Della Christine Daily was born June 6, 1907. Harrison Henry Osburn was born January 13, 1906. Della and Harrison were married on September 15, 1925 and welcomed their only child, Lela Ruth Osburn, on February 5, 1926. Shortly after her first birthday, Della and Harrison divorced.

Della quickly remarried to Horice Benjamin Thompson who was born January 19, 1905. Together they raised Lela, who assumed her stepfather’s last name, in addition to seven children of their own.

Likewise, Harrison began his second marriage to Nettie Leo Duncan Osburn who was born December 15, 1912. Harrison lost touch with his daughter Lela, but had seven children with Nettie. In 1969, Lela traveled with her husband from California to Arkansas in order to track down her father, who she had not seen for decades, for a reunion.

This collection contains information on both the Osburn and Ozbirn families. In 1918, the census bureau misspelled Osburn on their collection form. Lela’s grandfather was illiterate and unable to give the proper spelling, leading to two official spellings of the same family name.