Levi McDowell

Polly Yates McDowell

Levi McDowell and Polly Yates

The Family of Levi McDowell (1835 - 1897) and Polly Yates (1838 - 1918).

Polly Yates is the daughter of Soloman Yates and Elizabeth Caviness.

Levi McDowell was born on November 10, 1835 in Randolph County and died September 10, 1897 in Randolph County. He was the son of John and Tilathy Hill McDowell. He is buried near the center of the Pleasant Union United Church of Christ Cemetery. No marriage record exists but it is known that Levi married Mary Ann Yates, the daughter of Solomon Yates and Elizabeth Caviness. Although his wife was referred to as Mary McDowell in each of the census records, she was known to the family as Polly McDowell. She was referred to in court records of the estate of her father Solomon Yates as Polly Probably Levi McDowell and Polly Yates were married sometime around 1855.

Polly Yates was born on February 15, 1838 and died on April 26, 1918.  She is also buried in the Pleasant Union Cemetery.

Some of the grandchildren still living in 1978 say that Levi and Polly had fourteen children.  According to the 1900 census of Randolph County, she did indeed have fourteen children.  Unfortunately, the names of all fourteen are not known.  Those not known were probably infants who never married and who died young.

The following represents the known children of Levi and Polly.  Some of the information is assumed by the fact that the children are buried in Levi's plot.

1. Noah Soloman McDowell - born May 26, 1856 and died July 26, 1923.  He married Bessy Jane Lawrence.
2. Frederick L. McDowell - born September 14, 1857 and died November 14, 1931.  He was known as "Uncle Bud" and married twice, first to Francis Wood and second to Julia Elbertson.
3. William B. McDowell - born June 8, 1857 and died on October 14, 1911.  He married Sally Hammond.
4. John Riley McDowell - born December 8, 1861 and died December 19, 1936.  He married Claudia Louvenia Hoover.
5. Lucinda Jane McDowell - born April 27, 1864 and died June 9, 1902.  She married Franklin Harris Hoover.
6. Cicero McDowell - born July 13, 1864 and died December 2, 1917.  He married Rhodema Adaline Hoover.
7. Martha Martisha (Tish) McDowell - born May 26, 1870 and died December 20, 1902.  She married Jonas Griffin.
8. Adliza McDowell - born 1871 and died October 25, 1880.
9. Lenrae (?) McDowell - born after 1870 and died March 1878.
10. Mary McDowell - born April 1873 and died July 1878.
11. Mary Ann McDowell - born September 14, 1874 and died November 6, 1878.
12. Alma McDowell - born approximately 1880 and died March 12, 1900.  She married Andrew J. Hoover.
13. "Dau" McDowell - only the remains of a marker with the letters "dau" are found in Levi's plot.
14. Infant McDowell - no information is known except that there were fourteen children.  This grave is unmarked.