When Irwin Mc Dowell was born on 5 April 1887, in North Fork, Monroe, Missouri, United States, his father, Samuel S McDowell, was 46 and his mother, Lavina Fowler, was 24. He married Rachel Jennie Snow on 25 December 1911, in Provo, Utah, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 1 son and 3 daughters. He lived in Provo, Utah, Utah, United States for about 10 years and Elko, Elko, Nevada, United States in 1940. He died on 18 August 1960, in Layton, Davis, Utah, United States, at the age of 73, and was buried in Washington Heights Memorial Park, South Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States.