Ossyth Mae Stewart was the daughter of John William "Bill" and Susan Samirania Woods Stewart. Ossyth Mae's dad had been married before and she had an older sister Sallie Nona Stewart who was born in 1873. Her other siblings were Jmaes Eldred born 1874, Woods, born 1876 but died 1876; Winston born in 1880; Brown born in 1882; Donald H born in 1884 and Kennon Stewart born in 1885. The 1880 census of McNairy County, Tennessee shows that her father was 35 and mother was 36, Eldred was 5, Ossie M was 2 and there was a 2 month old baby they hadn't named yet. This census tells us that her mother was older than her father, that she went by Ossie and that they didn't name the 2 month old right at the begining, who we know now was Winston.
In 1898 at the age of 21, Ossie married 28 year old, Thomas Joshua Lee Burns. In 1900 the Civil District 14, McNairy, Tennessee census has Joshua L Burns 29, a farmer, Ossie 22, having been married 2 years and their little girl, Vera who's 2 months old. Have not located the family in 1910 but in 1920 they are renting their home in Corinth, Alcorn County, Mississippi on Corinth and Chewalla Road, Joshua is 49, gives his occupation as farming, Ossyth 42, Vera 19, Stewart, 17, gives his occupation as laborer on a farm, Lois 14, Woods 13, Winsella 9, Jeneva 6, Nona Sue 3, Lee 2 and Carolyn 2 months. Living next door to Robert P Murphee family, Robert was the father of Etta Murphee that married James Eldred, Ossyth's oldest brother. Eldred probably was visiting his sister Ossie and family when he met their young neighbor Etta. Family notes have a second marriage date of June 27, 1927 for Joshua and Ossyth Burns in Alcorn County, Mississippi. Both were in their 40's by now, did they divorce and remarry? The 1930 census finds the family in Middleton, Hardeman County, Tennessee. Joshua is 59, gives his occupation as general farm laborer, Ossie 62, they say Joshua was 27 and Ossie 30 when they first married so that rules out the June 27, 1927 date being their first marriage date. The children living with them are all listed as single even though some of them are of the marrying age. Vera is 29, Stewart 27, gives his occupation as a laborer for the steam railroad, Lois 24, Woods 22, Winsella 19, Geneva 16, Nona Sue 15, Lee 12, Caroline 10. The 1940 census shows the family still renting their home on School House Road in Hardeman County, Tennessee, gives the same address for five years before in 1935, However, it shows Joshua as being older than Ossie, he is 69 and she 62, the same age as she was 10 years before in 1920. Joshua gives his occupation as a carpenter in Building Construstion. Vera 40, Lois 34, and is a seamstress working out of her own home, Woods 33, Lee 22 is a laborer for the steam railroad, and Hettie Carolyn 20 all still living at home and single. Ossyth Mae died on March 27, 1962 in Shelby County, Tennessee and was taken back to her familiar resting place of Holly Cemetery in Alcorn County, Mississippi where so many of her relatives are buried.