Person Page - 535

Dr. James Luther Cathell , Sr.

• Biography*: Occupation: MD.
• Birth*: James was born on 2 Sep 1914.
• Graduation*: James graduated. Institution:. Emory University.
• Death*: James died on 14 Jun 1970 at Wrightsville Beach, NC, at age 55.
• Burial*: His body was buried in 1970.

Parents:

Mary Ann Williams

• Biography*: Lived in Churchland, Davidson County, NC.
• Birth*: Mary was born on 30 Nov 1895 at Davidson County, NC.
• Marriage*: She married Robert Gray Sowers , Sr., son of Luther Columbus Sowers 'Lum' and Fannie Florence Long, on 8 Jul 1915.
• Residence*: Mary Ann Williams lived in 1930 at Boone, Davidson County, NC, 1930 Census, Head of household, listed as Mary A. Sowers..
• Death*: Mary died on 18 Dec 1975 at Davidson County, NC, at age 80.
• Burial*: Her body was buried.

Parents:

Texie Gray Sowers

Robesonian newspaper, May 31, 1948, mentions Miss Texie Sowers.

The Robesonian nespaper, Jun. 18, 1948, twice mentions Miss Texie Sowers.

• Biography*: Name Source: Betsy [Sowers] Thomas, Indiv.# 53414.
  
  Occupation: Teacher. She also attended seminary, and was the first woman deacon at her SBC church.
  
  Obituary:
  Shelton, Texie Sowers
  
  CARMICHAEL, Calif. - Texie Sowers Shelton, 86, of Carmichael, Calif., passed away Friday, May 28, 2004. She was born in Churchland, N.C., on Sept. 22, 1917, and dedicated her life to serving her Lord. She completed two master's degrees, taught in North Carolina for 37 years, served on the N.C. State Textbook Commission and was active in Ardmore Baptist Church. Surviving are her daughter, Texie Susan Gregory; her grandchildren, Tyler Gregory and Elizabeth Gregory; her brothers, Dr. Paul Sowers and Lt. Col. Gray Sowers; a niece, Betsy Sowers; and her stepchildren, Joy Warren, Dr. D.K. Shelton and Jan Rodine.
  
  Published in the Winston-Salem Journal on 6/9/2004.
• Birth*: Texie was born on 22 Sep 1917 at Churchland, NC.
• Residence: She lived in 1930 at Boone, Davidson County, NC, 1930 Census, living with mother..
• Marriage*: She married Rev. David Knight Shelton on 11 Sep 1982 at Winston-Salem, NC.
• Residence*: Texie Gray Sowers lived at Carmichael, CA.
• Death*: Texie died on 28 May 2004 at age 86.

Parents:

Dr. Paul Williams Sowers

• Biography*: Name Source: Betsy [Sowers] Thomas, Indiv.# 53414.
  
  Occupation: Dentist.
• Birth*: Paul was born on 5 Nov 1920.
• Residence: He lived in 1930 at Boone, Davidson County, NC, 1930 Census, living with Mother..
• Marriage*: He married Betty Ann Speight on 7 Nov 1945.
• Residence*: He resided circa 1970 at Orlando, Orange County, FL.
• Death*: Paul died on 14 May 2007 at age 86.
• Burial*: His body was buried in 2007 at Gotha, FL. Woodlawn Memorial Park.

Parents:

Betty Ann Speight

• Biography*: Occupation: Homemaker and Artist.
• Birth*: Betty was born on 22 Aug 1917 at Oasis, IA.
• Marriage*: She married Dr. Paul Williams Sowers, son of Robert Gray Sowers , Sr. and Mary Ann Williams, on 7 Nov 1945.
• Death*: Betty died on 10 Dec 2004 at age 87.
• Burial*: Her body was buried at Gotha, FL. Woodlawn Memorial Park.

Lt. Col. Robert Gray Sowers , Jr. 'Gray'

Gen. Thomas Power (right), Commander In Chief of the Strategic Air Command, greets the B-58 Hustler crew that set three speed records and was later awarded the 1962 Mackay Trophy. From left are Maj. Robert Sowers and Capt's. Robert MacDonald and John Walton. For their record-setting flight, the crew flew roundtrip between New York and Los Angeles in four hours, 42 minutes.

The Mackay Trophy was established by Clarence H. Mackay, an industrialist, philanthropist, communications pioneer, and aviation enthusiast. Presented by the National Aeronautic Association, the trophy recognizes “the most meritorious flight of the year” by an Air Force member, members, or organization.

Pilot Major Robert G. "Gray" Sowers was #115 to qualify to fly the Mach 3+ SR-71 on 30 November 1965. His RSO Captain Richard E. "Butch" Sheffield was #116 to qualify on the same date.

Major Sowers and Colonel Harlan Hain at Beale AFB, CA.

The Bendix Trophy is an aeronautical racing trophy. The transcontinental, point-to-point race, sponsored by industrialist Vincent Bendix founder of Bendix Corporation, began in 1931 as part of the National Air Races. Initial prize money for the winners was $15,000. The last Bendix Trophy Race was flown in 1962.

The trophy was brought back in 1998 Allied Signal the then current owner of the Bendix brand name (which later merged with Honeywell) to "recognize contributions to aerospace safety by individuals or institutions through innovation in advanced safety equipment and equipment utilization."

USAF Museum at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio.

USAF Museum at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio.

• Biography*: He was a pilot for the USAF. He flew from NY to CA and back to break three Continental speed records. His flying speed record was in a B-58, and his name is on the Bendix Trophy at the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
  
  From -http://www.wvi.com/~sr71webmaster/b58.htm
  Major Robert G. Sowers.
  Since the B-58's were on a roll, on 5 March 1962, then Captain Robert Gray Sowers and his B-58 crew, flew non-stop from Los Angles to New York and back again in 4 hours, 41 minutes, at an average speed of 1,045 mph. For this record setting flight Gray and his crew won both the Bendix Trophy and the Air Force Mackay Trophy. Gray's aircraft and Trophies are on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Dayton Ohio . GRAY was the last recipient of the Bendix Trophy as it is no longer awarded. The Bendix race, which started in 1931, was the most important transcontinental competition in air racing history. Previous winners of the Bendix trophy included aviation greats like Jimmy Doolittle, Roscoe Turner and Jackie Cochran. Of note, Lt Col Gray Sowers was one of the original two SR-71 instructor pilots at Beale and also Commander of the 99th Reconnaissance Squadron when we had two SR squadrons. maybe some of you didn't know that, in the day, we had two SR-71 squadrons at Beale.
  
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  The Bendix Trophy and the Distinguished Flying Cross Awarded to:
  Captain Robert G. Sowers & Crew of the 43 Bomb Wing:
  
  Awarded the Bendix Trophy: On March 05, 1962, Captain Robert G. Sowers (Pilot), Robert MacDonald (Navigator) and John T. Walton (Defensive System Operator) flew from Los Angeles to New York City in the Convair B-58A Hustler #59-2458 in only 2 hours and 56.8 seconds, an average speed of 1,214.17 miles per hour. For this significant aeronautical achievement, each crew member was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. They broke two other speed records on the return flight-New York to Los Angeles and for the roundtrip. This record would stand for 28 years. The aircraft (1 of only 8 remaining B-58's) is on display at the USAF Museum at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio.
  
  
  The following is a transcript of Operation "Heat Rise" as told by the flight's Defensive Systems Operator, Capt. John T. Walton.
  
  The B-58 on display at the USAF Museum at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio set three speed records on March 5, 1962, and in the process won both the Mackay and Bendix Trophies for that year.
  
  Museum: Capt. Walton, let's start with the basics. Who were the crew members for the record flight?
  
  Capt. Walton: The pilot was Capt. Robert G. Sowers, the navigator was Capt. Robert MacDonald and I flew as DSO.
  
  Museum: Was there any particular reason your crew was chosen?
  
  Capt. Walton: Actually no. The crew was picked off a roster in a normal rotation. There were so many special flights and record attempts, eventually most crews got a chance to participate in one kind of record-breaking flight or another.
  
  Museum: So you were flying with an operational bomb wing at the time.
  
  Capt. Walton: Yes, the 43rd Bomb Wing, 65th Squadron out of Carswell AFB, Texas .
  
  Museum: How much training and preparation was done before the flight?
  
  Capt. Walton: We trained for about four months prior to the flight, practicing aerial refueling and things of that nature. Preparation and planning was done by the 43rd Bomb Wing staff and the Strategic Air Command Headquarters at Offutt AFB.
  
  Museum: How was the B-58 prepared?
  
  Capt. Walton: The aircraft was a standard production version with no special modifications of any kind. The ground crew waxed and polished the aircraft until it shined, but other than that it was flown like any other mission.
  
  Museum: Because you were going for a speed record, the aircraft must have been inspected.
  
  Capt. Walton: Yes, of course. The certification folks went over the aircraft with a fine tooth comb. They actually recorded the serial numbers on the engines before we took off so they could check them after we landed and be absolutely certain the aircraft wasn't switched en route. They also watched as we boarded the aircraft and didn't leave until we taxied out from the flightline at Carswell.
  
  Museum: Didn't the flight begin in Los Angeles ?
  
  Capt. Walton: Yes, but we took off from Carswell and didn't land again until we reached LA for the second time.
  
  Museum: After returning from New York ?
  
  Capt. Walton: Yes.
  
  Museum: Can you tell us about your role during the flight?
  
  Capt. Walton: Sure. The DSO (Defensive System Operator) sits in the aft most crew position; the three crewmen sit in tandem with the pilot up front, the navigator in the middle and the DSO in back. The DSO is responsible for flight engineering, electronic countermeasures (ECM), radio communications and gunnery. On the Bendix flight, my primary job was to carefully monitor the center of gravity and make adjustments to gain the maximum performance for the speed run.
  
  Museum: The Bendix Trophy was awarded for the winner of a transcontinental race. Were there other aircraft flying?
  
  Capt. Walton: Yes, a second aircraft was flying against us.
  
  Museum: Another B-58?
  
  Capt. Walton: Yes.
  
  Museum: So you took off from Carswell AFB and flew to Los Angeles . I assume you did an in-flight refueling (IFR) prior to the beginning of the race.
  
  Capt. Walton: Yes, we flew out over the Pacific Ocean west of Los Angeles and transferred enough fuel to get us to the halfway point over Kansas where we needed to refuel again.
  
  Museum: So you had to refuel a total of four times during the flight, including the IFR over LA prior to the beginning of the Bendix Race?
  
  Capt. Walton: Well, actually we refueled three times during the record flight. Over Kansas twice, once while we were eastbound and again on the trip back westbound. We also refueled over the Atlantic Ocean after reaching New York . We had to refuel twice prior to the start because of a problem on the ground.
  
  Museum: Can you tell us a little more about the "problem?"
  
  Capt. Walton: Well, after we completed the first IFR over the Pacific, we turned and accelerated up to Mach 2 and passed directly over the ground station recording the official start time of the flight. However, the aircraft was lost in the ground clutter and we got called back because we hadn't been officially verified. We flew back out to rendezvous with the tanker and topped off the fuel and flew over the starting point again, this time for visual validation.
  
  Museum: You flew at about Mach 2, is that right?
  
  Capt. Walton: Actually we were able to go a bit faster. When we were planning the flight, we asked the engineers "How hot can we go?" You see the maximum speed wasn't the major concern, but the maximum skin temperature. An aircraft traveling at Mach 2 generates a tremendous amount of heat due to air friction. The limiting skin temperature "by the book" was 115 degrees centigrade, but the engineers told us we go probably get away with temps up to 125 degrees centigrade. This would allow us to exceed the maximum design speed of 1,325 mph and push the plane up past 1,400 mph. We had skin temperature gauges on board so we could closely monitor the skin temperature. The engineers warned us not to go higher than 125 degrees. As you may know, the skin of the B-58 is actually an aluminum honeycomb sandwich. Two sheets of aluminum are bonded to a center core of aluminum honeycomb material. The engineers told us that the skin panels which covered the wings would tend to unbond at higher temperatures.
  
  Museum: This was how the operation was named, wasn't it?
  
  Capt. Walton: Yes, the name was Operation Heat Rise because we were pushing the ram air temp above the normal operating limit approaching the point where the aircraft tended to melt.
  
  Museum: How high did you fly?
  
  Capt. Walton: Depending on what we were doing, anywhere from 25,000 to 50,000 feet. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) cleared the airspace between 25,000 and 50,000 feet in a wide corridor all the way from Los Angeles to New York for 5 hours.
  
  Museum: You also were assigned a single radio frequency for the entire flight, weren't you?
  
  Capt. Walton: Yes, no one was supposed to use the frequency, but during our first IFR over Kansas , a ground controller and a commercial flight were using the frequency. This slowed our first IFR which was already slow because we lost the navigation radar earlier.
  
  Museum: You lost the nav radar? Can you tell us more about that?
  
  Capt. Walton: Yes, outbound from LA in the vicinity of the Grand Canyon , the nav radar went out. We found out later an antenna pin sheared and the radar dish ran away.
  
  Museum: How did you manage the IFR rendezvous without radar?
  
  Capt. Walton: We were flying at approximately 45,000 feet eastbound at Mach 2+. The KC-135 was closing head on at about .9 Mach. The KC-135 does a 180 degree turn about 70 miles out and we descend for the join up. This part should have taken about 6.5 minutes, but took a bit longer because of the malfunctioning radar. The KC-135 had to relay navigational commands to us and the commercial traffic on our restricted frequency delayed the process even more. After join up, we would take on about 85,000 lbs. of fuel being transferred at 4,000 pounds per minute. After about 21 minutes, we had enough fuel to get to New York and off we went.
  
  Museum: Was there just one tanker or were there back up KC-135s as well?
  
  Capt. Walton: As I recall, there were 10 KC-135s supporting both B-58s.
  
  Museum: So after refueling, it was basically a speed run to New York ?
  
  Capt. Walton: Not exactly. After the IFR we had to climb back to our optimal cruising altitude of about 45,000 feet. However, we encountered a temperature inversion over the Kansas City area which slowed our climb to altitude. We crossed the finish line at New York in 2 hours, 58.71 seconds. We really wanted to break the 2 hour LA to New York barrier, but it was not to be. We did beat Tall Man Five Six -- by all of one minute.
  
  Museum: Tall Man Five Six was the call sign of the other B-58?
  
  Capt. Walton: Yes, and we were Tall Man Five Five.
  
  Museum: You didn't land in New York ...
  
  Capt. Walton: Oh no. We hit the tanker out over the Atlantic to prepare for the run back to Los Angeles .
  
  Museum: This wasn't part of the Bendix Race was it?
  
  Capt Walton: No. We planned to combine the LA to NY Bendix Race with additional record attempt for the fastest trip from New York to Los Angeles and the fastest round trip from Los Angeles to New York and back.
  
  Museum: You were still competing again the second B-58?
  
  Capt. Walton: Yes, but mechanical trouble forced them out of the race soon after leaving the New York area.
  
  Museum: You were flying again the sun then?
  
  Capt. Walton: Literally yes. The B-58 could fly faster than the rotational speed of the earth. We actually beat the sun by about three quarters of an hour in the New York to Los Angeles race.
  
  Museum: Were there any significant problems of the return flight?
  
  Capt. Walton: We encountered the same temperature inversion on the way back, but the last IFR over Kansas actually went much better than the first refueling. We had partial navigational radar by this time.
  
  Museum: How long was the flight back?
  
  Capt Walton: The official time for the New York to Los Angeles flight was 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 50.08 seconds. The total round trip time was 4 hours, 41 minutes, 14.98 seconds. We averaged 1214.71 miles per hour for the duration of the flight.
  
  Museum: You were awarded the Mackay trophy for the most meritorious flight of 1962 also.
  
  Capt. Walton: Yes, the three of us and 458 (the B-58) won the Bendix Trophy race and were awarded the Mackay Trophy for 1962.
  
  Museum: The flight was 5 March.
  
  Capt. Walton: Yes, we were actually ready to go earlier, but the Air Force wanted to wait until John Glenn's Mercury flight was over.
  
  Museum: His space flight was 20 February 1962.
  
  Capt. Walton: Yes. The Air Force was hungry for records and publicity to enhance the prestige of the service and gain favor for more funding of high speed bomber projects. This is why we used a standard, unmodified, production aircraft. It proved the capabilities of the first line SAC bomber force. In any case, we had to wait for the first US orbital space flight to end because we couldn't compete with this event. Remember the United States was attempting to catch up to the Russians at this point in the space race.
  
  Museum: The museum has your B-58A on display in the Modern Flight Hangar. What do you think of when you look at her?
  
  Capt. Walton: Beautiful. Prettiest plane in the museum. It looks great all polished. The decals commemorating the Bendix and Mackay Trophies are impressive and bring back a lot of memories. Of course, most of the decals were missing on our flight. The heat would have burned them off.
  
  Museum: Thank you. We appreciate you taking the time to give us the inside story of your flight.
  
  Capt. Walton: You're welcome.
  
  Note: This story is true, but is based on a number of E-mail and telephone interviews, not any single conversation. The museum questions and Capt Walton's responses have been altered for readability, but are otherwise correct.
  
  Transcript courtesy of:
  
  USAF Museum at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio.
  
  Recap of Data and Awards:
  
  In 1962, a B-58 flew from Los Angeles to New York City at an average speed of 1,214.65 mph, from New York City to Los Angeles at an average speed of 1,081.8 mph, and from Los Angeles to New York and back in four hours, 41 minutes, and 14.91 seconds, at an average of 1,044.46 mph. The Bendix Trophy was awarded to the crew in 1962 and the Mackay Trophy in 1963.
• Birth*: Robert was born on 15 Jul 1926 at Churchland, NC.
• Residence: He lived in 1930 at Boone, Davidson County, NC, 1930 Census, living with Mother..
• Residence*: He resided in May 2009 at Tucson, AZ.
• Death*: He died on 1 Dec 2018 at Tucson, AZ, at age 92.

Parents:

Christopher? Sowers

• Birth*: Christopher? was born.
• Death*: Christopher? died. Died in infancy.
• Burial*: His body was buried at Houston, Harris County, TX.

Parents:

Helen Craver

• Birth*: Helen was born on 22 Sep 1900 at Lexington, Davidson County, NC.
• Marriage*: She married James Columbus Sowers 'Crack', son of Luther Columbus Sowers 'Lum' and Fannie Florence Long, on 25 Nov 1920.
• Death*: Helen died on 18 Nov 1977 at Lexington, Davidson County, NC, at age 77.

Parents:

Fred Green

• Birth*: Fred was born on 30 Sep 1921 at Lexington, Davidson County, NC.
• Death*: Fred died on 15 Mar 1986 at Lexington, Davidson County, NC, at age 64.

Helen Louise Sowers 'Louise'

• Birth*: Helen was born.
• Residence*: She resided circa 1970 at Lexington, Davidson County, NC.

Parents:

Wayne Ingersoll

• Birth*: Wayne was born.
• Marriage*: He married Ruby Michaels.
• Death*: Wayne died.
• Burial*: His body was buried.

Ruby Michaels

• Birth*: Ruby was born.
• Marriage*: She married Wayne Ingersoll.
• Death*: Ruby died.
• Burial*: Her body was buried.

Gertrude Irwin

• Birth*: Gertrude was born on 21 May 1901.
• Marriage*: She married Dr. Roy Gerrod Sowers , Sr. 'Ben', son of Luther Columbus Sowers 'Lum' and Fannie Florence Long, on 9 Jun 1951.
• Death*: Gertrude died on 28 Dec 1989 at age 88.

Wade Philip Sowers 'Philip'

• Biography*: Occupation: Employment Service Commission.
• Birth*: Wade was born on 18 Oct 1925 at Forsyth County, NC.
• Marriage*: He married Barbara Ann Trexler, daughter of John Moyer Trexler , Sr. and Jennie Lee Pickett, on 20 Jun 1959.
• Residence*: Wade Philip Sowers 'Philip' lived at Lexington, Davidson County, NC.
• Death*: He died on 28 Aug 2013 at age 87.

Parents:

Annie Barnhardt

• Birth*: Annie was born on 9 Feb 1870.
• Marriage*: She married John Alexander Sowers, son of Philip Sowers and Cynthia Leach 'Sinthea'.
• Death*: Annie died on 10 Jan 1931 at age 60.
• Burial*: Her body was buried in Jan 1931 at Davidson County, NC. St. Luke's Lutheran Church Cemetery.

William Riley Sowers 'Will'

• Birth*: William was born on 7 Mar 1892.
• Marriage*: He married Samantha Beck, daughter of John Calvin Beck and Malinda? Melinda Albertine Grubb 'Lindy'. No children..
• Death*: William died on 7 Feb 1954 at age 61.
• Burial*: His body was buried at St. Luke's Church Cemetery at Tyro, Davidson County, NC.

Parents:

Mary Lou Ella Sowers 'Ella'

• Birth*: Mary was born.
• Marriage*: She married Henry Harrison Brinkley Brinkly?.
• Death*: Mary died.
• Burial*: Her body was buried.

Parents:

George Odell Sowers 'Buck'

Gravestone

• Biography*: He was in WWII, NC PFC, Company B 44 Armored Inf BN.
• Birth*: George was born on 29 Jan 1913.
• Residence: He lived in 1920 at Boone, Davidson County, NC, 1920 Census, living with parents.
• Residence*: He lived in 1940 at Boone, Davidson County, NC, 1940 Census, living with parents, listed as Odell Sowers..
• Death*: George died on 7 Apr 1961 at age 48.
• Burial*: His body was buried at Linwood, Davidson County, NC. Smith Grove Baptist Church Cemetery.

Parents:

Harold Graham Sowers , Sr. 'Coon'

Gravestone

• Biography*: Harold "Coon" Graham Sowers, 89, of Sunbridge Nursing Home, formerly of Indian Grave Road, died Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2004, at Lexington Memorial Hospital after an illness of several months.
  
  
  A private memorial service will be held at a later date.
  
  Mr. Sowers was born Nov. 4, 1914, in Davidson County to George Alexander "Cap" Sowers and Mary Frances "Fannie" Easter Sowers. He was retired from Kahn's Textiles in Asheville and was a member of Smith Grove Baptist Church. He was preceded in death by his brothers, George Sowers, Claude Sowers and Foy Sowers.
  
  Surviving are his wife, Edith Mize Sowers of the home; one son, Harold Graham Sowers Jr. and his wife, Ann, of Huntsville, Ala; four daughters, Rose Sowers Thomas and her husband, Keith, of Woodruff, S.C., Lynda Sowers Anderson and her husband, John, of Decatur, Ga., and Mary Sowers Walser and her husband, Robert, and Patsy Sowers Blanton, all of Lexington; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
  
  Davidson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
• Birth*: Harold was born on 4 Nov 1914 at Davidson County, NC.
• Residence: He lived in 1920 at Boone, Davidson County, NC, 1920 Census, living with parents.
• Residence: He lived in 1930 at Boone, Davidson County, NC, 1930 Census, living with parents..
• Marriage*: He married Edith Mize, daughter of George Henderson Mize and Drusilla Estella Hanes, say 1937.
• Residence: Harold Graham Sowers , Sr. 'Coon' lived in 1940 at Boone, Davidson County, NC, 1940 Census, married, living with parents..
• Residence*: He resided circa 1970 at Asheville, Buncombe County, NC.
• Death*: He died on 17 Aug 2004 at Lexington, Davidson County, NC, at age 89; Lexington Memorial Hospital.
• Burial*: His body was buried at Linwood, Davidson County, NC. Smith Grove Baptist Church Cemetery.

Parents:

Edith Mize

• Biography*: Edith Mize Sowers age 98, of Piedmont Crossing formerly of Indian Grave Road, Lexington passed away Monday morning at Piedmont Crossing.
  
  A memorial service will be held at 4:00 pm Saturday, February 1, 2014 in the Davidson Funeral Home, Lexington Chapel with Rev. William Sowers officiating.
  
  Edith was born in Davidson County September 14, 1915 to George Henderson and Drusilla Hanes Mize. She was a homemaker and was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Harold G. Sowers and 9 siblings.
  
  Surviving are; daughters, Rosie Lee Thomas (Keith) of Woodruff, SC, Lynda Anderson (John) of Decatur, GA, Mary Walser (Robert) and Patsy Hoover (Doyle) all of Lexington; son, Harold Sowers, Jr. (Anne) of Huntsville, AL; 10 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren; 1 great-great- grandchild; sister, Drucilla Mize Everhart of Lexington.
  
  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice of Davidson County, 200 Hospice Way, Lexington, NC 27292 or to Piedmont Crossing, 100 Hedrick Drive, Lexington, NC 27360. Online Condolences may be made at www.davidsonfuneralhome.net.
• Birth*: Edith was born on 14 Sep 1915 at Davidson County, NC.
• Marriage*: She married Harold Graham Sowers , Sr. 'Coon', son of George Alexander Sowers 'Cap' and Mary Frances Easter 'Fannie', say 1937.
• Residence: Edith Mize lived in 1940 at Boone, Davidson County, NC, 1940 Census, living with In-laws, listed as Edith Sowers..
• Residence*: She resided circa 1970 at Asheville, Buncombe County, NC.
• Residence: She lived at NC Piedmont Crossing.
• Death*: She died on 13 Jan 2014 at Davidson County, NC, at age 98; Piedmont Crossing.

Parents:

Claude Alexander Sowers 'Nick'

Gravestone

• Biography*: No marriage.
  He was in WWII, NC Cpl. 261 Infantry, 65 Inf. Division, Purple Heart.
• Birth*: Claude was born on 30 Jun 1917.
• Residence: He lived in 1920 at Boone, Davidson County, NC, 1920 Census, living with parents..
• Residence*: He lived in 1940 at Boone, Davidson County, NC, 1940 Census, living with parents, listed as Claud Sowers..
• Death*: Claude died on 11 Jan 1970 at age 52.
• Burial*: His body was buried at Linwood, Davidson County, NC. Smith Grove Baptist Church Cemetery.

Parents:

Foy Alvin Sowers 'Cute'

WWII Draft card

Gravestone

• Biography*: He was in WWII, discharged 19 Sep., 1945.
• Birth*: Foy was born on 30 Dec 1919 at NC.
• Residence: He lived in 1920 at Boone, Davidson County, NC, 1920 Census, living with parents.
• Residence: He lived in 1940 at Boone, Davidson County, NC, 1940 Census, living with parents, listed as Foy Sowers..
• Marriage*: He married Genelda Hutchens.
• Residence: Foy Alvin Sowers 'Cute' lived at Linwood, Davidson County, NC, Route #1..
• Residence*: He resided circa 1970 at Spencer, Rowan County, NC.
• Death*: He died on 13 Feb 1990 at Salisbury, Rowan County, NC, at age 70; General Hospital.
• Burial*: His body was buried at Salisbury, Rowan County, NC. Chestnut Hill Cemetery.

Parents:

Genelda Hutchens

Gravestone

• Birth*: Genelda was born on 3 Nov 1919.
• Marriage*: She married Foy Alvin Sowers 'Cute', son of George Alexander Sowers 'Cap' and Mary Frances Easter 'Fannie'.
• Residence*: She resided circa 1970 at Spencer, Rowan County, NC.
• Death*: Genelda Hutchens died on 25 Feb 1996 at age 76.
• Burial*: Her body was buried at Salisbury, Rowan County, NC. Chestnut Hill Cemetery.

Charlie Frank Sowers 'Frank'

Gravestone

• Birth*: Charlie was born on 6 Sep 1895.
• Marriage*: He married Lizzie Albertine Beck 'Albertine' 'Abbie', daughter of John Calvin Beck and Malinda? Melinda Albertine Grubb 'Lindy', say 1917.
• Death*: Charlie died on 12 Jan 1953 at age 57.
• Burial*: His body was buried at Linwood, Davidson County, NC. Smith Grove Baptist Church Cemetery.

Parents:

Staley Barnhardt Sowers

• Biography*: Occupation: Farmer.
• Birth*: Staley was born on 12 Apr 1911.
• Marriage*: He married Ultra Snider on 12 Dec 1931.
• Death*: Staley died on 9 Jan 1962 at NC at age 50.

Parents:

Ultra Snider

• Birth*: Ultra was born.
• Marriage*: She married Staley Barnhardt Sowers, son of John Alexander Sowers and Annie Barnhardt, on 12 Dec 1931.

? Sowers

• Death*: ? died on 27 May 1966.
• Birth*: ? was born on 27 May 1966.
• Burial*: His body was buried.

Cynthis E. Sowers

• Birth*: Cynthis was born on 11 Apr 1900.
• Marriage*: She married Gray S. Smith.
• Death*: Cynthis died on 24 Oct 1920 at age 20.

Parents:

Gray S. Smith

• Birth*: Gray was born.
• Marriage*: He married Cynthis E. Sowers, daughter of John Alexander Sowers and Annie Barnhardt.

John E. Sowers

• Biography*: Lived in Davidson County, NC.
• Birth*: John was born on 26 Jun 1906.
• Death*: John died on 9 May 1923 at age 16.

Parents:

Minnie Kluttz

• Birth*: Minnie was born.
• Marriage*: She married Jacob Sowers, son of Philip Sowers and Cynthia Leach 'Sinthea'.

Jacob Sowers

• Birth*: Jacob was born on 15 Jun 1847.
• Burial*: His body was buried in Jul 1847 at Davidson County, NC. Beulah United Church of Christ Cemetery, on Arnold Road.
• Death*: Jacob died on 21 Jul 1847. From gravestone.

Parents:

Mary E. Sowers

• Biography*: Name Reference - Gravestone has Mary E. Sowers.
• Birth*: Mary was born in 1852.
• Marriage*: She married John F. Eller 'Little'.
• Death*: Mary died in 1931. From gravestone.
• Burial*: Her body was buried at Midway, Davidson County, NC. Midway United Methodist Church Cemetery, Hwy. 52, North of Lexington.

Parents:

John F. Eller 'Little'

• Biography*: Name Reference - Gravestone has John F. Eller.
• Birth*: John was born in 1849.
• Marriage*: He married Mary E. Sowers, daughter of Michael L. Sowers and Elizabeth Burke.
• Death*: John died in 1913. From gravestone.
• Burial*: His body was buried at Midway, Davidson County, NC. Midway United Methodist Church Cemetery, Hwy. 52, North of Lexington.

? Eller

• Birth*: ? was born.
• Marriage*: She married Felix Mendenhall.
• Death*: ? died.
• Burial*: Her body was buried.

Parents:

Felix Mendenhall

• Birth*: Felix was born.
• Marriage*: He married ? Eller, daughter of John F. Eller 'Little' and Mary E. Sowers.
• Death*: Felix died.
• Burial*: His body was buried.

Sam Eller

• Birth*: Sam was born.
• Death*: Sam died.
• Burial*: His body was buried.

Parents:

Henry Eller

• Birth*: Henry was born.
• Death*: Henry died.
• Burial*: His body was buried.

Parents:

Andrew Eller

• Birth*: Andrew was born.
• Death*: Andrew died.
• Burial*: His body was buried.

Parents:

Pleasant E. Sowers

• Birth*: Pleasant was born on 9 May 1853.
• Marriage*: He married Sarah Frances McCrary on 23 Jun 1874.
• Death*: Pleasant died on 31 Dec 1910 at age 57.
• Burial*: His body was buried at Spencer, Rowan County, NC.

Parents: