From Proud Heritage, Volume III by DCPA. This 352 page hardcover book is available online.
Osborn Love was born in 1800 in Rutherford County, North Carolina to Charles and Fereby Love. He was the third of eight children: John, James, Osborn, Elizabeth, Charity, Sarah, Charles and Nancy. He married Jane Fondren in Rutherford County on 15 August 1825. She was born in 1809 to John B. and Kezia (Roberts) Fondren (daughter of Morris and Elizabeth Roberts), in Rutherford County. Jane was one of nine children: Jane, William Butler, John R., Unity, Emeretta, Whitmon H., Miranda, Nimrod L., and Martin Fondren. John R. Fondren, shown on the 1850 census, was the first of the family to come to Dallas and is probably the reason that all of his brothers and Osborn and Jane moved to Dallas County.
Osborn and Jane remained in Rutherford County until after his father died in 1835. His oldest brother, John Love, along with his family and mother, moved to Gordon County, Georgia, while Osborn and his family moved to the adjacent county, Murray. Both families are shown on the 1840 and 1850 censuses in their respective counties.
Osborn and Jane’s family continued to grow until nine children were born. They and their children moved to Dallas County and are shown on the 1860 census.
- Jonah, born in 1826 in Rutherford County, North Carolina, married Mary Eliza Floyd (born in 1828 in Georgia), 1 February 1846, in Murray County, Georgia. They had three children. Jonah married a second time to Jane (maiden name unknown) Love.
- Emelina, born in 1831 in Rutherford County, North Carolina, married Caswell Johnson (born in 1826 in North Carolina) about 1849, probably in Murray County, but no marriage record has been found. They are shown living beside her parents on the 1850 census in Murray County. They were parents of six children. Caswell was in the Confederate Army from Dallas County.
- Perry was born in 1834 in Rutherford County. An affidavit dated 2 June 1888 stated that he died. We have no more information about him.
- John Love, born in Rutherford County, married Mary Ann McBride on 14 June 1868 in Dallas County. She was born in 1846 in Illinois. They were the parents of six children.
- Emeretta was born in 1839 in Murray County, Georgia. She married John Holeman/Holman on 11 August 1861, in Dallas County, Texas. In 1869 she was living in Springfield, Limestone County, Texas. No additional information is known about her except that she was a widow in 1888.
- James was born in 1841 in Murray County. He married Mary Ann Kilby in Dallas County on 1 October 1865. He purchased his father’s land from his brothers and sisters in 1868.
- William was born in 1843 in Murray County and died or was killed during the Civil War, according to an affidavit made by Jonah Love in 1888.
- Osborn P. was born in 1846 in Murray County. He married Sarah E. Crain on 20 May 1866 in Dallas County. She was born in 1848 in Texas. They had no children. He married Missouri J. Pruitt on 21 April 1873 in Dallas County. She was born in 1858 in Dallas County to Silas Henry and Mary Jane (Stanford) Pruitt. Osborn and Missouri were the parents of three children.
- Martin H. was born on 12 October 1849 in Murray County. He married Zorelda A. Muncy on 8 November 1871 in Dallas County. She was born on 10 November 1855 in Dallas County, daughter of William H. and Sarah E. (Rylie) Muncy. Martin and Zorelda were parents of seven children.
Osborn and Jane purchased 160 acres of land about twelve miles southeast of Dallas in the same general area as the Fondrens and Bennetts. Jane died in 1866 and Osborn died in 1867, according to Jonah Love’s affidavit dated 1888. Their final resting places have not been located.
Hattie Middleton (great-granddaughter of Osborn and Jane through Emelina Love Johnson’s daughter, Lovenia (Johnson) Middleton), married William Paris Bennett, the son of Enoch Noah Bennett.
By Lynell (Bennett) Moss
