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Note: H2
Note: Osby was 5'6 1/2" tall and had hazel eyes and black hair. His nicknames were "Ossie" and "Chig".
Osby was a member of the Church of Christ in Middleport, Meigs County, Ohio.
In the earlier years of his life, Osby held various jobs. He was a coal miner, a taxi driver, a service station attendant, a pipefitter at North American Aircraft in Columbus, Ohio, a delivery driver for a Mason, West Virginia dry cleaner, an on-the-road salesman for the Goodyear Store in Pomeroy, Ohio, a carpenter, a deckhand on river boats on the Ohio, Illinois, and Mississippi Rivers, and co-proprietor with his first wife, Leona, of The Waffle Shop, a small restaurant in Middleport.
Then, in October 1957, he started work for the Ohio Farmer as a magazine salesman. He ascended to their life insurance division, becoming District Manager in Ohio and State Manager in Maryland and Kentucky. He resigned from Ohio Farmer in 1966 and went to work as a deckhand for The Union Barge Line where he worked on the Ohio, Illinois, and Mississippi Rivers. He left that barge company in the spring of 1968 and then worked as a carpenter on the Racine, Ohio Dam project for six months.
Osby had been self-employed since 1968, mainly as an antique dealer. In the fall of 1968, Osby opened "Ossie's Pool Hall" in Middleport and, in 1976, converted the pool hall to "Martin's General Store" where he dealt in furniture and antiques sales. In 1978, he became a full-time antiques dealer and changed his business to "Martin's Antiques".
Osby was diagnosed with polycythemia in 1985. His cause of death was lung and esophageal cancer.
Osby's obituary in the 12 September 1999 Daily Sentinel (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) is as follows:
"Pomeroy - Osby Alphonse Martin, 71, Pomeroy, died Friday, Sept. 10, 1999 in the Veterans Memorial Hospital Extended Care, Pomeroy.
Born June 24, 1928 in Minersville, son of the late Edward and Frances Blankenship Martin, he was a self-employed antique dealer and appraiser, and a member of the Oh-Kan Coin Club.
Surviving are his wife of 40 years, Mary Alice Reapp Martin; three sons, Robert (Debbie) Martin of Alliance, Adam Martin of Pomeroy, and Frank (Breeda) Kelton of Houston, Texas; two daughters, Patricia Martin of Amesville, and Linda (Bob) Jones of Gallipolis; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; two sisters, Edna Mae Martin of Middleport, and Sylvia George of Columbus; two half-sisters, Carolyn Rummell and Connie DeVore; two brothers-in-law, Ben Reapp of Florida, and Harry Reapp of Gallipolis; and several nieces and nephews.
He was also preceded in death by seven brothers, Vinson, Herbert, Ralph, Albert, Eddie, Robert and Thearon Martin; and by two sisters, Jaret Werry and Louise Mitchell.
Graveside services will be 11 a.m Tuesday in the Ohio Valley Memory Gardens, Gallipolis, with Pastors Paul Voss and Doug Shamblin officiating. Friends may call at the Fisher Funeral Home, Middleport, from 7-9 p.m. Monday.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the United Fund for Meigs County, P.O. Box 424, Middleport, Ohio 45760."
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