The Story Behind the Tombstone
by Jim Marshall

I have been researching the Ozee family since I discovered that they were connected to my Zastrow family lineage.  Both families lived in Clay County, Texas in the late 1800’s.  The Ozee family originally settled in Tarrant County, Texas (near Fort Worth) in 1856.  Michael Ozee arrived in that year with his family from Indiana.  He became a prosperous rancher and the father of several children.  One of these children was James Newton Ozee.  One of the sons of James Ozee was Marvin Ozee.

A few months ago, I was researching cemetery records from Hope Cemetery in Henrietta, Clay County, Texas.  I was obtaining the birth and death data of various people to be included in my genealogy research data.  One of the people whose birth and death dates that I noted was Marvin Ozee.  The cemetery record showed that he was born on August 29, 1872 and that he died on September 13, 1893.  I wasn’t all that surprised that he only lived to be twenty-one years of age, since it was fairly common back in the old days for some people to not live very long.  I decided to locate Marvin’s obituary by researching in the microfilms of the Henrietta Independent newspaper.  What I found was an interesting, yet sad, story of his death.  The article is as follows:

Friday, September 15, 1893, page 2, column 3:

“Marvin Ozee Loses His Life By Getting Entangled in a Rope Fastened to his Saddle Horn”

“On Wednesday morning Mrs. DuBoise and Mrs. Reedy started to the Little Wichita on a plum hunt.  In the vicinity of the cemetery they observed a loose horse with a saddle on.  Coming nearer they were horrified to find a rope tied to the horn of the saddle, and dragging on the ground a man, to all appearances dead, entangled in a noose.  The ladies called a gentleman working not far away who recognized the man as Marvin Ozee, a son of J. N. Ozee.  Mr. Ozee was taken loose from the horse and carried home in a hack by Ed Smither, who happened to pass at that time.  Exactly how the accident occurred no one knows as he was alone.  He was working for Sam Davidson and had gone out to look for some horses.  It is probable he attempted to catch a horse and was thrown by the horse he was riding and fell in the noose he had made with his own hands.  The rope went round one leg and over his neck.  From indications on the ground he appears to have been dragged about 75 yards.  The external bruises were not serious, but he suffered a concussion of the brain which rendered him totally unconscious and completely paralyzed.  He was conscious at no time after he was found.  Death occurred at 3 o’clock Thursday morning.  Mr. Ozee was a young man of probably 20 or 22 years and small of stature.  Owing to an attack of fever which had settled in his side he was somewhat stooped and he also suffered with a cough.  Of late he had improved greatly, the cough disappearing and his side healing up.  Only the night before the accident his mother was joyfully telling a neighbor of his great improvement in health.  His untimely death is a great blow to her.  Mr. J. N. Ozee was in St. Louis when the accident occurred to his son.  He was telegraphed for and arrived this morning.  The funeral will take place from the residence at 3:30 this evening.”