My Genealogy Hound

RICHARD B. ROWLEY is a native of Ontario county, N. Y., and was born at East Bloomfield, April 29, 1833. He is a son of Daniel and Rachael (Tomiller) Rowley, both of whom were natives of New York, but moved to Illinois in 1857. The senior Rowley enlisted at the age of sixty years in the war of the rebellion, and served about one year, when he was taken sick and was placed on board a steamer that is supposed to have been blown up. Mrs. Rowley died in 1886, the mother of twelve children, six of whom are now living.

Richard Rowley engaged in farming when he arrived at the age of twenty-one years. He enlisted September 5, 1864, in the First New York veteran cavalry, saw considerable service, and was discharged June 8, 1865.

He located in Illinois in 1866, and in Franklin county, Nebr., in the spring of 1876. He pre empted the southeast quarter of section 17, Lincoln township, on which he built a sod house, and was among the very first settlers, passing through the grasshopper times.

He was married August 5, 1856, to Eviline Rowley, a native of New York, born January 27, 1841. Eight children have been born to this union — Steward, born November 28, 1863; Mary, born September 5, 1860 (deceased); Earnest (deceased); Frank, born July 17, 1869; Daniel, born November 31, 1871; Ray, born June 26, 1873; Maud, born July 12, 1876, and Carrie C., born June 28, 1878.

Mr. Rowley affiliates with the republican party, and is an honored member of the G. A. R. He has four hundred and eighty acres of as fine land as can be found in the county, and buys and sells cattle and hogs, and is one of the best-known men in his locality.