Date of Service: 1874 – 1879
1848: Born in Maryland.
1860s: Marries James T. Bowling in Maryland.
1874-1879: Margaret serves as 2nd Assistant at Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse, MD. (Her husband James T. Bowling is Principal Keeper) Her salary is $400/year.
1892: Died November 19th at age 43 or 44 in Baltimore, Maryland. She is buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery Baltimore, MD.
Keeper Margaret Bowling Anecdotes:
The Bowling’s were one of the more self-sufficient families that lived on a screwpile lighthouse. On the iron walkway surrounding the home were numerous pots and boxes filled with flowers and vegetables, making it feel like an oasis. The large rooms were decorated with all the comforts of home– inside the living room was a piano and large bookcase with an abundance of books, which would keep the family occupied during the long winters. The closest shore was six miles away, so the children were home schooled by their mother, who was a schoolteacher prior to living at the lighthouse.
Sources: Chesapeake Chapter Keeper database, J. Candace Clifford Research Catalog; Familysearch.org; Newspapers.com; Lighting The Bay: Tales of Chesapeake Lighthouses, Pat Vojtech, 1996
