pennsylvania Railroad Surgeons at Philadelphia, of which societies he was a member; report of a case of Tetanus, which may be found in the second and subsequent editions of Richard Cabot's Differential Diagnosis; a paper entitled "Danger Signs and Symptoms Indicating Immediate Operation,'' covering a wide variety of conditions liable to be encountered by the man in general practice; and description of an acute ailment, frequently experienced by threshers but not previously described in medical literature, which he designated as 'Dust Fever''; none of them, theoretical, but based on actual, personal experience and observation. Doctor Bowen never attempted to "specialize." He often said that he enjoyed the strenuous life, in winter as well as in summer, of the general practitioner.

Doctor Bowen enlisted during the World War and was given the commission of Captain. Later, as a member of the Officers' Reserve, he was promoted to Major. He and his son, G. Whitney Bowen of Livonia, who was a Lieutenant in the Field Artillery, furnish the only example in Livingston County, where father and son both held commissions.

In politics, Doctor Bowen was a Republican, casting his first presidential vote for Benjamin Harrison, to 1888. At that time, he was president of an organization known as the First Voters Club. However, he was unalterably opposed to the liquor traffic, and openly expressed his opinions to any candidate of his party who favored It. Prominent in Masonry.

He was a prominent member of the Methodist church and a past master of Mount Morris Lodge of Masons, having attained the 32nd degree in Masonry. He was also affiliated with the American Legion.

Soon after locating at Tuscarora he was married to Miss Hattie Amanda Whitney of Wiscoy, who died in 1920. Six years later, he married Miss Katharine Murphy; who, with his son Grant Whitney Bowen of Livonia and his daughter Mrs. Louise L. Grant of Johnstown, N. Y., survives him.

Funeral services were conducted from the home Friday afternoon with Rev. Joseph Sunter of Geneseo and Rev Harold 8pencer of this village officiating.

Members of the Masonic lodge and American Legion attended the funeral in a body, and services at the grave In Mount Morris cemetery ware in accordance with the Masonic ritual.

11/22/2024 DEC

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