Amos was the first of twelve children born to John "Johny" Ownby, Jr., and his first wife, Elizabeth Hill. John was 26 and Elizabeth about 23 when Amos was born.
Amos was born, spent his childhood and part of his youth in North Carolina. Then his parents decided to move the family to the land of Tennessee.
It was a long, difficult trip. Once having arrived in Tennessee, Amos helped his father clear and farm the land and build the family home. He was to learn many skills about living off the land during this time that were to be helpful to him in later years.
Tennessee was a new area of settlement and many pioneers came to claim land in the area. Among them was the Tunis family. Amos married Mary Sarah Tunis in 1831. He and his family lived in Tennessee until 1845. The first seven of their ten known children were born in Tennessee.
In 1845, the family back to North Carolina where another child was born. Why the family went to North Carolina is unknown. Oral family history tell us that Amos was a volunteer in the Mexican War which took place from 1846-1848.
By 1849 Amos had moved his family to Walker County, Georgia, and was listed in the 1850 census there. Again, it is unknown why they moved to Georgia. There are some records stating that some of Mary's family lived in Georgia so perhaps they moved to be by her family. Two children were born to Amos and Mary in Georgia and two others were buried there having died of fevers.
By 1860 the family had moved again to Fulton County, Arkansas, where Amos served as a deputy sheriff for a brief time.
Amos had children who fought on both sides of the Civil War. The period of the Civil War was costly to Amos and his family. His son, Westly, died of a fever during the Civil War. At the end of the Civil War, Amos had lost all of his land holdings in the south. He moved his family again.
By fall of 1865 Amos has moved from Illinois to Missouri. His son, John Hills Ownsbey, died and was buried in Reynolds, Missouri, in October of 1865.
In the 1880 census, Amos is living in the county of Reynolds, Missouri, and the family is farming the land next to his daughter, Clarissa, and her husband, Patton Radford. Their property was near the headwaters of Black River. This was a beautiful but rugged, wild and desolate part of the country. It was heavily forested and hard to farm. With Amos and Mary Sarah being "up in age" by this time it was difficult for them to start over in such a place. The old timers in the area called it the "most wild and God-forsaken spot in America."
The death of Amos' first wife, Mary, occurred in 1885. She was 76 and Amos was 77.
On August 23, 1886, Amos married for a second time to Rachael Adams Mathis Because of his age at the time, this marriage has often been questioned but there is a marriage certificate. There was a son born from this union.
In 1890 Amos filled out an affidavit to help his son-in-law, William Cokran (Corcoran) receive a disability pension. He was 81 at the time and spelled his name Ownsbey.
Amos died 8 September 1894, near Boss, Reynolds County, Missouri, at the age of 85. He is buried by his first wife, Mary, in the Radford family cemetery. This was the family cemetery of their son-in-law. The graves are marked with a single white cement stone saying "Amos Ownsbey and wife" in the center but does not include the dates.
Information for this biography was taken from the book "A Journey Through Time with the Owensby Family of North Carolina, Tennessee and the Midwest" by Emma Sue Owensby Davenport.
Amos was born, spent his childhood and part of his youth in North Carolina. Then his parents decided to move the family to the land of Tennessee.
It was a long, difficult trip. Once having arrived in Tennessee, Amos helped his father clear and farm the land and build the family home. He was to learn many skills about living off the land during this time that were to be helpful to him in later years.
Tennessee was a new area of settlement and many pioneers came to claim land in the area. Among them was the Tunis family. Amos married Mary Sarah Tunis in 1831. He and his family lived in Tennessee until 1845. The first seven of their ten known children were born in Tennessee.
In 1845, the family back to North Carolina where another child was born. Why the family went to North Carolina is unknown. Oral family history tell us that Amos was a volunteer in the Mexican War which took place from 1846-1848.
By 1849 Amos had moved his family to Walker County, Georgia, and was listed in the 1850 census there. Again, it is unknown why they moved to Georgia. There are some records stating that some of Mary's family lived in Georgia so perhaps they moved to be by her family. Two children were born to Amos and Mary in Georgia and two others were buried there having died of fevers.
By 1860 the family had moved again to Fulton County, Arkansas, where Amos served as a deputy sheriff for a brief time.
Amos had children who fought on both sides of the Civil War. The period of the Civil War was costly to Amos and his family. His son, Westly, died of a fever during the Civil War. At the end of the Civil War, Amos had lost all of his land holdings in the south. He moved his family again.
By fall of 1865 Amos has moved from Illinois to Missouri. His son, John Hills Ownsbey, died and was buried in Reynolds, Missouri, in October of 1865.
In the 1880 census, Amos is living in the county of Reynolds, Missouri, and the family is farming the land next to his daughter, Clarissa, and her husband, Patton Radford. Their property was near the headwaters of Black River. This was a beautiful but rugged, wild and desolate part of the country. It was heavily forested and hard to farm. With Amos and Mary Sarah being "up in age" by this time it was difficult for them to start over in such a place. The old timers in the area called it the "most wild and God-forsaken spot in America."
The death of Amos' first wife, Mary, occurred in 1885. She was 76 and Amos was 77.
On August 23, 1886, Amos married for a second time to Rachael Adams Mathis Because of his age at the time, this marriage has often been questioned but there is a marriage certificate. There was a son born from this union.
In 1890 Amos filled out an affidavit to help his son-in-law, William Cokran (Corcoran) receive a disability pension. He was 81 at the time and spelled his name Ownsbey.
Amos died 8 September 1894, near Boss, Reynolds County, Missouri, at the age of 85. He is buried by his first wife, Mary, in the Radford family cemetery. This was the family cemetery of their son-in-law. The graves are marked with a single white cement stone saying "Amos Ownsbey and wife" in the center but does not include the dates.
Information for this biography was taken from the book "A Journey Through Time with the Owensby Family of North Carolina, Tennessee and the Midwest" by Emma Sue Owensby Davenport.
Amos was the first of twelve children born to John "Johny" Ownby, Jr., and his first wife, Elizabeth Hill. John was 26 and Elizabeth about 23 when Amos was born.
Amos was born, spent his childhood and part of his youth in North Carolina. Then his parents decided to move the family to the land of Tennessee.
It was a long, difficult trip. Once having arrived in Tennessee, Amos helped his father clear and farm the land and build the family home. He was to learn many skills about living off the land during this time that were to be helpful to him in later years.
Tennessee was a new area of settlement and many pioneers came to claim land in the area. Among them was the Tunis family. Amos married Mary Sarah Tunis in 1831. He and his family lived in Tennessee until 1845. The first seven of their ten known children were born in Tennessee.
In 1845, the family back to North Carolina where another child was born. Why the family went to North Carolina is unknown. Oral family history tell us that Amos was a volunteer in the Mexican War which took place from 1846-1848.
By 1849 Amos had moved his family to Walker County, Georgia, and was listed in the 1850 census there. Again, it is unknown why they moved to Georgia. There are some records stating that some of Mary's family lived in Georgia so perhaps they moved to be by her family. Two children were born to Amos and Mary in Georgia and two others were buried there having died of fevers.
By 1860 the family had moved again to Fulton County, Arkansas, where Amos served as a deputy sheriff for a brief time.
Amos had children who fought on both sides of the Civil War. The period of the Civil War was costly to Amos and his family. His son, Westly, died of a fever during the Civil War. At the end of the Civil War, Amos had lost all of his land holdings in the south. He moved his family again.
By fall of 1865 Amos has moved from Illinois to Missouri. His son, John Hills Ownsbey, died and was buried in Reynolds, Missouri, in October of 1865.
In the 1880 census, Amos is living in the county of Reynolds, Missouri, and the family is farming the land next to his daughter, Clarissa, and her husband, Patton Radford. Their property was near the headwaters of Black River. This was a beautiful but rugged, wild and desolate part of the country. It was heavily forested and hard to farm. With Amos and Mary Sarah being "up in age" by this time it was difficult for them to start over in such a place. The old timers in the area called it the "most wild and God-forsaken spot in America."
The death of Amos' first wife, Mary, occurred in 1885. She was 76 and Amos was 77.
On August 23, 1886, Amos married for a second time to Rachael Adams Mathis Because of his age at the time, this marriage has often been questioned but there is a marriage certificate. There was a son born from this union.
In 1890 Amos filled out an affidavit to help his son-in-law, William Cokran (Corcoran) receive a disability pension. He was 81 at the time and spelled his name Ownsbey.
Amos died 8 September 1894, near Boss, Reynolds County, Missouri, at the age of 85. He is buried by his first wife, Mary, in the Radford family cemetery. This was the family cemetery of their son-in-law. The graves are marked with a single white cement stone saying "Amos Ownsbey and wife" in the center but does not include the dates.
Information for this biography was taken from the book "A Journey Through Time with the Owensby Family of North Carolina, Tennessee and the Midwest" by Emma Sue Owensby Davenport.
Amos was born, spent his childhood and part of his youth in North Carolina. Then his parents decided to move the family to the land of Tennessee.
It was a long, difficult trip. Once having arrived in Tennessee, Amos helped his father clear and farm the land and build the family home. He was to learn many skills about living off the land during this time that were to be helpful to him in later years.
Tennessee was a new area of settlement and many pioneers came to claim land in the area. Among them was the Tunis family. Amos married Mary Sarah Tunis in 1831. He and his family lived in Tennessee until 1845. The first seven of their ten known children were born in Tennessee.
In 1845, the family back to North Carolina where another child was born. Why the family went to North Carolina is unknown. Oral family history tell us that Amos was a volunteer in the Mexican War which took place from 1846-1848.
By 1849 Amos had moved his family to Walker County, Georgia, and was listed in the 1850 census there. Again, it is unknown why they moved to Georgia. There are some records stating that some of Mary's family lived in Georgia so perhaps they moved to be by her family. Two children were born to Amos and Mary in Georgia and two others were buried there having died of fevers.
By 1860 the family had moved again to Fulton County, Arkansas, where Amos served as a deputy sheriff for a brief time.
Amos had children who fought on both sides of the Civil War. The period of the Civil War was costly to Amos and his family. His son, Westly, died of a fever during the Civil War. At the end of the Civil War, Amos had lost all of his land holdings in the south. He moved his family again.
By fall of 1865 Amos has moved from Illinois to Missouri. His son, John Hills Ownsbey, died and was buried in Reynolds, Missouri, in October of 1865.
In the 1880 census, Amos is living in the county of Reynolds, Missouri, and the family is farming the land next to his daughter, Clarissa, and her husband, Patton Radford. Their property was near the headwaters of Black River. This was a beautiful but rugged, wild and desolate part of the country. It was heavily forested and hard to farm. With Amos and Mary Sarah being "up in age" by this time it was difficult for them to start over in such a place. The old timers in the area called it the "most wild and God-forsaken spot in America."
The death of Amos' first wife, Mary, occurred in 1885. She was 76 and Amos was 77.
On August 23, 1886, Amos married for a second time to Rachael Adams Mathis Because of his age at the time, this marriage has often been questioned but there is a marriage certificate. There was a son born from this union.
In 1890 Amos filled out an affidavit to help his son-in-law, William Cokran (Corcoran) receive a disability pension. He was 81 at the time and spelled his name Ownsbey.
Amos died 8 September 1894, near Boss, Reynolds County, Missouri, at the age of 85. He is buried by his first wife, Mary, in the Radford family cemetery. This was the family cemetery of their son-in-law. The graves are marked with a single white cement stone saying "Amos Ownsbey and wife" in the center but does not include the dates.
Information for this biography was taken from the book "A Journey Through Time with the Owensby Family of North Carolina, Tennessee and the Midwest" by Emma Sue Owensby Davenport.
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