E. Pluribus Unum "Unie" Gowan

E. Pluribus Unum "Unie" Gowan was born 2/18/1909 in Hot Springs, Madison County, NC to Thomas Henry Gowan (DOB 12/17/1872 in Madison County, NC; DOD 4/15/1963 in Asheville, Buncombe County, NC) and Cora Alice Lamb (DOB 9/17/1874 in Hot Springs, Madison County, NC to Lieutenant William Riley Lamb and Eliza Ann Rollins; DOD 11/26/1950 in Asheville, Buncombe County, NC). I am related via Cora Alice Lamb and my Lamb line. As I was working on my Lamb line I came across Unie Gowan's sad story.

Thomas Henry Gowan and Cora Alice Lamb had:

1) Bamie Leona Gowan (DOB 11/13/1900 in Madison County, NC; DOD 6/9/1977 in Asheville, Buncombe County, NC) married Eunie David Wyatt (DOB 11/22/1901 in Madison County, NC; DOD 6/10/1980 in Asheville, Buncombe County, NC) and they had Arthur Dale Wyatt, Ralph Thomas Wyatt, Sr., Earl G. Wyatt, Revonda Wyatt and Ray Wyatt.

2) Jessie B. Gowan (DOB 1/27/1903 in Hot Springs, Madison County, NC; DOD 11/14/1940 in Madison County, NC of tuberculosis bilateral renal) married Ralph Maxwell Barnett (DOB 4/15/1911 in Paint Rock, Madison County, NC; DOD 7/1/1971 in Asheville, Buncombe County, NC).

3) Arthur Sevier Gowan (DOB 2/7/1905 in Madison County, NC; DOD 3/16/1997 in Buncombe County, NC) married Emily Willie Grigsby (DOB 7/13/1907 in NC; DOD 4/18/1992 in Asheville, Buncombe County, NC).

4) Rachel Nora Gowan (DOB 4/4/1907 in Madison County, NC; DOD 10/23/1999 in Black Mountain, Buncombe County, NC) married Boyd Norton and James Homer Ricker-Lamb (DOB 2/11/1904 in Paint Rock, Madison County, NC; DOD 4/9/1972 in Asheville, Buncombe County, NC).

5) E. Pluribus Unum "Eunie" Gowan (DOB 8/18/1909 in Hot Springs, Madison County, NC; DOD 2/8/1964 in Asheville, Buncombe County, NC) married Ruth Madeline Price (DOB 7/7/1913 in Knoxville, Knox County, TN; DOD 6/30/2003 in Asheville, Buncombe County, NC).

6) Bonnie Gowan (DOB 6/12/1912 in Madison County, NC; DOD 7/16/2008 in NC) married Arthur Zachariah "Zack" Thomas, Sr. (DOB 3/21/1908 in Madison County, NC; DOD 8/29/1965 in Asheville, Buncombe County, NC). They had Keith Allen Thomas, Clara L. Thomas, Arthur Zachariah Thomas, Jr.

7) Alma Gowan (DOB 5/29/1915 in Madison County, NC; DOD 8/23/1915 in Madison County, NC).

8) Bessie Gowan (DOB 11/10/1917 in Madison County, NC; DOD 8/21/2016 in Swannanoa, Buncombe County, NC) married Hezekiah Bartlett (DOB 4/15/1915 in NC; DOD 1/3/1957 in Asheville, Buncombe County, NC). They had Margaret Magdeline Bartlett, Paul Leon Bartlett.

1910 U.S. Census of Hot Springs, Madison County, North Carolina; Roll: T624_1107; Page: 13B; Enumeration District: 0080; FHL microfilm: 1375120, Lines 63-69, "Tom Gowan"
Tom Gowan, Head, M(ale), W(hite), 27 yrs old (DOB 1883), Married 8 yrs (DOM 1902), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Labor in logging, Cannot read
Allice Gowan (sic), Wife, F, W, 22 yrs old (DOB 1888), Married 8 yrs, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Cannot read
Bonnie Gowan (sic, Bamie), Daughter, F, W, 7 yrs old (DOB 1903), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC,
Jessie Gowan, Daughter, F, W, 5 yrs old (DOB 1905), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC,
Arthur Gowan, Son, M, W, 4 yrs old (DOB 1906), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC,
Noda Gowan (sic, Nora), Daughter, F, W, 3 yrs old (DOB 1907), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC,
Una Gowan (sic, Unie), Son, M, W, 10/12 mos old, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC,

1920 U.S. Census of Hot Springs, Madison County, North Carolina; Roll: T625_1294; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 116, Lines 66-75, "Tom Gowan"
Tom Gowan, Head, M(ale), W(hite), 48 yrs old (DOB 1872), Married, Can read and write, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Farmer
Alice Gowan, Wife, F, W, 46 yrs old (DOB 1874), Married, Can read and write, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC,
Bamie Gowan, Daughter, F, W, 19 yrs old (DOB 1901), Single, Can read and write, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC,
Jessie Gowan, Daughter, F, W, 17 yrs old (DOB 1903), Single, Can read and write, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC,
Arthur Gowan, Son, M, W, 16 yrs old (DOB 1904), Single, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC,
Rachel Gowan, Daughter, F, W, 12 yrs old (DOB 1908), Single, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC,
Unie Gowan, Son, M, W, 10 yrs old (DOB 1910), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC,
Bonnie Gowan, Daughter, F, W, 8 yrs old (DOB 1912), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC,
Bessie Gowan, Daughter, F, W, 2 yrs old (DOB 1918), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC,

1930 U.S. Census of Hot Springs, Madison County, North Carolina; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 0007; FHL microfilm: 2341438, Lines 7-11, "Tom H. Gowan"
Tom H. Gowan, Head, Owns a farm, M(ale), W(hite), 57 yrs old (DOB 1873), Married at age 26 yrs old, Can read and write, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC, Farmer
Allice Gowan (sic), Wife, F, W, 56 yrs old (DOB 1874), Married at age 24 yrs old, Can read and write, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Eunie Gowan, Son, M, W, 20 yrs old (DOB 1910), Single, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Bessie Gowan, Daughter, F, W, 12 yrs old (DOB 1918), Born in NC, Both parents born in NC
Rachel Norton, Daughter, F, W, 22 yrs old (DOB 1908), Divorced, Married at 18 yrs old, Born in NC, Both parents born in NC


Eunie Gowan married Ruth Madeline Price on 3/24/1934 in Craven County, NC.

North Carolina, Marriage Records, 1741-2011
Name: Enna Gowan (sic)
Gender: Male
Race: White
Age: 24
Birth Year: abt 1910
Marriage Date: 24 Mar 1934
Marriage Place: Craven, North Carolina, USA
Spouse: Madeline Price
Spouse Gender: Female
Spouse Race: White
Spouse Age: 20
Event Type: Marriage

They had:

1) Rev. Lon Hugh Gowan (DOB 1/8/1935 in Madison County, NC; DOD 10/15/2017 in Pennsylvania) married Judy Ann Koontz (DOB 1/19/1940 in York County, PA; DOD 3/18/2010 in Altoona, Blair County, PA).

2) Bulah Burl "Bubba" Gowan (aka Beulah Berl Gowan)(DOB 5/16/1939 in Madison County, NC; DOD 8/14/2014 in Adams Center, Jefferson County, New York). Cecelia Peebles and they had James Peebles and Deborah Peebles Craine.

3) Mary Jane Gowan married John Barnett.



1940 U.S. Census of Shut In, Madison County, North Carolina; Roll: m-t0627-02939; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 58-7A, Lines 71-74, "Unie Gowan"
Unie Gowan, Head, M(ale), W(hite), 30 yrs old (DOB 1910), Married, Attended school thru 4th grade, Born in NC, Lived in same place in 1935, Laborer for WPA road construction, $384 Income
Madline Gowan (sic), F, W, 26 yrs old (DOB 1914), Married, Attended high school 1 yr, Born in TN, Lived in same place in 1935
Hugh Gowan, Son, M, W, 5 yrs old (DOB 1935), Born in NC
Berl Gowan, Son, M, W, 10/12 mos old, Born in NC






Unie Gowan worked for Beacon Manufacturing in Swannanoa area of Asheville, NC as a dyer.



Unie Gowan went to the grocery store and never came back. His wife turned in a missing persons report.




His body was found by a man looking for his dog about 10 months later. He was found in a wooded area near Beacon Mfg. It seemed he had crawled under some cut limbs and he still had his grocery bag with him and all his identification.


There is so much missing in this story. The newspaper says he had gotten sick at work 2 days before he went missing. Had he returned to work before he went missing or had he been out due to illness? Did he walk or drive to the grocery store? It doesn't mention finding a car, only his body. If he was walking, then was the grocery store on Clayton Rd? Was it possible he was walking and got sick again and made it to the side of the road and thought he would get shelter under the limbs until he felt better but then died? If he was a drinking man, did he get alcohol and perhaps crawled there in a drunken state and passed out? Was he looking for something and got stuck and couldn't get out? Was there foul play and someone was trying to hide his body? Did he commit suicide? Could he have crawled there to hide his body and then taken poison or slit his wrists? His father had died in 1963 and his mother had died in 1950.

He was only 54 yrs old, been married 30 years, worked at Beacon Mfg for 20 yrs, had lived in Asheville for 20 yrs. His children were adults (the youngest was 20 yrs old). Both sons were living pretty far away but his daughter lived in Asheville. He had a brother and 4 sisters still living. The shock of a loved one going missing must be horrible. They eventually got the closure of finding his body but never knowing what happened must have been terrible.

How I'm related to Cora Alice Lamb Gowan.

Our common ancestor is John Rollins Lamb who married Sarah Ann Ealey. Their oldest child was Lieutenant William Riley Lamb and their next to youngest son was Elbert Sevier Lamb. Cora was descended through Lieutenant William Riley Lamb. I am descended from Elbert Sevier Lamb.

John Rollins Lamb and Sara Ann Ealey
Lieutenant William Riley Lamb and Eliza Ann Rollins
Cora Alice Lamb and Thomas Henry Gowan
Unie Gowan and Madeline Price

John Rollins Lamb and Sara Ann Ealey
Elbert Sevier Lamb and Nancy Margaret Malinda Ricker
John Edward Lamb and Noda Vesta Miller
Geneva Margaret Lamb and William Wilford Reese
Eleanor Elaine Reese and William Avery Huneycutt
Me! (So I am Unie's 2nd cousin 2 times removed)

If you have corrections or further information, please contact me at Mom25dogs@gmail.com.