The following is what we suspect might be, and sometimes our data leads us to believe it could be so, but we have NO proof whatsoever (yet).
We speculate, because of Legrand's health condition, (he mustered out of the service early because of Pulmonary Consumption TB.), they moved south for his health.
From The Pittsburg Dispatch, 2 Dec. 1907, it is stated that his wife lived several years in the south. Possibly he died in the south. The question is, where?
We hadn't located his death or burial place however, we have located a short death notice in the March 7, 1879 "Poplar Bluff Citizen" newspaper in Missouri, telling of a Legrand Rowe, age 51 who passed away on March 5th from "Typho Fever". There is no other information there.
His wife's obituary from the 1907 Jamestown Evening Journal, says her husband died about 26 years ago. That would be about 1881. He would have been about 51 years old if he was born in 1830. If he was born in 1828, that would account for the 2 years difference and he would have been 51 in 1879.
In the 14 June, 1875 Cincinnati Daily Star there is an item that says Thomas Cosgrove and Le Grand Rowe were charged with trying to pass a counterfeit $10 note on the National Bank of Richmond, Indianna. Was this our Legrand??
In the Aug. 29, 1880 Memphis Tenn. Daily Appeal, there is a letter from a steamboat captain looking for Legrand Rowe, a carpenter. Was that him? If he passed away in 1879, is that why he didn't show up for work? 8 months seems like a long time to wait before inquiring about him.
Although we have tracked down his death date and place, there are still some questions we have. On 23 June, 1910 someone named Charley Alvin got married to Liza Hilderbrant in Akron, Ohio. He said his age was 59, on the 4th of July, 1909, born in Jefferson Cty. Ny. He gave his father's name as Oliver Alvin, mother's name Orpha Dickison. The marriage document can be viewed here. The dates, names, and places seem to be quite a coincidence. This would be the same time frame that our Oscar left his wife and kids for parts unknown. Complete speculation on our part, however, interesting to think about. What do you think?
