Rufas Henry Bowen
My great uncle Rufas Bowen, the first child of Henry R. Bowen and Barbara Naumoff, was born 22 October 1879 in Kodiak, Alaska. He died 5 October 1953 in Seldovia.
The Russian Orthodox records say that his name was Smith Bowen and wasn’t changed till later years from Smith. Rufas I believe was the oldest child of Henry and Barbara, but a David and Ollie were mentioned in the book From Humboldt to Kodiak by Fred Roscoe.
Rufas was a quiet gentleman. We all loved him and went to his house whenever we could. He had a tiny cabin, like a doll house. It was near the graveyard and his sister Florence’s house. The beach was his front yard. When he first settled in Seldovia he owned the property where Mr. Morris built his big house and store. He built a log house and raised his family there. He had horses that he and my grandfather Andy Johnson used to haul logs to build their houses. One of his horses was named Kayuse, which didn’t like to stay at home. He liked the run of the town.
In 1912-13, he with brother-in-law Charlie Olssen and Andy Johnson built their houses. Rufas and his brother-in-law James Ward were the only licensed steamboat pilots in Alaska at that time. Rufas worked on many ships, one being the Tyonek. He was also an interpreter for the trading ships that traveled all over the world. He spoke Russian, Aleut, and English.
When I was young I went with someone in a big skiff to pick Uncle Rufas up from his ship that he was caretaker on. The ship was so big and it had huge sails. It was the only time that I could remember seeing a sailing ship. The name of the ship was the Star of the Sea. The ship was anchored in Seldovia Bay, out from the Old Cannery.
Sally (Salomoniia) Chebotnoi Bowen
Rufas married Sally (Solominiia) Chebotnoi, who was born August 1885 in Kodiak. She went to the mission school in Wood Island, along with the Bowen children.
Ella Chabitnoy was Director of the Kodiak Baptist Mission.
Sally’s father was Ioann (John) Chebotnoi, born 15 January 1853, and her was mother Olga Arkinmandritov, born about 1860. John’s father was Gregorii. Gregoriii married an Aleut girl, possibly Solomonida.
Children of Rufas and Sally:
- Barbara Bertha Elizabeth Bowen, born 6 September 1905, Kodiak; died 2 April 1945 in California.
- David C. Bowen, born 15 February 1906, Kodiak; died of tuberculosis 3 September 1940 in Anchorage.
- Rufas Henry Bowen, born 30 June 1907; died 1910, Kenai.
- Frederick Bowen, born November 1908, Kodiak; died 1947.
- Henry Bowen, born 12 November 1909, Kodiak; died of tuberculosis 22 September 1960, Seattle.
- Sally, born 16 March 1913, Seldovia; died August 1964.
Rufie Bowen Comes to Town
—4 July 1930, Seldovia
Rufas Bowen, master of the Farwest Packing Co. gas tender ”Buddy,” towed a dismantled pile driver down the inlet this week, anchored the scow in Halibut cove, and came over the Seldovia to shake hands with his old friends. He had not been in town for over a year.
He reports that the Farwest put up a pack of 37500 cases and in addition sold over 100,000 fish which they were unable to handle.
This was about the best canning season Anchorage has known, Mr. Bowen said, and under its present management he believes that the Farwest company will attain a high place in salmon canning influence.
He brought the scow to the cove in the interests of two of the Farwest fishermen, who will use it as a herring saltory.
David Bowen Taken by Death
Hemorrhage Proves Fatal to Local Fisherman
—Anchorage Daily News, 4 September 1940
David C. Bowen, 34, well known Anchorage fisherman, died at the Providence hospital yesterday afternoon after an illness of only four days. Death was attributed to tuberculosis.
David Bowen died from an advance stage of tuberculosis, a disease of which he was apparently unaware, his physician said. He was rushed to the hospital last Saturday after being found on the street suffering from a severe hemorrhage. A recurrence of the hemorrhage resulted in his death yesterday.
He leaves behind his widow, a young son, David [Clarke Bowen], his father, Rufas, well known boatman and long time resident of Anchorage and Cook Inlet, and two brothers, Henry and Fred, both of Anchorage.
Mr. Bowen fished for the Emard Packing company for the past eight years and often times Mrs. Bowen assisted him at his work on the boats. They had planned a trip to the states this winter.
The young man came to the Anchorage district many years ago with his father and in 1932 returned again to make his home here.
Grandchildren of Rufas and Sally
Barbara Bertha Elizabeth Bowen (1905-1945) married Tom Pearson. Barbara and Tom’s children are Tom, David, Rosa Jane (Rose), Barbara Lee, James (Jim), Joan Ann, and Donna Kay.
David C. Bowen (1906-1940) married Anne Norton; their children are Diane, Denise, Darcy, and David Clarke Bowen. David Clarke Bowen (1933-2003) married Priscilla Gibl; their child was Russell Scott (1959-2011), who married Susan Sprague.
Rosa Jane (1933-1998) married Arthur Charles (Chuck) Clark. Rosa and Chuck’s children are Tom, Steven, Jimmy, Julie, Matthew, April, and Amy Jean, who died as a baby.
Barbara Lee Pearson married Blaine L. Bonacci. Barbara and Blaine’s children are Blaine, Brad, Bonnie, Brian, Brett, and Beth.
Jim was not married.
Joan Ann Pearson married Ted Timmons. Joan and Ted’s children are Barbara, Kenneth, Lloyd, and Mark.
Donna Pearson married Peter Joseph Hayes. Donna and Peter’s children are Peter, Paul, Jamie, Dawn, and Richard.
Frederick Bowen, born November 1908, married Luba from Kayak Island.
Henry Bowen, born November 1909, died of tuberculosis.
Cousin David Clarke Bowen, 70
David Clarke Bowen died 29 December 2003, at the Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin, Maryland. Mr. Bowen was born 28 August 1933 in Anchorage, Alaska. He is survived by his wife, Priscilla Alden Bowen; sons, Russell Scott Bowen, Geoffrey David Bowen, and John Gibb Bowen; sister, Elizabeth Ann Allard (Beth Ann); brothers, John Wilson Cross (Jay) and Donald Richard Cross; grandsons, Daniel Clark Bowen and Evan Bowen; and four step-grandchildren.