Children of Harmon and Eliza (Elizabeth) Osburn

In 1927, Edward W. Osburn wrote about his eight siblings and himself:

1. Hannah Packard [Osburn] - Born April 19, 1833 in Ohio. Married to Isaac Reed, Rush County, Indiana. Soon after marriage moved to Howard County, Indiana, going onto an unimproved farm of 160 acres near Jerome. After putting on splendid buildings and other improvements, he left this farm and moved to smaller farm at the edge of Jerome. From there they moved to Greentown (Eastern end of town) and from Greentown moved to Jonesboro, where she died, October 4, 1895 and was buried at Kokomo. Some years later Isaac Reed died at Indianapolis.

The following children were born: Sarah; Wesley; Anna; Osburn (Oz); John; Jennie; Oliver; Edith; Frank; Pearl. John at Tipton, Indiana and Pearl Keightlinger, Santa Clara, California, are the only ones living as far as known by the writer March 1, 1927. [Edith Booker, Branson, Colorado]

2. Benjamin - Born October 29, 1834 in Ohio. He was educated in the common schools and Asbury University, from which he, graduated in the early sixties. He paid his way through college by teaching. After graduation he bought and moved to a farm of 160 acres four miles east of Indianapolis just south of which was founded the town of Irvington. In 1865 he was married to Mary Torr. On this farm he built a rude log house in which they lived for many years. They celebrated their golden wedding in 1915 in the new house built of boulders which had been gathered from the farm. A remarkably fine residence taking the place of the log cabin first built. He was a very earnest worker in the Roberts' Parks M. E. Church, Indianapolis. Afterward he moved his membership to Irvington, where he was founder of the first M. E. Church and first superintendent of the Sunday School. He died at the age of eighty-four and was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis. Died June 26, 1919 at Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The children are: Don Eugene of Imperial, Cal., Gertrude, afterwards, Mrs. A. D. Wilson; Carl C. of Jasper, Tennessee; Grace M., Springfield, Illinois.

3. Anna - Born October 16, 1835, Milford, Ohio. When a child she moved to Indiana with her parents. She was educated in the public school and was a teacher for a number of years. In 1862 she became the second wife of Elijah Billings and the step-mother of three children. She went to her new home four miles north of Rushville on a well improved farm. Later they moved to a farm in the eastern part of Boone County. Here were born two children, Edward and Bessie. From here they moved to Noblesville in Hamilton County where she died March 5, 1885 at the age of forty-nine. Buried in a family lot at Noblesville.

She was converted and joined the M. E. Church at the age of eleven and remained faithful the remainder of her life.

Edward died at Colorado Springs, Colorado. Bessie is now Mrs. Edwin Burton and is living in Detroit, Michigan.

4. John Wesley - Born April 29, 1839, Rush County, Indiana. He was educated in the public schools and taught for a number of years. Most of his life was spent in farming and dealing in stock. He was a great lover of fine horses. He was first married to Miss Juliet Johnson near Sheridan, Indiana. They had two girls, Estelle and Carrie Lee, at present Estelle is living at Los Angeles, Cal. and Carrie Lee at Fresno, Cal. The mother died at New Britton and was buried in the cemetery at Noblesville. He married Miss Lida Howard April 26, 1882 at the home of Dr. Pye in Indianapolis. She died in Wichita, Kansas. His third wife was a physician Mrs. Joyce ____, M. D., now living with the daughter Carrie Lee at Fresno, California.

He died in March 27, 1903 at the home of Oliver Reed near Pueblo, Colorado. The body was brought back and buried at Noblesville.

5&6. Mary A. and Sarah E. – Twins, born July 28, 1843, Rush County, Indiana.

Sarah E.- died April 19, 1847, and was buried in the Dillon graveyard located about the center of a section of land covered very thickly with sugar maple trees, the largest sugar orchard in that part of the country. At present (1927) there is no trace of the burial ground.

After finishing the public school Mary went to a girls seminary at Centerville, Indiana, where she graduated.

She was married to Rev. L. G. Adkinson about 1863 or 1864 at the home of her parents by the Presiding Elder F. C. Holliday, D. D. Mr. Adkinson was pastor on the Carthage circuit and had boarded for some time at the Osburn home. He was a member of the South East Indiana Conference of the M. E. Church and became a very popular preacher and in his later years an educator. He died and was buried in Atlanta in 1906.

Mary was a very loyal and efficient helpmate to her husband. She was always prominent in church and social circles, and an untiring worker in the W. C. T. U. She was President of the New Orleans, La., W. C. T. U. during her residence there and from 1909-1917 was the efficient President of the Jacksonville, Florida, W. C. T. U. She closed her earthly labors in 1918 at 251 W. 115th Street, Jacksonville, Florida, surrounded by her three daughters, Mrs. E. G. Conklin, Princeton, N. J.; Mrs. Fanc Ziegler and Mrs. O. T. Usleman, both of Jacksonville.

She was buried at Atlanta with her husband and two sons, Albert R. and Harry (Harmon).

Mrs. O. T. Usleman (Jennie) died in 1920 and was buried in Jacksonville. Mrs. E. G. Conklin (Belle) wife of Dr. E. G. Conklin (head of the department of Biology) lives at Princeton, N. J. Mrs. Ed Ziegler (Fanc) spends her winters in Florida and her summers with her sister Belle.

7. Martha Jane (Mattie) - Born December 25, 1848, Rush County, Indiana and died near Jerome, Howard County, September 13, 1883 at the home of her oldest sister, Mrs. Isaac Reed. She became a member of the M. E. Church at the age of eleven years. During her entire life she was intimately connected with all departments of church work, being most efficient as a teacher in the Sunday School and in the visitation of the sick and poor. She was educated at Asbury University, now Depauw University, and afterwards took her normal training at Calpariso Normal College at Valpariso, Indiana. She was a very efficient and faithful teacher.

During the twelve weeks of her illness she was constantly attended by her mother and youngest brother (Edward Walker Osburn); the mother spending the days and the brother the nights at her bedside. The attending physicians were Dr. Scott and Dr. Payton. Dr. Stabler officiated at her funeral and her body laid to rest in the Noblesville cemetery.

8. William Henry - Born December 22, 1850, in Rush County, Indiana. After finishing common school, he spent one year in the preparatory department at Asbury University. Then took business course at Indianapolis, graduating as bookkeeper and accountant in April, 1872. Went onto his farm, near Kokomo, Indiana, in 1873. Was married to Miss Fannie Blanch December 31, 1874. Moved to Kansas, near Burrton, April, 1878. Was identified with the Payne Oklahoma Colony from December, 1880, until the opening of the territory, April 22, 1889.
He was converted at the age of seven and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church - was licensed as a Local Preacher, 1889 and the license has been renewed annually without break.

There were three children born: Virgil S., died in infancy; Edna Blanche, born December 8, 1879, lives at home; Fern Francis, born January 14, 1885, was married to Ellis Moulder Learner, June 22, 1910. William, wife and Edna live just south of Kokomo, Indiana on a farm and own a fine Brown Swiss Dairy.

9. Edward W. - Born June 24, 1854, Rush County, Indiana. Had from three to six months schooling a year in country schools until the family moved to Greencastle in the fall of 1870. Entered the preparatory department of Asbury University, spent five years, and completed the classical course of study through the college junior year. Eyes failing, he was compelled to give up school and spent a year on the frontier in Southern Texas west of the Brazos River. After returning he was licensed as local preacher by the Locust Street Quarterly Conference by C. A. Brooke, D. D. Presiding Elder. Attempting further study he spent some months at Garrett Biblical Institute at Chicago. Eyes again failing he returned to Greencastle where he remained until the spring of 1877. Went to Little Rock, Arkansas, where he was appointed Junior Pastor of the Little Rock Circuit by I. G. Pollard, Presiding Elder. This circuit embraced a territory approximately eighty miles long and fifty miles wide. For the first year's service he received $2.45 in cash and two pairs of yarn socks and the people paid for all they received. Returning to Indiana he was admitted to the North Indiana Conference in 1881, Bishop Matthew Simpson, presiding. Ordained Deacon by Bishop Thos. Bowman in 1883 and ordained Elder by Bishop John M. Walden in 1885. While residing at Bunker Hill, Indiana, he was transferred to the Louisiana Conference in 1894 and stationed at the St. Charles Avenue M. E. Church, New Orleans. Served this church until transferred to the North Ohio Conference in 1900. Transferred from the North Ohio Conference to the Austin Conference and stationed in Houston, Texas. Transferred to the Missouri Conference and retired in 1913. After retiring served churches in Texas, Missouri, Alabama and Florida. At present (1927) living in Wadsworth, Ohio.

May 13, 1885 married Miss “Fannie” Florence Hobson at the home of her parents near Greentown, Indiana. To this union were born six children, three of whom are now living: Mrs. Foss Smith (Mabel), Chattanooga, Tenn.; Edward F. Osburn, Carroll, Iowa; and Esther F. Osburn, Cleveland, Ohio.

Mrs. [Florence Hobson] Osburn died at the home of her parents, Greentown, Howard County, Indiana, March 22, 1899, aged thirty-two years, four months, fifteen days.

Married January 1, 1901 to Miss Elsie D. Hard at the home of her father in Wadsworth, Ohio. To this union were born three children, two of whom are now living, Herbert C. Osburn, St. Petersburg, Florida, and Ruth M. Osburn, Baldwin-Wallace, Berea, Ohio.