The Bunners of Cowley County were the descendants of Josiah and Elizabeth (Vannader) Bunner. Josiah's great grandfather, Casper Bunner, immigrated into the United States in 1735, entering at Philadelphia, PA, He and his wife Christianna Brown settled in a part of Pennsylvania which is now WestVirginia. In 1810, the family of his third son Reuben, relocated to Clermont Co., Ohio, as did his grandson Josiah Bunner, Sr.

Front: "Jack" John Hamilton Bunner -20, "Will" William Perry Bunner -30, "Erb" Josiah Erwin Bunner -58, Elizabeth (Vannader) Bunner -50, Riley Dee Bunner -10 Back: Everett Bunner -26, Everett's twin sister "Effie" Eva (Bunner) Lent -26, "Chart" Charles Alfred Bunner -14, "Sike" Silas Bunner -17, Silas's twin sister "Maime" Mary Chloe Bunner -17, "Brick" (red hair) George Franklin Bunner -12, "Annie" Ann E (Bunner) Young -29 photo taken in 1896 in Kansas

Josiah Erwin was born in Clermont Co., Ohio, 7-11-1838 and married there, 3-24-1864, to Elizabeth, daughter of Isaac and Elvira Vannader, born in Clermont Co., Ohio, I-18-1844.

Josiah and Elizabeth had eleven children, the first eight, which included two sets of twins, were born in Ohio (one died in infancy). In 1878, the family moved to Newton, Ks, where three more children were born. About 1901, they moved to Cowley County and located on a farm in Liberty Township. and one year later to a farm located northeast of New Salem, northwest quarter of section 23, in Salem Township (was a part of Richland Township in 1902). There Josiah and Elizabeth remained until their death, his on 12-26-1912 and hers on 6-10-1919. Both are buried in New Salem Cemetery.

While living in Newton, Josiah worked for the railroad, and owned and operated a farm all the time he lived in Cowley County. Five sons were plasterers and two sons worked for the railroad. Two daughters married men who were also plasterers, Eva, married George Lent, and had a son, Herbert, also a plasterer, and Anna, married Anthony Guise, two children. A third daughter, Mary, married Luther "Lew" McGowen, who ran a railroad freight wagon in Winfield, for six or seven years then spent the rest of his working life as a farmer. They had ten children, with seven growing to adulthood.
Cyrus is the son of Mary & Luther McGowen

During the period from 1910 until about 1945, the five Bunner boys, Everett, John "Jack", Silas "Sike", George "Brick", and Riley "Dee", plastered a large percentage of the homes built in Winfield and the surrounding area. The first, Everett, died in 1933, and the last, Riley, died in 1967. Jack and Brick remained unmarried, Silas had four children, Everett had one, and Riley had two.

Silas spent a good portion of his time working in Oklahoma and Texas. He had a son Paul Bunner who became a plasterer and his son, Thomas Bunner did also. George probably traveled the most, working a lot in various parts of California, but when he became homesick, he would return to Cowley County, and when he died, was buried next to his parents and brother John, in the Now Salem Cemetery.

William "Will", was a conductor, working for the AT. & S.F. railroad, two children, and Charles "Chart" worked in the repair shops for the A.T. & S.F. in Newton and Chanute, two children.

Text Submitted By Gale I. Bunner
Scanned out of the Cowley County Heritage book, Page 135.

50th Annivesary, 2-1-1947 Carrie McGowan Plagge 47, Grace McGowan Mitchell, "Mac" Everett McGowan -44, Luther McGowan -73, Harold McGowan -26, Mamie McGowan -68, Cyrus McGowan - day before 49th birthday, Earl McGowan -42, Helen McGowan Weldon -35 today Winfield, KS not pictured: "Slim" Vernon McGowan -40, Leroy McGowan b. 7-14-1909, "died young", Grace McGowan Mitchell -33, Melvin McGowan -30

  Photos Submitted By:  Toni Lamb