Hugh Guerrant Osborne

In the 1870 U.S. Federal Census for Walker, Anderson County, Kansas, Hugh Guerrant Osborne was 5 years old, living with his parents and siblings, who were listed as follows in the census record: David Madison Osborne, 48, Mary Porter Guerrant Osborne, 38, Eliza J., 20, Sidney B., 16, Daniel P., 12, Malinda C., 10, Elizabeth M., 7, and Anna V., 2 years old. David was working as a farmer. They were all born in North Carolina, and had moved from there to Kansas in about 1868, not long after the conclusion of the Civil War. David's real estate was valued at $500 and his personal estate also at $500.

Living next door was David Madison Osborne's brother, Mathew Osborne, 40, and his wife, Sally, 49, and their children, Nancy E. Osborne, 25, and Thomas A. Osborne, 6. Matthew was also working as a farmer, and his wife, Sally was keeping house.

In the March 1, 1875, Kansas state census, David, 53, and Mary, 44, were living in Lincoln, Anderson county, Kansas, and were listed with their children as follows: M.T., 17 (probably Daniel Thomas), M.C., 15, (Malinda), E.N., 12, (Elizabeth), H.G., 10, (Hugh), and A.E., 7, (Anna). David was still working as a farmer and his real estate was valued at $1,500 and his personal estate at $200. David Madison Osborne passed away on April 4, 1877, while still living in Anderson County, Kansas, and was buried in the Sugar Valley Cemetery there. He was only 54 years, 10 months and 27 days old at the time of his death.

In the 1880 census for Lincoln, Anderson County, Kansas, Hugh Guerrant Osborne, 15, was living with his widowed mother, Mary Porter Guerrant Osborne, 48, and his three sisters, Kate, 20, Elizabeth, 17, and Anna, 12. Hugh was working on the family farm and his mother was keeping house.

Living next door was Matthew Osborne, 51, the brother of David Madison Osborne, and Matthew's family, including wife, Jane A., 33, and children Thomas, 16, E. Smith Osborne, 9, (a son), and Sue May, a 5-month old daughter. Jane was Matthew's second wife, his first wife having passed away. Matthew ended up having at least four known wives. Matthew was also working as a farmer. Next door to Matthew and his family was probably his nephew, Daniel Thomas, 22, (Hugh's brother) and his wife, May, 19. Living just a few doors down was Allen Osborne, 62, (another brother of David and Matthew Osborne) and Allen's wife, Sarah, 60.

On March 6, 1895, in Johnson County, Kansas, Hugh Guerrant Osborne, 30 years old, married Lucy J. Oldaker, who was the adopted daughter of John Quincy Adams Couch, and his wife, Rachel M. Nixon Couch. J.Q.A. Couch was the brother-in-law of Sarah Jane Osborne Couch (the sister of David Madison Osborne), since J.Q.A. Couch was the brother of Milton Couch, Sarah Jane Osborne's husband.

Hugh, 31, and Lucy, 23, were living with his widowed mother, Mary, 63, in the 1895 Kansas State Census for De Soto Township, Lexington, Johnson county, Kansas. Living nearby were many relatives, including Bartlett Monroe Couch, the youngest son of Milton and Sarah Jane Osborne Couch, 27, and his wife, Nellie, 28, and their son, Glen Huron Couch, 6, and Sarah Jane herself, 70, since her husband Milton had passed away the previous year in 1894.

Also living nearby was John Ford Hiddleston, 25, and his wife, Anna Luella Gordon Hiddleston, a granddaughter of Sarah Jane Osborne Couch, Annie being the daughter of Sarah Jane's daughter, Eliza Ellen Couch Gordon and her husband, Oliver Cromwell Gordon. There were other inter-related families living nearby too, including the Oshel's (Bartlet Monroe Couch's older brother, Clarkston, had married Ariadne Oshel) and the Broadhurst's who were also connected to the Couch family.

In the 1900 census for Lexington, Johnson county, Kansas, Hugh was listed as being 37 years old, having been born in December, 1862, in North Carolina, which differs from his known birth year of 1864. His wife Lucy was born December 1872, in Kansas. They had been married 5 years, given birth to 3 children, but only one was living, a daughter, Nellie M., born in September of 1898. Hugh was working as a blacksmith.

Could not find Hugh, Lucy or Nellie in the 1910 census, but in the 1915 Kansas State Census, Hugh was living with the Plummer family in Lexington, Johnson County, Kansas, and they were listed as follows: J.S. Plummer, 58, Maggie, 47, Oscar, 20, Dessie, 15, and Everett, 13. Hugh was listed as H.G. Osborne, 50 years old.

That year, Hugh's mother, Mary Porter Geurrant Osborne, passed away on December 28, 1915, in Johnson County, Kansas. She had been born December 20, 1831, in Rockingham County, North Carolina. She was 84 years and 8 days old at the time of her death. She was buried in the De Soto Cemetery in De Soto, Johnson County, Kansas.

By the 1920 census, Hugh was living in Richland, Miami County, Kansas, as a "lodger" with a couple by the name of Everett. He was 55 years old, John C. Everett was 37, and Dorothea E. Everett, 34. Hugh was working as a house carpenter. He indicated he was married, but his wife Lucy was not living with him at the time. Another 1920 census record showed that she had been admitted to the Topeka Kansas State Hospital for the Insane, and she was still living there when the 1940 census was taken. I'm not sure when she passed away or whether she was still institutionalized at the time of her death.

In the 1925 Kansas State Census, Hugh G. Osborne, 60, was living in Osage, Allen County, Kansas, was working as a laborer, and was listed as a widower. Hugh passed away March 31, 1943, and was buried in the Garnett Cemetery in Garnett, Anderson County, Kansas. I have found no record for the death of his wife, Lucy, and no further information about their daughter, Nellie M., who would have been 45 at the time of her father's death, if she was still living herself then.