Emmett Mobley Osborne
1893-1980
This is my great-uncle, Emmett Mobley Osborne, born Christmas Eve, 1893 in Mount Calm, Hill County, Texas. He died 3 November 1980, in Pampa, Gray County, Texas. His middle name comes from his mother’s maiden name. He was the youngest of the 10 children born to Charles Winfield Osborne and Gertrude Susana Mobley Osborne. My notes indicate was stationed at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio during World War I. He advanced to Sergeant Major and served as a trainer for the Army. He was disappointed to not go to Europe but he was valuable as a teacher.
His WW I Draft Registration shows him as a single man, working for himself in Gray County, Texas. He lived out his life on his farm south of Pampa. I remember visiting on a couple of occasions as a small child, and then last year at family reunion. He’s one of those relatives I wish I’d known better and been able to ask more questions of–I’m grateful for his service and for the things his children have shared with me.
Is Moses (b. c 1785 NC) my missing Osborne link?
I’ve been going through my North Carolina Osbornes again. I received a query from a descendant of Moses Osborne wanting to know if I knew of a connection between Moses and Christopher (est 1732-1789). The person asking had been referred to me by a man who has done some very valuable work in putting together some of the families through land records in Mecklenburg (among others) County, North Carolina. George Thomas’s site is primarily his own family, but his re-creation of the land relationships has been an immense help to me with my Osbornes and related families. For instance, in proving who his ancestor Charles Love married, he provided me with another name and family for another of Christopher’s 8 daughters–Phereby.
I have that one match with my brother’s DNA–a James Osborne who appears in Georgia in 1875, marries and has a son, and disappears. But his descendant’s DNA is a perfect match for my brother’s DNA. On a related note, my cousin and fellow-researcher in Alabama had his DNA tested, and we differ on 3 markers! How is that possible? He is descended from one son of Christopher and I am descended from the other. How significant is a difference of 3 markers on a 37 marker test?
Back to the perfect match on 37 markers–I started looking at Moses’ family for a James who is the right age. The more I searched, the more I believe that I may be onto something. The first names and the vicinity and the lack of obvious roots for Moses make me want to know more. I’m looking for a descendant who will agree to be tested. The person who contacted me is not an Osborne male, but surely we can find one. In coming days, I’ll post more about my journey.
Stay tuned.