A Portrait and Biographical Record of Hendricks County (Chicago: A.W. Bowen & Co., 1895)--pages 937-938
Mrs. Nancy E. Bowen, of New Winchester, Ind., is one of the ladies of Hendricks County who manage their own farms. She is the widow of James Bowen, who was born June 15, 1834, in Putnam County, on Raccoon Creek, and who graduated from the commercial college at Franklin, Ind. He was reared in the mercantile business, his father, Anthony Bowen, being a merchant and farmer at New Maysville, Putnam County, Ind. Anthony Bowen married Amanda Vincent, and they were the parents of three children: Joseph B., James and Andrew J. James Bowen married December 31, 1857, Nancy E., our subject, daughter of Thomas and Nancy (Bryant) Higgins. Thos. Higgins was one of the pioneers of Hendricks County who entered his land. His and his wife were the parents of thirteen children: Michael, Rhoda, Elizabeth (died at sixty-five years of age), Anthony B. (died at about sixty years), Daniel (died at about thirty-seven years), Mary A., Sarah J., Mildred (died at about fifty-eight years), Ann, Nancy E., George, James and David. Mr. Higgins was a substantial farmer, honorable citizen and member of the Christian Church, in which he was an elder. He died at about fifty-five years of age. After marriage, Mr. James Bowen, who was a merchant, and wife lived in Maysville for five years, and then, in 1861, came to New Winchester, where he bought 320 acres of land and had a fine farm, on which his widow now lives, and where he resided until his death, which occurred December 27, 1877, at the age of forty-three years, a member of the Christian Church, and an elder many years. Mrs. Bowen has also been a member of this church since she was fifteen years of age.
In politics, Mr. Bowen was a Democrat and was a member of I.O.O.F. lodge of New Winchester. He was an excellent business manager and left a good property. He was a man of great steadiness of character, honorable and upright, and well known in this county. To Mr. and Mrs. Bowen were born eight children; one died an infant and the others were named Laura, Amanda, George (died at nineteen years of age), Anthony, Edgar, Chauncy and James. The eldest three were born in Maysville, Putnam County, and the remainder at New Winchester. Laura was married when Mr. Bowen died, and that left six children at home, five of whom were boys, the eldest being thirteen years of age, and Mrs. Bowen had instilled into their hearts and minds the lessons of good citizenship, and gave them all good educations, all of them attending Normal School at Danville; Anthony and Edgar attended the university at Greencastle, and Anthony attended Ann Arbor also. He became a lawyer, and is now clerk of Pacific County, Wash., and Edgar is his deputy. Mrs. Bowen brought up this large family, while managing her farm, and she has been a good and true mother to them. Mr. Bowen was a man who attended carefully to every duty in life and was a sincere Christian, kind father and affectionate husband. Of the children the daughter, Laura, married Charles Bosman, a farmer of Putnam County, and is the mother of four children, viz.: Amanda, Maud, Mark, Rose. Edgar married Margaret Wade, and is the father of two children. Annthony married Cora M. Kelley. Two sons are at home with Mrs. Bowen, Chauncy attending Normal at Danville, and James is at home. Mrs. Bowen is in good circumstances, owning 196 acres of land. She is a well preserved lady of sixty-six years, and looks young for her age. She has done a vast amount of hard work in raising her family, and has always maintained high character and holds the respect of her neighbors.