According to A History of Richard Peters of Halfmoon, Now Clifton Park, NY and his Descendants Vol. I, II, III, by Leone Peters Kleinheinz, Nancy Cornelia Blakely was born 23 Aug 1846 in Kortright; she was the daughter of John D. and Sarah (Peters) Blakely. Nancy married Ezbon Lyon Bower—Lyon is another early Delaware County family - who was born on 08 Nov 1837 in Lansing,* Tompkins County, New York.

Ezbon was the son of Isaac Bower and Sophia Todd. The father was born in Tompkins Co., NY on 31 Oct 1810 and married Sophia on 20 Feb 1834. Sophia was the daughter of Josiah and Lucretia (Ingersoll) and was born in Lee, Massachusetts on 09 Feb 1788 and died at Lake Ridge, Tompkins Co., New York on 21 Jun 1863. Ezbon was enumerated with them in the 1850 census prior to his marriage to Nancy residing in Lansing, and listed as twelve years old and Nancy was listed as 7 years old living with her family in Kortright in 1850, and listed as age 16 in 1860.

The couple was married 21 Dec 1868 and their children were: Ada Grace who was born in 1868 and married Levi M. Thomas; John Isaac who was born in 1873 and married Irene Bush; Blanche J. who was born in 1875 and died at age sixteen; and Ray Blakely Bower who was born in 1881 and married Rose Grant.

(The name Bowers also appears in the records of the time as Bower and as Bauer, its original German spelling.)

Nancy Blakely Bower and Ezbon Lyon Bower (Hannah Rich's photograph album is the only place the name appears with a final s) settled on a farm at Chile, near Rochester, and then on a farm at Skaneateles, Onondaga County, NY. They later lived in Genoa Village, NY where they were enumerated in the 1900 census in June; and Oxford, PA. It seems likely that it was during their stay in Skaneateles that Nancy had her picture taken by Hiram Lazier of Syracuse and Oswego: Syracuse is also in Onondaga County.

Craig's Daguerreian Registry says of photographer Hiram Lazier: “Daguerreian, 6 South Salina Street, Syracuse, NY, 1858-1860; he lived at 35 North West Street. He was listed in the city until 1874.”

Leone Peters Kleinheinz reported that Nancy Blakely Bowers died 07 Apr 1915 in Oxford, Adams Co., PA; her husband Ezbon died 16 Sep 1932 in King Ferry, Cayuga Co., New York. A 2002 cemetery list for King Ferry Cemetery in Genoa Township supports the fact that Nancy and Ezbon are buried there, as well as three of their children.

Nancy Blakely Bowers’ picture is the last photograph in Hannah Rich’s photograph album.

Note: * Kleinheinz stated that Ezbon's birth was in Lansing, Michigan; baptismal records, however, list this as Lansing, Tompkins Co., New York, a place in which the Bower name appears often in records.