1880-1884 Autograph Album of Nellie May Bowman of Lebanon Church, Virginia, before and after her Marriage to William Fletcher Frisbee

1880-1884 autograph album that was given as a Christmas gift to Nellie May Bowman (1858-1927) of Lebanon Church, Virginia.

In 1883 Nellie married William Fletcher Frisbee (1852-1925); a few of the later inscriptions were made after Nellie's marriage.

The album measures approximately 6-3/4" by 4-1/4" and contains the sentiments of over thirty of Nellie's relatives and friends.  An alphabetical list of the inscribers, with any personal information they offered, appears at the end of this post.

Surnames in the Album

? [6]	Dingledine	L ?
Abbott	G ?	Matthews
B ? [2]	Hamman	R ? [2]
Borden	Hammond	Rusmiselle
Bowman [6]	Harrison [3]	Sipe [2]
C ?	Kershner	Zepp
Cover [2]	Kinzer

From brief online research, hopefully correct - corrections and additions requested:

Nellie May Bowman was born 11 November 1858 in Virginia, the daughter of Jacob William Bowman (1833-1914) and Elizabeth (Tabler) Bowman, "Eliza" (1829-1911).  Nellie's mother inscribed a page in the album.

Also inscribing pages in the album were three of Nellie's siblings, brothers Samuel Edgar Bowman, Charles Lee Bowman and William Frank Bowman.  "Edgar" and "C. L.B" inscribed two pages each.

Edgar, presumably Samuel Edgar Bowman

C. L. B., presumably Charles Lee Bowman

Frank, age 12; William Franklin Bowman

In 1883, Nellie married William Fletcher Frisbee, an Illinois native, the son of Rufus K. Frisbee and Rebecca (Cornell) Frisbee. Nellie and William had at least one child, daughter Phrocine Bowman Frisbee, born in 1884.  The family moved to North Carolina at some point.

Nellie and William are buried in the Lebanon Church Cemetery at Lebanon Church, Virginia.

"Dec" or "Dee" left an interesting inscription.

If you have corrections and/or additions to the information above, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Inscribers in the Album

• Inscribers in the Album
• Ella, "your Rockingham friend"
• Birdie
• Dee or Dec, inscribed on April 24, 1883; from context, the inscriber was male
• Ida K. Zepp - not sure of surname -  inscribed at Star Tannery, Virginia, in May 1883
• Maude
• Sammie
• J. L. Abbott; inscribed at Strasburg, Virginia, on May 24, 1883
• Annie F. B., inscribed on September 29, 1880
• Essie B., inscribed in December 1880 [or 1884]
• R. Eugene Borden; inscribed on April 10, 1881
• Bruce Bowman, "Ever your loving Coz", inscribed at Harrisonburg, Virginia, in April 1883.  Could the inscriber have been Anna Bruce Bowman (1851-1927), who was the daughter of Nellie's paternal uncle Samuel Bowman?   
• C. L. Bowman, "Your Brother", inscribed on September 17, 1883.  Charles Lee Bowman (1864-1917), who inscribed another page in the album.  
• E. Bowman, "From Mother", inscribed at Lebanon Church, Shenandoah County, Virginia, on September 16, 1884.  She was Elizabeth (Tabler) Bowman, "Eliza" (1829-1911)
• Edgar.  Presumably the same Edgar who inscribed another page in the album.  Presumably Nellie's brother Samuel Edgar Bowman (1861-1931):
• Frank - "Lovingly your little brother Frank, Age 12", inscribed on May 2, 1882.  William Franklin Bowman (1870-1931)
• Nellie May Bowman (1858-1927) of Lebanon Church, Virginia; owner of the autograph album, which she received at Christmas in 1880; inscription on ownership page either by Nellie herself or by the giver.  
• D. M. C., "Your well wishing cousin", inscribed at Cowans Station, Virginia, on May 28, 1883
• Bettie Cover; inscribed at Star Tannery, Virginia, on May 5, 1883
• Nellie C. Cover; inscribed at "Star Tannery" on May 5, 1883
• W. J. Dingledine, not sure of surname, inscribed "On Blue Monday", April 23, 1883
• 2 page sentiment of ?, possibly M. H. G., at Christmas in 1880
• Mattie Hamman, inscribed on August 9, 1883
• Ada S. Hammond; inscribed on August 5, 1883
• Bettie A. Harrison, inscribed on January 14, 1881
• Julia S. Harrison; inscribed on January 14, 1881
• Nannie G. Harrison
• Joseph H. Kershner, inscribed on August 24, 1880
• Annie E. Kinzer, inscribed at Baltimore, Maryland on May 1, 1883
• Marion L.
• Berta Matthews of Culpeper, Virginia; inscribed on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1881
• R. W. R.
• S. W. R. or A. W. R., inscribed on July 26, 1880
• Laura Rusmiselle, inscribed at Lebanon Church, Virginia, on March 15, 1883.  Perhaps Laura Lee (Tanquary) Rusmiselle (1861-1931), who is buried in Lebanon Church, Virginia
• Mary E. Sipe
• Sallie S. Sipe
• Ida K. Zepp - not sure of surname -  inscribed at Star Tannery, Virginia, in May 1883