Looking for John Norcross Bowen, born June 4, 1883, in New Jersey. Family lore says he moved to Washington state where he worked in the newspaper business. He may have still been living there in 1940.

World War I Draft Registration Cards (1918)
John Norcross BOWEN
[908?0 Oil Ex. Bldg., Okla City, Okla
born 4 June 1883
Oil Refiner, Golden Belt Ref. Col
Next of Kin: Mrs. Amanda Bowen, Riverton NJ

World War II Draft Registration Cards (1942)
John Norcross BOWEN
born 4 June 1884 in Burlington NJ
residence Lewis Hotel, Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington
Person who will always know your address: Reba Bowen, Pierce Co. Clinic, Med. Arts Bldg., Tacoma
Unemployed

Thanks so much, metaphor, for going through the trouble of copying down this information for me. I recently found the 1942 record, and had found the 1918 record when those were published. This guy continues to be elusive--at every step I get another morsel of information but then the trail stops again. Now I'm trying to track down this Reba Bowen, as well as any other records of John in Tacoma.

Thanks again for your kindness!

Here's a possible match for the Reba named on John BOWEN's WWII draft card. Have you contacted the Tacoma public library to request lookups for John in their city directory collection?


1945Jun24, Seattle Daily Times, p8

467 Graduates in U of W First Four-Year War Class

The University of Washington's first four-year wartime class--students who enrolled just before Pearl Harbor--was graduated yesterday at commencement exercises in Meany Hall, one of the two smallest classes in many years. ...

Bachelor of Science in Nursing
August 1944 ... Reba May Vickers Bowen, ...


1947Nov12, Seattle Daily Times
Nurses Attend Cancer Course
Nurses from throughout the state are undergoing intensive training here this week on the latest information on cancer research at a five-day course at the University of Washington and Harborview County and Swedish Hospitals. ... Twenty four nurses are attending the sessions. They are ... Reba Bowen, Wenatchee.

Metaphor, you are a star.

I had just about exhausted the online research I could do on Reba Bowen. I found a Reba May Vickers b. 27 May 1904 in Oklahoma, daughter of Willis A. Vickers and Rose H. Vickers. She married a Bowen (I am assuming it was my John Norcross) and then she married Henry J. Holdt 11/23/1961 in Chelan Co., WA. She owned real estate in Wenatchee, Chelan Co. She died 26 Oct 1984 in Greenville, Texas.

I had no definite information tying her to John Norcross Bowen, but since the address given for Reba Bowen on Bowen's draft registration was the Pierce Co. Clinic, I suspected she might be a nurse. So the information you give me about this Reba May Vickers Bowen would seem to indicate that this is the same person.

I will contact the Tacoma Public Library as you suggest to see if there is anything about John in the directories.

Thank you for your help!