52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #1 – Anna Rhoda (Greenway) Bowlby

Today’s ancestor is Anna Rhoda (Greenway) Bowlby, my husband’s second great-grandmother.

Some basic facts:
Name: Anna Rhoda Greenway Bowlby
Born: 31 October 1882
Parents: William Richard Greenway and Rosa Belle (Childers) Greenway
Spouse: Joseph Victor Bowlby
Marriage: About 1900
Divorced: Before 7 May 1920
Died: 7 May 1977

Anna was born 31 October 1882 in Sullivan, Indiana, USA. She was born to William Richard Greenway and Rosa Belle (Childers) Greenway. She married Joseph Victor Bowlby sometime around 1900. Joseph and Anna had six children: Sherry Victor Bowlby, Percy Richard Bowlby, Richard Samuel Bowlby, Jennie Bell Bowlby, Lillian Augusta Bowlby, and Thelma Louise Bowlby.

I’ve been unable to locate birth information for Anna but verbal data from the family indicates she was born 31 October 1882. Her tombstone indicates she was born in 1883. Census data has indicated she could have been born as late as 1885.

Anna and Joseph divorced sometime before May 1920. She appears as head of household, with five of her six children on the 1920 U.S. census. Interestingly her marital status shows widowed and not divorced on that census.

Anna remained in Kansas, eventually remarrying before 1930. She appears as the wife of Lester Ward on the 1930 U.S. census, along with five children (Lilian, Louise, George, Rose and Daisy Ward) and her mother (Rosy Greenway). I haven’t yet determined if Lilian shown with Lester and Anna is the same Lillian that appeared on the 1920 census with Anna. The age is correct for her to be the same person but I need to resolve the question of why the name is Bowlby in 1920 and Ward in 1930. And also with Louise and George on the 1925 Kansas census. Again, the ages are correct for them to be the same Louise and George from the 1920 census. Did Lester adopt the children after he married Anna? Or did the people providing the information to the enumerators assume the children’s last names were Ward? I believe Rose and Daisy were Lester’s children with Anna but I haven’t confirmed that yet.

Anna died 7 May 1977 in Pratt, Pratt, Kansas. She’s buried in Greenlawn Cemetery in Pratt, Pratt, Kansas.

Here’s my genealogy list for Anna:

Have: