Sarah A. “Sadie” Lowe (1872–1909)

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John O’Neil, photographer (New Bedford, Massachusetts), Sadie Lowe, 26 May 1890; privately held by the Faulkner-Hull Collection.

Sarah A. “Sadie” Lowe was born 19 May 1872 in New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts to John Lowe and Jane Donaghy.¹

[Open Endnotes in separate tab]

During her childhood, Sadie lived at 63 Ash Street in New Bedford with her parents and siblings, Margaret “Maggie,” Thomas, James, and Lila.² Sarah’s brother, Thomas, died of typhoid pneumonia in 1887 at the age of 25.³ Thomas is buried in Rural Cemetery in New Bedford.⁴

“Thomas P. Lowe,” funeral notice, The Evening Standard (New Bedford, Massachusetts), 4 May 1887, p. 4, col. 3. — “Thomas P. Lowe,” funeral notice, *The Evening Standard* (New Bedford, Massachusetts), 4 May 1887, p. 4, col. 3.

Sadie attended Middle Street Grammar School, then New Bedford High School, graduating in 1890.⁵

Annual Report of the School Committee of the City of New Bedford, with the Superintendent’s Annual Report, for the Year 1889, (New Bedford : E. Anthony and Sons, 1890), p. 44-46, New Bedford High School Graduation Exercises, 27 June 1889. — *Annual Report of the School Committee of the City of New Bedford, with the Superintendent’s Annual Report, for the Year 1889*, (New Bedford : E. Anthony and Sons, 1890), p. 44-46, New Bedford High School Graduation Exercises, 27 June 1889.

“New Bedford High School Class of 1890”; photograph held by the New Bedford Free Public Library photograph collection, New Bedford, Massachusetts; published online at Digital Commonwealth Massachusetts Collection Online. — “New Bedford High School Class of 1890”; photograph held by the New Bedford Free Public Library photograph collection, New Bedford, Massachusetts; published online at *Digital Commonwealth Massachusetts Collection Online.*

Following high school, Sadie visited friends and family on occasion.⁶ Sadly, soon after Sadie’s visit to her sister in November 1891, Lila Lowe Barlow gave birth to a baby boy that did not live.⁷

“Sadie Lowe Visits Friends in Fall River,” newspaper article, Fall River Daily Evening News (Fall River, Massachusetts), 21 Aug 1891, p. 8, col. 3. — “Sadie Lowe Visits Friends in Fall River,” newspaper article, *Fall River Daily Evening* News (Fall River, Massachusetts), 21 Aug 1891, p. 8, col. 3.

“Sadie Lowe Visits Mrs. Fred Barlow,” newspaper article, Fall River Daily Evening News (Fall River, Massachusetts), 10 Nov 1891, p. 1, col. 3. — “Sadie Lowe Visits Mrs. Fred Barlow,” newspaper article, *Fall River Daily Evening News* (Fall River, Massachusetts), 10 Nov 1891, p. 1, col. 3.

On 24 November 1894, Sadie married Byron Sanderson Caswell in New Bedford.⁸ The couple moved to Boston, but the marriage didn’t last and Sadie moved back to New Bedford.⁹ Sadie gave birth to a son, Curtis, in 1897 in New Bedford.¹⁰ Sadie was granted a divorce in 1901.¹¹

“Superior Court, Sadie Lowe Caewell Gets a Divorce,” newspaper article, Fall River Globe (Fall River, Massachusetts), 28 Mar 1901, p. 1, col. 4. — “Superior Court, Sadie Lowe Caewell Gets a Divorce,” newspaper article, *Fall River Globe* (Fall River, Massachusetts), 28 Mar 1901, p. 1, col. 4.

The following years were filled with loss for Sadie. Sadie’s mother, Jane Donaghy Lowe, died on 25 June 1905 at the age of 66 years.¹² She is buried in Rural Cemetery in New Bedford.¹³

"Jane Donaghy Lowe," funeral notice, The Evening Herald (Fall River, Massachusetts), 26 June 1905, p. 8, col. 2. — “Jane Donaghy Lowe,” funeral notice, *The Evening Herald* (Fall River, Massachusetts), 26 June 1905, p. 8, col. 2.

In 1907, Sadie’s brother, James Lowe, Jr., died at the age of 42 on New Year’s Eve in New Bedford.¹⁴ He also is buried in Rural Cemetery in New Bedford.¹⁵

“James Lowe, Jr,” death notice, The Evening Herald (Fall River, Massachusetts), 1 Jan 1907, p. 10, col. 2. — “James Lowe, Jr,” death notice, *The Evening Herald* (Fall River, Massachusetts), 1 Jan 1907, p. 10, col. 2.

Sadie’s father, James Lowe, died the following year and is also buried in Rural Cemetery.¹⁶

“James Lowe,” obituary, Fall River Globe (Fall River, Massachusetts), 7 Nov 1908, p. 9, col. 4.

Sarah A “Sadie” Lowe Caswell died at the age of 36 in New Bedford on 13 April 1909.¹⁷ She is buried in Rural Cemetery in New Bedford.¹⁸

"Sarah Lowe Caswell," death notice, The Evening Herald (Fall River, Massachusetts), 14 Apr 1909, p. 10, col. 3. — “Sarah Lowe Caswell,” death notice, *The Evening Herald* (Fall River, Massachusetts), 14 Apr 1909, p. 10, col. 3.

“Mrs. Sarah L. Caswell,” obituary, The Evening Standard (New Bedford, Massachusetts), 14 Apr 1909, p. 12, col. 2. — “Mrs. Sarah L. Caswell,” obituary, *The Evening Standard* (New Bedford, Massachusetts), 14 Apr 1909, p. 12, col. 2.

Following his mother’s death, Sadie’s son, Curtis, lived at the family home at 63 Ash Street with his aunt Margaret.¹⁹ Curtis, whose name also appears with the spelling Curtice in various records, graduated from the University of Maine in 1919.²⁰

The Prism, University of Maine, Class of 1919, vol. 25, War Issue, p. 27, Curtice Lowe Caswell. — The Prism, University of Maine, Class of 1919, vol. 25, War Issue (Orono, Maine : University of Maine Class of 1919, 1919), graduating class, p. 27, Curtice Lowe Caswell; “Prism: University of Maine Yearbooks for the 1910s,” *DigitalCommons@UMaine*, The University of Maine.

A few months later, Curtis died at the age of 22 during an appendicitis operation on 14 July 1919 in Berlin, New Hampshire.²¹ Curtis is buried in Elm Vale Cemetery in South Waterford, Oxford County, Maine.²²

"Curtis Caswell, U. of M. Graduate, Dead," obituary, The Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine), 15 Jul 1919, p. 2, col. 6. — “Curtis Caswell, U. of M. Graduate, Dead,” obituary, *The Bangor Daily News* (Bangor, Maine), 15 Jul 1919, p. 2, col. 6.

Sadie’s sister, Margaret C Lowe, died in New Bedford in 1949.²³ Her other sister, Eliza J. “Lila” Lapham died in 1954, also in New Bedford.²⁴ Both are buried in Rural Cemetery.²⁵

Endnotes

1. New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts, Births Register 1872, vol. 4, p. 114, no. 446, Sarah A. Lowe, 19 May 1872. Parents: James [Lowe], born in Ireland, and Jane Donahue, born in Ireland. Father’s occupation: Laborer.

Use of “Sadie” listed in Annual Report of the School Committee of the City of New Bedford, with the Superintendent’s Annual Report, for the Year 1890, (New Bedford : Mercury Publishing Company, 1891, p. 23, New Bedford High School Graduating Class of 1890, Sadie Lowe.