Bob Adema, a Great Grandson of G. W. and Frances Wilson Osborne
by Glenn N. Holliman
With this post, I begin a series of articles on that part of my Mother's family that lived in Damascus, Virginia in the first 3/4ths of the 20th Century. My Great Aunt Pearl Osborne was born in Ashe County, North Carolina in 1890. While living in Damascus as a teenager in the first decade of the 20th Century, she met a descendant of one of the founding families of this Appalachian community - Dave Wright. They married in 1911, and together ran the Damascus Inn. For decades, Dave operated the creek - driven generator for electrical service in the small village. For years on Saturday night, he operated the projectors at the local movie 'palace'.
My second cousin is Bob Adema. His Mother, Gladys Osborne Adema, and my Mother, Geraldine Stansbery Holliman Feick, were first cousins. Gladys, along with her sister Doris and brother Bascomb K. Osborne, were raised by their Aunt Pearl and Uncle Dave when their mother, Doris Kruger Osborne, died prematurely in 1922 in Baltimore, Maryland.
The story of this interesting family situation, and how it impacted the lives of the three children will unfold in future articles. As for now, here is a nostalgic look at a beautiful automobile lovingly restored by cousin Bob.
On two occasions I have been pleasantly entertained for lunch at the home of Bob and Gayle Adema. Bob is a grandson of Bascomb W. Osborne, one of the five adult sons of G.W. and Frances W. Osborne. Now retired, one of his hobbies is maintaining his 1946 Ford, pictured below.
My wife, Barb, sitting on the passenger side with Bob driving, insisted on a spin! I was relegated to the back seat, discovering a two door is not as easy to exit as when one was ten years or so in age.
Bob has altered the dash board, installing a tape deck and air conditioning controls. The Ford has over 350 horse power, but with a (gasp) modern Chevy engine!
Bob comes by his mechanical aptitude naturally through several sides of the family. His grandfather, Bascomb W. Osborne, as well as Bascomb's brother Bill Osborne, were both auto mechanics from the 1920s to the 1950s.
Our thanks to Bob and Gayle for lunch, family talk and ride in a legend, the first Ford model produced after World War II.
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