Lewis Bower Family Cemetery, Laurel Ridge Mill Rd (SR 617), Riner, Montgomery Co., VA

From Christiansburg take Rt 8 near Riner, then left on Laurel Ridge Mill Rd NE (SR 602) veering Laurel Ridge Mill Rd NE (changes to SR 617), cemetery is on the right behind 1179 Laurel Ridge Mill Rd NE, Riner, Montgomery VA. (close to Montgomery but on Floyd County side)

37.01980, -80.37914

(src: google maps using coordinates for address – cemetery is the darker outlined area to lower left of house with coordinates 37.0193720, -80.3796220)

src: FAG; photo added by bower-va-genealogy Jan 2008

src: FAG; photo added by Carol VA Oct 2014

Original Source: Documented by Judy Blackwell. Not dated.

Take Rt 8 near Riner, then left on Rt 602 to Rt 617, cemetery is on the right and is in Montgomery County, VA. Well kept, with fence.

Published Materials:

Cemeteries Floyd (Montgomery) County, VA Indian Valley District Volume I by Elza B. Cox & Phyllis G. Phillips ©1980. Added with permission of Elza B. Cox Nov. 2022.

Floyd (Montgomery) County, VA Burks Fork District Volume II Compiled by Phyllis Goad Phillips And Genevieve Cochran Starkey 1^st of 109 Cemeteries pg 1-2. Added with permission of Genevieve Cochran Starkey May 2021.

Tombstone Inscriptions of Floyd County, Virginia ~ Compiled by Donna J. Robertson ~ © 1993

Head of the River, Rest Vale, Copper Hill Brethren, Wilson’s ~ Cemeteries in Floyd County ~ Work compiled by Billy & Juanita Grice, Salem, VA 1886-1997

Others submitted to original Floyd County, VA News List 1^st maintained by Barb Stanley (1934-2006); compilers will be individually identified.

Find A Grave Name: Bower Cemetery, 1179 Laurel Ridge Rd (SR 617), Riner, VA.

From Christiansburg take Route 8, left on Route 602 to Route 617. On right side in a field. Well kept with white fence.

Laurel Ridge Mill Road is the county line in this area, between Floyd and Montgomery Counties.

Coordinates: 37.01937, -80.37962

Cemetery ID: 2245893

Floyd County, VA GIS Parcel ID 15-46

Owner Name BOWER CEMETERY

Annotations – added by Barb Camery Reininger BootsWI@gmail.com

+ indicates on same tombstone

& indicates a relationship

FAG: Find a Grave

[Death Record n/a] Floyd Co., VA Death Records n/a 1863-1864 & parts of other years seeming to be missing.

[Death Cert n/a] Virginia Death Records, with some exceptions, not available 1899-Jun 14, 1912. src: Virginia Vital Records • FamilySearch]

Notes:

Photo	NAME	Original survey	BIRTH	DEATH	MARKER NOTES	ANNOTATIONS
src: FAG; photo added by bower-va-genealogy Jan 2011	Akers, Lemuel W.	yes	06 Mar 1855	20 Apr 1883	26 Years 1 Month 14 Days	aka Lemuel Wilson Akers, s/o Whitley & Frances (Greenwood) Akers. [1883 Floyd Death Register] [Akers_Whitley_Frances] m. 1878 Montgomery nee Sarah Jane Bower, 1856-1933, d/o Lewis & Nancy (Bowman) Akers. [Death Cert - can’t find] [Bower_Lewis_Nancy] Sarah will m. 2^nd Charles Edward Sumner, s/o Armstead Ashworth & Louisa Jane (Pugh) Sumner. [Death Cert]
src: FAG; photo added by bower-va-genealogy Jan 2011	Bower, Charlie L.	yes	05 Dec 1875	17 Feb 1908		Charlie L. Bower, s/o Samuel Evans & 1^st wife Sarah Elizabeth (Martin) Bower. [1908 VA Death Certs n/a] [obit – can’t find] [Bower_Lewis_Nancy] m. 1899 Floyd Willie E. J. Epperly, 1879-1961, d/o William Isaac & 1st wife Sarah Marinda (Lester) Epperly. [Epperly_Solomon_Rachel] Willie will m. 2^nd 1912 Montgomery, John E. Horton. [no file]
src: FAG; photo added by Bower Jul 2008 Front two markers: Lt Nancy Bowman Bower Rt Lewis Bower src: FAG; photo added by Carol VA Oct 2014	Bower, Lewis	yes	25 Sep 1819	20 Jun 1904		Lewis Bower, s/o Mathias & Catherine (Linkenauger) Bower. [1904 VA Death Certs n/a] [obit – can’t find] [Bower_Lewis_Nancy] m. 1838 Floyd Nancy Bowman, d/o Christian & Hannah (Rinehart) Bowman. [Bowman_ChristianSr_Hannah]
src: FAG; photo added by bower-va-genealogy Jan 2011	Bower, Lurie Hartwell	yes	03 Jun 1888	20 Sep 1897		can’t id. Not 1890 Floyd. [1897 VA Death Certs n/a]
src: FAG; photo added by bower-va-genealogy Jan 2011	Bower, Nancy	yes	03 May 1817	28 Jan 1908	Wife of Lewis Bower	nee Nancy Bowman, d/o Christian & Hannah (Rinehart) Bowman. [1908 VA Death Certs n/a] [obit – can’t find] [Bowman_ChristianSr_Hannah] m. 1838 Floyd Lewis Bower, s/o Mathias & Catherine (Linkenauger) Bower. [obit – can’t find] [Bower_Lewis_Nancy]
src: FAG; photo added by bower-va-genealogy Jun 2010	Bower, Rosa C.	yes	01 Mar 1877	01 Sep 1938	Age 61 Years	nee Sarah Rosabell “Rosa” Conner, d/o John Floyd & Datia Adaline “Docia” (Poff) Conner. [Death Cert] [obit – can’t find] [Conner_JohnR_LouisaDoshia] m. 1904 Floyd as 2^nd wife of Samuel Evans Bower, s/o Lewis & Nancy (Bowman) Bower. [Bower_Lewis_Nancy] The Roanoke Times, Roanoke, Virginia · Friday, September 02, 1938
src: FAG; photo added by Bower Jul 2008	Bower, Samuel E.	yes	07 May 1851	04 Jun 1942	Age 91 Years	aka Samuel Evans Bower, s/o Lewis & Nancy (Bowman) Bower. [Death Cert] [obit – can’t find] [Bower_Lewis_Nancy] 1^st m. 1872 Floyd, nee Sarah Elizabeth Martin, 1851-1903, d/o Moses & 1st wife Nancy (Spangler) Martin. Death Cert] [Martin_Moses_2wives] 2^nd m. 1904 Floyd, nee Sarah Rosabell “Rosa” Conner, 1877-1938, d/o John Floyd & Datia Adaline “Docia” (Poff) Conner. [Death Cert] [Death Cert] [obit – can’t find] [Conner_JohnR_LouisaDoshia] The Roanoke Times, Roanoke, Virginia · Saturday, June 06, 1942
src: FAG; photo added by Bower Jul 2008	Bower, Sarah E.	yes	02 No 1851	26 Jun 1903		nee Sarah Elizabeth Martin, d/o Moses & 1st wife Nancy (Spangler) Martin. [1903 VA Death Certs n/a] [obit – can’t find] [Martin_Moses_2wives] m. 1872 Floyd as 1^st wife of Samuel Evans Bower, 1851-1942, s/o Lewis & Nancy (Bowman) Bower. [Death Cert] [obit – can’t find] [Bower_Lewis_Nancy]
Since this photo was taken the headstone has been set back up and concrete filled in around it. The family has done some work to the graveyard. src: FAG; photo added by Bower Jul 2008 src: FAG; photo added by bower-va-genealogy Jan 2011	Epperly, Fannie M.	yes	11 Feb 1887	16 Jun 1908	Wife of P. E. Epperly	nee Fannie Maude Bower, d/o Samuel Evans & 1st wife Sarah Elizabeth (Martin) Bower. [1908 VA Death Certs n/a] [obit – can’t find] [Bower_Lewis_Nancy] m. 1905 Montgomery as 1^st wife Posey Everett Epperly, 1885-1953, s/o James H. & 2nd wife Mary C. (Akers) Epperly. [Epperly_Mary_Jacob] (Posey will m. 2^nd 1909 Floyd, Arinda Claradel Hall, 1887-1956, d/o Marion Thomas & Nancy Byre (Poff) Hall. [Hall_Charles_Eliza] Posey & Arinda are buried in Harford Co., MD. The Evening Sun. Baltimore, Maryland · Wednesday, November 25, 1953 The Aegis, Bel Air, Maryland · Friday, May 02, 1924 The Evening Sun, Baltimore, Maryland · Wednesday, January 11, 1956

Original Survey:

 ( ) notation from Judy Blackwell

(Nancy and Lewis Bower were the parents of Samuel Evans Bower.)

Surname		DOB	DOD	notation from Judy Blackwell
Bower	Samuel E.	7 Mar 1851	4 Jun 1942	Samuel Evan Bower
Bower	Rosa C.	1 Mar 1877	1 Sep 1938	(nee Conner 2nd w/o Samuel Bower)
Epperly	Fannie M(aude Bower)	11 Feb 1882	16 Jun 1908	w/o P E Epperly
Bower	Lemeul		20 Apr 1883	26 yr 1 m 14d
Bower	Lewis	25 Sep 1819	20 Jun 1904
Bower	Sarah E (Martin)	2 Nov 1851	26 Jun 1903
Bower	Orie Hartwell	12 Jun 1882	20 Sep 1892
Bower	Charlie L	5 Dec 1875	17 Feb 1908
Bower	Nancy (Bowman)	3 May 1817	28 Jan 1908