Mabel Alice Grier, GW #44

Mabel was born on 19 April 1881 in Pennsylvania to Peter and Martha (Frankenfield) Grier.  Some of Mabel’s growing up years were in Maryland as evidenced by her younger siblings’ birthplace, listed on the 1900 census.  By 1900 the family was living in Williamsport.  The photo of Mabel is from a group photo in the Bucknell University yearbook.  It is probably correct since no other women around that age with the name Mabel Grier pop up on Ancestry.com.  Interestingly, the larger photo shows Mabel in a group of people with a lot of guitars and mandolins positioned in front of the group.  Mabel is holding a guitar.  In the 1905 GWS Herald reports from the Gospel Workers, a “M A Grier” reports from various places in central Pennsylvania.  Mabel leaves the Gospel Workers and marries Murl Martin Bower of Williamsport, Pa.  They have four children: LeRoy, Emily, Pauline, Dorothy.  On LeRoy’s birth certificate his mother’s maiden name is listed as Mabel Alice Grier and occupation as “Gospel Worker.”  LeRoy was born 11 May 1907 so Mabel and Murl were married before that.  LeRoy died very young.  On his sister’s birth certificate of November 1908, she is listed as the second child but only one living.  Sadly, Mabel died on 8 December 1914 in Williamsport, leaving her husband with three small girls.  The cause of death was acute septic arthritis with acute endocarditis.  She is buried in Wildwood Cemetery in Williamsport, Pa.  Her husband married a second time to Wilhelmina who raised the girls to adulthood.