percy mcgowan
1885-1973
Life Story
Farmer • Family Patriarch • Jasper & Newton County Roots
Birth and Family
Percy McGowan was born around 1885 in Jasper County, Mississippi to:
- Isaac McGowan (1856–?)
- Mary McGowan (1863–?)
He was raised in a rural farming household typical of Black families in post-Reconstruction Mississippi, where land work and family labor shaped daily life.
Education
Percy completed the 6th grade of elementary school—an educational level higher than many Black men of his time and region, reflecting both family support and personal determination.
Occupation
Throughout his life, Percy worked as a farmer, both in Jasper County and later in Newton County. Farming was a defining part of his identity and the way he supported his household, contributing to the agricultural foundation of the St. John and Pilgrim Grove communities.
Marriage and Family
Percy married Lula Shaw McGowan (1890–1961).
From this union, the following children were born:
- Emma McGowan Henton (1913-?)– Gulfport, MS
- Otha Mae Walker (1923-1988)– Newton, MS
- Nebraska McGowan (1921-1987)– Newton, MS
- Joseph McGowan (1926-?)– Jacksonville, FL
- William C. McGowan (1924-?)– Jacksonville, FL
- Charles Andrew McGowan (1928-1995)– Detroit, MI
- James McGowan (1912-?) – Greenville, MS
- Svander McGowan (1927 – ?)
The family relocated to Newton County around 1929, becoming part of the St. John/Pilgrim Grove community where they remained for decades.
Later Life and Death
Percy McGowan passed away on February 28, 1973.
He was laid to rest in the Evans Cemetery in Newton County, among many extended kin of the McGowan, Evans, Shaw, and Wesley families.
Resting Place
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1900 Federal Census
- 1910 Federal Census
- 1920 Federal Census
- 1930 Federal Census
- 1940 Federal Census
- 1950 Federal Census
- U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
- U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
- U.S., WWI Civilian Draft Registrations, 1917-1918
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