Born: Lambsfield, Kirk German, Isle of Man, England
AKA: Billy Cowley "The Walking Dictionary"

Mormon Overland Trail: Warren Foote Company 1850
SS Ship: Swanton, Liverpool to New York

Parents: Charles Cowley and Ann Killip
Spouse: Sarah Emily Wall

Occupation: Type Printer, Salt Lake Herald Republican and Deseret New

WM. M. COWLEY DIES AT AGE OF 79 YEARS

One of Utah's First Printers succumbs at His Home in Venice

With the passing of Wm. M. Cowley, 79 years of age, at Venice, this county on Oct. 2, one of the oldest printers in the state answered the death summons. He set up the first forms of the Salt Lake Herald Republican, and assisted Wm. C. Dunbar, John T. Caine and Edward L. Sloan in publishing that paper for a number of years. Mr. Cowley married Emma Wall and to them the following children; Chas. W., Frank W., and Wilford W., all of Venice, Utah; Mrs. Emily Bench, Axtell, Utah; Mrs. Hyrum Colby, Moapa, Nev.; Mrs. Fred Kinsey, Nampa, Idaho; Edgar W. Cowley, Pocatella, Ida.; and Mrs. Nettie Mozley, Portland, Oregon.

The wife and three of the children, Joseph W., Sarah Ann Burton and Annie W. Cowley are dead. In addition to the sons and daughters and a brother, Joseph E. Cowley of Logan, about seventy five grand and great grandchildren survive him.

Mr. Cowley was the son of Charles Cowley and Ann Killip Cowley and was born on the Isle of Man, Sept. 29, 1836. He came to America with his parents in 1842, and resided in Nauvoo and Macedonia, Ill., until 1850. In that year he came to Salt Lake and entered the service of the Deseret News, when Willard Richards was editor.

Later he went on a mission to California to assist in publishing the Western Standard, which was edited by Geo. Q. Cannon. It was on his return that he became associated with the Salt Lake Herald. For many years he set type for the Woman's Exponent and worked in other Salt Lake offices, as well as on the Sun and the Reaper in this city.

Richfield Reaper
21 October 1915