Jerry Osborn

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~tlosborne/AusburnSurnameProject/subgroups/subgroup04.htm

Hello Ralph

Hope we might share some info. Phineas A. Osborn was my double great grandfather through his son William. I am interested in all the info available about the Depauville Osborns and before. Will look forward to your reply. Thanks.

Jerry Osborn

I probably should have been. I spent about 30 years working for Hercules Inc. in jobs ranging from that of a staff engineer to quality assurance specialist a job in which I was tasked to approve, audit and monitor the company’s suppliers. Spent a lot of time standing beside computers but always had someone to punch the keys for me thus the almost total incompetence in using one now.

Jerry

-----Original Message-----
From: Ralph Waite [mailto:ralphwaite@snet.net]
Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 8:51 PM
To: jan&jerry osborn
Subject: Where you ever a blacksmith

It seems there are many blacksmiths in the Osborn history. Did you ever tell me about your trade in the working world?

Ralph Dexter

I was delighted to get such a quick response from you. Thank you for the pictures. Attached is a wedding picture of William Osborn and wife Evalyn Jerucia King Osborn. William was born April 14 1842 at Depauville to Phineas A. and Clarissa Ann Frame Osborn and died December 13 1900 at Elk City Nebraska.

Wife Jan and I have researched this line off and on for most of 30 years especially during a period of time when we lived in Salt Lake City and had access to the Mormon library. It was only recently that we convinced each other that we should try to make ourselves computer literate such that we can continue the project. Should my naivety in use of the computer become too obvious please forgive me.

Before your site with the bits and pieces and pictures etc went down this afternoon we managed to print copies of photos of Caroline, Hart, Webster and P. Alden and I am so pleased. We briefly corresponded with my great Uncle Charles Raymond Osborn before his death in 1976 (William's Youngest). He indicated that their was little interaction between the Nebraska and New York sides of the family during his early years, however he mentioned that his older brother Arthur Osborn(my grandfather) arranged a visit from his Uncle Hart after William's death. He also said that a cousin by the name of Rockwood came to visit. This was Caroline's son I believe. Uncle Ray passed on before he was able to send us the picture he had of his Uncle Hart.

A few notes about the Osborn’s of the plains or “fly over country” as many of those on the rims of this great land prefer to say.

You asked to hear of the good, bad and ugly. It turns out that there weren’t too many uglies.

William homesteaded near Elk City NE in 1880 and was a respected leader in the county and an active member and one time president of the local GAR veterans association. William and Evelyn King Osborn had these children that lived to maturity:

Cass Phineas Osborn who moved to the Los Angeles area and established a wholesale house. He died in 1961.

Charles Raymond Osborn (Uncle Ray) who moved to Salem Oregon and worked in the plumbing trade for several decades. He died in 1976 and wrote in his last letter that he was still working at age 83. He passed the Civil War album on to us for our son, William Arthur Osborn II.

Arthur King Osborn and Ella Tabler Osborn had 6 boys and 4 girls. One of each still survive. Five of the six men served in and survived World War II, one as a naval aviator. Four of the 6 including my father, William Arthur Osborn established successful businesses while the other 2 worked in the trades.

I guess the ugly was the depression. Arthur had just co-signed a note for land for his bother-in law Roy Reed when the crash came and predictably all was lost. My Uncle Stanley Dexter Osborn allowed that things were tough around the house as a teen during those days. He ended up in a CCC camp in the 30’s and my father worked for the WPA. My dad was the oldest and expected to take over the business when Arthur retired and in fact was already living on the farm with his young family. Like with so many others it was a fight to survive those days.

This picture was taken a couple weeks ago on our 46th wedding
anniversary. It's not too bad except for the shirt being a little
crooked. You know of course that older people need a little help
dressing themselves! Jan said "don't you dare send the picture with me
in it".
Because I have been accustomed to having most of my meals cooked for me
I decided to comply at least for the time being.
After school I worked as an instructor at a junior college in NE for a
few years then went to work for defense contractors first for The Martin
Co in Denver and finally for Hercules Inc in Salt Lake City. We built
rocket motors for the Navy and Air Force. My last job was as a Quality
Assurance Specialist which entailed traveling and living about the
country as sort of an ambassador for my company at our various suppliers
in order to look after the company's quality concerns. In fact, at one
time we put a hold on a home in Middletown CT but decided the financial
benefits weren't on our side so did not make the move. Jan has her
education from The University of Utah. We currently live on a small
acreage near Ashland NE.

Now to the serious stuff. We are quite comfortable with the definition
of our line through Phineas A Osborn who per The History of Jefferson
County came down from Herkimer Co in 1817 with his father Phineas and
Schyuler etc. We are also comfortable with the extensive research that
has been done in CT and on Long Island and concede that the evidence for
a Phineas (1735) son of Ephraim is in place. From here in the
hinterlands we have never been able to pin down the linkage between
Phineas circa 1760 and Phineas 1735 with hard evidence. We have noted
that several sites have made this linkage. Some use the middle initial
O. and the date 1760 while others use no middle initial and the date
1766. Please HELP!!
We also have only sketchy information on Eleanor Elizabeth Thornton. We
found vague evidence that her father may have been Jeremiah. Do you have
anything about her?
Thanks for your help.
Jerry O.

More personal stuff. This is our daughter Kristen at work for United
Parcel Service. They are preparing their Boeing 747 for a flight to the
Orient. Other pilot unknown. We also have a son William who is in law
school and another daughter Karen who lives a more traditional life near
us in Ashland as homemaker and mom.

Feb 12, 2004 to: Ralph

Thank you, sir; the lost is at least temporarily cruising along ok. I’ve enclosed the will of Phineas A Osborn (Schyuler’s brother) which is of interest in that it identifies the married daughters. This was found in the records department of the Jefferson Co. Courthouse at Watertown . They were quite helpful in doing a search for land records.

I also have some updated sheets for a few that are already posted I’ll send them along a few at a time.

Thanks again.

Jerry

PS Have you heard recently from Dick? I sent him a Christmas note but got no reply.