Greenville,
Maine Genealogy -- USGENWEB Project
Owens Families in the Moosehead Area
The family of Thomas and Mary (Murray) Owens immigrated from Kent
County, New Brunswick, Canada and settled in Greenville some time before
1900. The year in which they came to
Greenville is not known, but their son William applied for naturalized U. S.
citizenship in 1900, and was married in Greenville in 1901. Most of the following information was
provided by Marena
(Owens) Schultz. Angus
Andrews contributed to this article as well. (February 11, 2003)
Generation No. 1
1. THOMAS2 OWENS (EDWARD1) was born
about 1840 in New Brunswick, Canada. He
married MARY ANN MURRAY. She was born
about 1839 in New Brunswick, Canada, and died about 1911 in Greenville,
Piscataquis, Maine. (According to her
great granddaughter, Marena (Owens) Schultz, she was struck by a Canadian
Pacific Railroad train at the Maple Street crossing in Greenville Junction,
Maine.)
The 1881 census of
Harcourt & Huskisson, Kent, New Brunswick, Canada (online at
FamilySearch.com) lists the following household:
Name, Marital Status,
Gender, Ethnic Origin, Age, Birthplace, Occupation, Religion
Thomas Owens, Male,
Irish, 41, New Brunswick, Farmer, Roman Catholic
Mary A. Owens, Female,
Irish, 42, New Brunswick, Roman Catholic
William T. Owens,
Male, Irish, 14, New Brunswick, Farmer Son, Roman Catholic
John J. Owens, Male,
Irish, 4, New Brunswick, Roman Catholic
George D. Owens, Male,
Irish, 2, New Brunswick, Roman Catholic
They do not appear in
the 1900 census of Greenville, but the 1910 lists the following household
Owens Thomas, head, 70, married 44 years, born
Canada, "own income" (retired?)
Mary Ann., wife, 68, married 44 years,
11 children, 4 still living, born Canada, runs boarding house
Michael, son, 28?, born Canada, filer at
limber camp
John, son, 32, laborer at lumber camp
George, son, 30, guide
Albert R., son, 28, guide
The great
granddaughter of Thomas Owens, Marena (Owens) Schultz, relates the following:
"I called my dad one night and ask him what Great gramp did for work he
said he worked for the CPRR and he was a bootlegger. They lived on Washington
Street next to the woods and the train tracks. The still was in the woods and
after they put the booze in bottles
they would hide it under the kids mattress. When the train slowed down for the
crossing on Maple St. they would give it to Great Gramp and he sold it in Can.
Well I thought he made it up. After his stroke if he couldn't remember he made
things up. So the next time I went to Greenville I went to see Aunt Frances,
she told me the same story. They never got caught."
Children of THOMAS OWENS and MARY MURRAY are:
2. i. WILLIAM T.3 OWENS, born about
1868, Canada; died before 1946.
ii. JOHN J. OWENS, born about 1877, Canada; married KATHLEEN MURPHEY1, about 1926; born about 1888, Ireland.
George (40) and John
(42) Owens are lodging together in the same woods camp in Township 5,
Piscataquis County, Maine in the 1920 census.
George's occupation is "lumbering pulp wood" and John's is
"woodsman."
In the 1930 census,
John is married and living in Greenville with his wife Kathleen, born in
Ireland.
iii. GEORGE D. OWENS, born about 1879; died September 05, 1961, Monson,
Piscataquis, Maine; married ADELLA B. OWENS1.
In the 1930 census,
George (50) is living in a Central Maine Power Company boarding house in
Moscow, Somerset County, Maine, and his occupation is now a carpenter in
construction.
iv. MICHAEL OWENS, born about 1882 and adopted by Thomas and Mary Owens;
married (1) MARY WELLMAN, March 01, 1913, Bangor, Penobscot, Maine; married (2)
LIZZIE
PARKER,
June 06, 1917, Kineo, Piscataquis, Maine; born of Lancaster, England.
v. ALBERT R. OWENS, born about 1882, never married, drowned.
Generation No. 2
2. WILLIAM T.3 OWENS (THOMAS2, EDWARD1) was born
about 1868 in Canada, and died before 1946.
He married MARGARET A. LIVINGSTONE December 25, 1901 in Greenville, Piscataquis,
Maine. She was born about 1878 in
Canada and died in the late 1940s in Greenville.
Neither William nor
his wife Margaret Livingstone could be found in the 1900 census index for Maine. 1900 was the year they both claim to have
obtained naturalized citizenship, and 1901 was the year they married. The 1910 census of Greenville, Piscataquis
County, Maine, lists the following household on Birch Street:
Owens William, head, 42, married 9 years, born
Canada, section head on railroad
Maggie L., wife, 32, married 9 years, 5
children, 3 still living, born Canada
Eliza J., son(?), 4, born Maine
William E., son 2, born Maine
Margaret E., daughter, 9/12, born Maine
The 1920 census of
Greenville, Piscataquis County, Maine, recorded January 15-19, lists the
following household:
Owens William, head, 51, naturalized 1900, born
Canada, parents born Canada, railroad section man
Margaret, wife, 42, naturalized 1900,
born Canada, parents born Canada
Eliza, daughter, 14, born Maine
William E., son, 12, born Maine
Margaret, daughter, 10, born Maine
Frances, daughter, 8, born Maine
Harriet, daughter, 7, born Maine
Patrick, son, 4+5/12, born Maine
The 1930 census of
Greenville, Piscataquis County, Maine, recorded April 24, lists the following
household on Birch Street in Greenville Junction:
Owens William T., head, 52, married at 32, born Canada, parents born Canada, railroad
section hand
Maggie A., wife, 42, married at 22, born
Canada, parents born Canada
Emmet W., son, 22, born Maine, railroad
section hand
Frances T., daughter 18, born Maine
Harriett B., daughter, 17, born Maine
Patrick J., son, 14, born Maine
Children of WILLIAM OWENS and MARGARET LIVINGSTONE are:
i. THOMAS H.4 OWENS, born 1902;
died 1903.
ii. WILLIAM E. OWENS, born about 1903; married LOUISE MARSHALL, October
07, 1931, Greenville, Piscataquis, Maine; born December 14, 1911; died April
08, 1983, Fort Farifield, Aroostook, Maine.
The 1930 census of
Barnard Plantation, Piscataquis County, Maine lists a Louise T. Marshall, 17,
living with her uncle and aunt, Frederick W. and Ulah A. McCarthy. There is also a Mike (45) and Ellen (53)
Marshall living in Greenville. It is
not certain whether the Louise M. Owens in the Maine Death Index and Social
Security Death Index is this one or the wife of Emmet Owens.
iii. MARY A. OWENS, born 1904; died 1906.
3. iv. ELIZABETH J. OWENS, born October 15, 1905, Greenville, Piscataquis,
Maine; died May 26, 1995, Houlton, Aroostook, Maine.
4. v. EMMET WILLIAM OWENS, born June 29, 1907; died June 18, 1987, Greenville,
Piscataquis, Maine.
vi. GRETA A. OWENS, born June 27, 1909; died June 22, 1992, Saco, York,
Maine1; married ROBERT J. MCEVOY1; died
19491.
5. vii. FRANCES T. OWENS
6. viii. HARRIETT B. OWENS
7. ix. JOHN PATRICK OWENS, born January 12, 1915, Greenville, Piscataquis,
Maine; died December 15, 2002, Greenville, Piscataquis, Maine.
Generation No. 3
3. ELIZABETH J.4 OWENS (WILLIAM T.3, THOMAS2, EDWARD1) was born October 15, 1905 in Greenville, Piscataquis,
Maine, and died May 26, 1995 in Houlton, Aroostook, Maine. She married EDWARD BOURQUE CONNAUGHTON1 May 22, 1924 in Greenville, Piscataquis, Maine.
Her name is listed as
Eliza on the Social Security Death Index and Maine Marriage Index, and as
Elizabeth on the Maine Death Index. She
is also listed as a son on one census and a daughter on another.
Her husband was called
by his middle name. According to his
niece, Marena (Owens) Schultz, he worked for the Canadian Pacific Railroad
(CPRR) and lived in Brownville Junction, Maine. "...when he [Galen] was little Mom would walk up to the
CPRR Station with him and Uncle Bourque
would pick him up and take him back to Brownville to stay over night. When they
would get back to Greenville if one of the inspectors happened to be there
Galen would get out on the other side and hide in the grass until the train
left."
The Maine Death Index
lists an Edward B. Connaughton died 5-5-1963 in Bangor at age 37, perhaps a
typo?
Children of ELIZABETH OWENS and EDWARD CONNAUGHTON are:
i. WILMA CARON5 CONNAUGHTON1, married EUGENE V. CARON, January 01, 1963.
ii. LEONIECE LYONS CONNAUGHTON1.
4. EMMET WILLIAM4 OWENS (WILLIAM T.3, THOMAS2, EDWARD1) was born June 29, 1907, and died June 18, 1987 in
Greenville, Piscataquis, Maine. He
married LOUISE MORAN. She was born
December 14, 1911, and died April 08, 1983 in Fort Fairfield, Aroostook, Maine.
Children of EMMET OWENS and LOUISE MORAN are:
i. HILDA MARIE5 OWENS, born May 18,
1933; died August 26, 1999; married CARLTON P. INMAN, September 10, 1954; born September 09, 1928,
Greenville, Piscataquis, Maine; died April 10, 2002.
ii. WILLIAM L. OWENS, married JOYCE S. WARD, June 22, 1957.
iii. JAMES OWENS.
iv. FREDERICK OWENS.
5. FRANCES T.4 OWENS (WILLIAM T.3, THOMAS2, EDWARD1), married MIDAS JEAN CARON1
October 25, 1937. He was born December
26, 1906, and died August 04, 1994 in Greenville, Piscataquis, Maine.
Children of FRANCES OWENS and MIDAS CARON are:
i. JOSEPH WILLIAM5 CARON, born 1938;
died September 08, 1938.
ii. OLIVER CARON.
iii. CHARLES JOHN CARON, died 1951 (struck by car on Pritham Avenue)
iv. ROBERT CARON.
6. HARRIETT B.4 OWENS (WILLIAM T.3, THOMAS2, EDWARD1), married ALFRED J. PARENT August 24, 1937, son of JOSEPH PARENT and ANNIE ?. He was born June 08, 1915, and died October
28, 1967 in Greenville, Piscataquis, Maine.
She usually went by her nickname, "Hattie."
Children of HARRIETT OWENS and ALFRED PARENT are:
i. JAMES HAROLD5 PARENT
ii. ANN PARENT.
iii. CRYSTAL PARENT.
7. JOHN PATRICK4 OWENS (WILLIAM T.3, THOMAS2, EDWARD1) was born January 12, 1915 in Greenville, Piscataquis,
Maine1, and died December 15, 2002 in Greenville,
Piscataquis, Maine. He married MARY J. WARMAN July 10,
1936, daughter of WELLINGTON WARMAN and LAURA BOLSTRIDGE. She was born
March 07, 1920 in Greenville, Piscataquis, Maine, and died June 22, 1992 in
Greenville, Piscataquis, Maine. Mary
used "Evelyn" as her middle name after she was marriedied
Children of JOHN OWENS and MARY WARMAN are:
i. GALEN BOURQUE5 OWENS, born October
03, 1936, Greenville, Piscataquis, Maine; died June 01, 1996, Greenville,
Piscataquis, Maine; married (1) KAY TOZIER; married (2) MARGENE LYONS, May 25, 1990; born in Caldwell, Texas.
ii. NANCY LAURA OWENS, born November 04, 1941, Greenville, Piscataquis,
Maine; died March 07, 1962, Allentown, Pennsylvania; married ARVID JOHN LASKEY, June 01,
1959; born in Little Squaw Township, Piscataquis, Maine.
iii. JOHN PATRICK OWENS, JR., born in Greenville, Piscataquis, Maine1;
married COLLEEN MAYNARD, November 30, 1968, Rockwood, Somerset, Maine; born in
Greenville, Piscataquis, Maine1.
iv. MARENA GRETA OWENS, born in Greenville, Piscataquis, Maine1;
married RICHARD HORTON SCHULTZ1,
October 18, 1969, Greenville, Piscataquis, Maine; born in Boston, Suffolk,
Massachusetts.
Endnotes
1. Personal correspondence from Marena (Owens) Schultz.
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February 12, 2003
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