Hi Susan,
You and I are distant cousins, but it took me all morning to sniff that out! I have a most probable maiden name for your Bessie P. Garber...but let me tell you how I got it. I found a newspaper article stating that Mrs. Wm Allvin was visiting her sister Mrs. Hosea Garber. The marriage records for Woodbury Co, Iowa list Margaret E. McKown marrying Wm Allvin, 25 Mar 1897 in Woodbury. I went to the 1895 Iowa census for Woodbury Co and found Bessie McKown and her family. The odd part is there is no Margaret...she may have been working outside the home and with a little searching I could locate her. Bessie McKown is 16 years old in 1895 (perfect!), she lives in Woodbury (perfect because Hosea lives in Woodbury Co with his family in 1895). It is a circumstantial proof, but I feel pretty good about it.

You and I are cousins through Samuel (also called Levi) Garber and Elizabeth Miller. Your Hosea is in a book by Floyd Mason "Samuel Garber and Elizabeth Miller", but no wife is listed.

Sarah