Bowen Cemetery

Bowen Cemetery is a small pioneer cemetery with under 300 interments. The oldest monument in the cemetery is that of Johann Kessler, 2 year old son of Sebastian and Scholastika Kessler, who died in 1839. The land was donated by the Bowen family, and the cemetery served the surrounding German farming community. The cemetery is still active. A notable individual buried in the cemetery is Dr. John Hiram Wright (1821-1908). Dr. Wright traveled to the goldfields of California, treating fellow travelers for cholera. His group struck gold near Sacramento. After a couple years of travel, Wright returned to the area and continued to practice medicine for the community.

 “Doctor Found Gold in West,” St. Joseph News-Press (St. Joseph MO) May 30 1949