The 1880 Census of Marion County shows a Wiley Osborn, a fanner, age 53, and his wife Elizabeth, age 47, living in James Creek Township. They had come to Marion County from Tennessee. The record shows two children living in this household at that time: William Osborn, age 16 and D. F. Osborn, age 12. There were other children of this family and presumably they were married and were recorded in the 1880 census under their households.
One of these children was J. G. (Jonas Garrison) Osborn who married Martha McCracken. J. G. Osborn was one of the leading farmers and stockmen of James Creek Township and he and his wife reared their family of ten children, six boys and four girls on their farm north of Flippin near the Wild Cat School -- District number 13. The children were: Simon, Della, Will, John, Elam, Nellie, James, Myrtle, Joe and Bess.
(1) Simon married May Self and to this union were born the following children: Early, Hearl, Pearl, J. B., Martha, Daphna, Bonnie, and Marion Simon. Early married Gondola Marshall. He is deceased. Hearl married Nola Marshall. Hearl is deceased. Pearl married Clark McCracken. He is deceased. J. B. married Nora Morgan. J. B. served as Game Warden of Marion County for many years prior to his retirement due to ill health. He and Nora had one child, a daughter, Grace, who is married and resides in Oregon. J. B. and Nora reside in Flippin. Martha married Tom McCracken. They had no children. They reside in Flippin. Daphna married John Greene, a farmer and rancher. They reside in Missouri. Bonnie married_________Greene, a younger brother of John and they reside in Arizona or New Mexico. Marion Simon is unmarried and resides on the farm near Flippin.
(2) Delia, daughter of J. G. and Martha, married Ellis James of Rush. They moved to California where they reared their family. We have no record of their children.
(3) Will married Clara Sanders. They were the parents of Vida, Ivoree, Richard, Hazel, Carl, George, Helen and Arnold. Vida married Francis Anderson and they have one daughter who is married and lives in Washington. Vida and Francis live near Flippin. Ivoree married Lindall Neace. They were the parents of several children. Ivoree is deceased. Richard married Genevieve Johnson and lives near Gassville. Hazel married Jewell Briggs. They moved to Washington. Jewell is deceased. Carl married Racheal Cox and resides in Texas. George married Frances Carrico and lives near Flippin. Helen married Rush Billings and they live near Yellville. Arnold is married and lives in Texas. Two children born to Will and Clara died in infancy.
(4) John married Helen McCracken of Flippin. They were the parents of Dot, Darl, Darwin and, perhaps, of other children born after they moved to Oklahoma.
(5) Elam married Bessie Parker of Flippin. After their marriage, they moved to Oklahoma where they reared their family. No record is available as to their children.
(6) Nellie married Gus Pace of Oakland. They moved to Oklahoma soon after their marriage. They were the parents of a daughter, Mary, and a son, Bert, and perhaps other children born in Oklahoma.
(7) James (Jim) married Susie Coke of Lead Hill. They moved to Oklahoma where they reared their family.
(8) Myrtle married Hiram Gay of Kingdon Springs. They moved to Oklahoma where their children were reared.
(9) Joe married Ruby Parker, a sister of Bessie, who married Elam Osborn. They resided in Oklahoma where they reared their children.
(10) Bess married Gordon Morrow of Kingdon Springs. After their marriage, they moved to California and we have no record of their children.
None of the children of J. G. and Martha Osborn now live in Marion County. Simon and Will are buried in the Fairview Cemetery. Some of the children, perhaps, Myrtle and Bess still survive.
D. F. (Doc) Osborn, a half-brother of J. G. Osborn, married Emma Cawhorn and they lived on a farm on Sister's Creek. "Doc" was a farmer and blacksmith. He and Emma were the parents of: "Jeddie" (Jehoida), Flora, Ethel, William, Cora, Teddie and Truman.
Jeddie married Alta Sowell of Summit.
Flora married.
Ethel married Tommie Sanders of Flippin.
William married.
Cora married Elmer Jenkins of Flippin.
Teddie and Truman married after the family moved to Oklahoma, near the end of World War I.
William, the only known descendant of Doc and Emma Osborn now living in Marion County, resides in Bull Shoals.
Reprinted with permission from History of Marion County edited by Earl Berry, copyright 1977.