Joseph Franklin Owens ¹

   FamilySearch ID: GQT9-X43.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Census in 1850 in , Rowan, NC. ¹ The 1850 census recorded in School District 18: Joseph Owens, farmer, 46, living with wife Mary J. 43; Jane E., 16; Joseph F., 14; William R., 10; Henry C., 8; James A., 2; and Mary A. R., 0 months old when the census was recorded on 4 Sep 1850. Everyone was born in North Carolina. Joseph's real estate was valued at $1500.

2. Census in 1860 in Rowan Mills, Rowan, NC. ² The 1860 census recorded P. S. Beeker, farmer, 30, living with wife Jane E., 27. Both were born in North Carolina. His real estate was valued at $1519 and personal estate $661. Their child Joseph is not listed with them, but does appear on the following census page where...

Katharine Rary, 50, is living with Joseph Beeker, 3; J. F. Owens, 24; and Barbara H. Beeker, 22. All were born in North Carolina. [This listing spans 2 census pages.]

An explanation for this unusual household is that Joseph Beeker is the son of J. F. Owens' sister, Jane E. Owens who married Philip Beeker and sired a child Joseph of the same age. The presence of a Barbara Beeker in the household suggests she is the brother of Philip Beeker, since they are about the same age. This would make Barbara's father the elder Philip Beeker Sr.

Katharine Rary may be the sister of Jane's father, Joseph Owens Sr., or mother Mary J., or a Beeker who married a Rary.

Katharine Rary had no real estate value, meaning she didn't own the land, so she was likely living on the land owned by a neighbor who is a relative. The previous listed neighbor is William Gardner, 38, and his wife Angeline, or, the next listed neighbor, M. Cowan, 51, and his wife Rebecca, 49. It's also possible Katharine's land adjoined P. S. Beeker's land, even though the census taker visited households in another order.

The census location was "county north of the N.C. rail road" and the post office was Rowan Mills.
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3. Obituary: Carolina Watchman: obituary of J. F. Owens on 27 Jul 1910 in Salisbury, Rowan, NC. ³ Death of J. F. Owens. The death of J. F. Owens, a resident of Cleveland Township, took place at his home Tuesday morning, at an age of about 75 years. Mr. Owens was stricken with paralysis Saturday and his death was the result. Rev. R. B. Owens, of Rocky Mount, and Miss Beulah Owens, a trained nurse making her home in Durham, were notified and reached the bedside of their father before he died. Mr. Owens was a substantial farmer and leaves a family and many friends to mourn his loss. The funeral took place at Christ Episcopal church, Cleveland, this morning, Rev. S. J. M. Brown officiating.