Lorenzo Dow Ownsbey was born March 31, 1837, in Sevier, Tennessee, to Amos and Mary Ownsbey. He was born on the family farm which was located in what is now part of the Sugarland area of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. He was named for the popular circuit preacher, Lorenzo Dow.

As a boy, Lorenzo's moved with his family from Tennessee to Georgia and worked on the family farm. He learned many necessary skills of living off the land from his parents. As a young adult, Lorenzon was 5'10," with blue eyes and fair colored hair.

By 1860, Lorenzo was no longer living with his family. Living in Missouri he was most likely married to Bathina Farrell by this time. Bathina died in 1861 shortly after the birth of their first son.

Missouri was a sharply divided state during the Civil War. Lorenzo's involvement with the war began with his enlistment in the Home Guard and the Missouri Militia. He first enlisted as a private with Company E of the Missouri Osage Company Home Guard Infantry Regiment. This company was in service from May to December of 1861.

He enrolled in the EMM (which was established by the pro-Union govrnment) on August 10, 1862. He again enlisted with the Union Army in the 16th regiment of Missouri Cavalry Volunteers, Company I, on July 15, 1864, and was honorably discharged on June 30, 1865. The spelling of his name was changed from Ownsbey to Owensby while he was in service.

In 1863 he was married to Susan Winfrey. They were parents to one son who was born in September of 1864. During this time Lorenzo again served in the Army. When he returned home, he found his wife had died and their small son was being cared for by neighbors.

On October 19, 1865, Lorenzo was married to Lyddia Angeline Butcher. Lyddia was the daughter of a Baptist preacher. They were to have twelve children together before her death in 1890. Lorenzo was not to marry again.

Although Lorenzo had no formal training in medicine, like his father Amos, Lorenzo had medical skills and knowledge of remedies from nature. During the war he was, at times, assigned to help care for the sick.

Following the war, Lorenzo was a successful farmer. Later in life he was cared for by his children. He was living with one of his daughters at the time of his death, October 19, 1921, at the age of eighty-four.

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.