Christopher "Stuffy" Gose – 1^st Born Child Of Stephan Gose & Catherine Sprecher (Spracher)

Christopher was born April 30, 1760 in Lynn Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. He was named after his maternal grandfather, Johan Christopher Sprecher (or Spracher). The German equivalent for "Christopher" is "Stophel" which lead to his nickname of "Stuffy".

Christopher married Mary Elizabeth Litz in 1792, most probably in Wythe County, Virginia where he was living at the time with his family.

From various documented sources including "Pioneers of the Virginia Bluegrass", census, and deed transactions, Christopher and Elizabeth first settled on the Turkey Fork of Elk Creek in Montgomery County (now Grayson County) Virginia. They sold 500 acres on Elk Creek in 1798 and bought land near or on the Clinch River in Russell County on August 27, 1799. His next younger brother Stephen, Jr. and his wife also moved to the same area of Russell County at the same time. For additional historical information about life in this area of Russell County, see the story about the Stephen Gose, Jr. family line.

Christopher was found dead, sitting by a tree on his farm by one of his slaves in 1817. He was 57 years old. Medical records indicate that Christopher may have died of a stroke.

It appears that some of Christopher and Elizabeth's oldest children continued to live in Virginia, however, several of the younger children left the Russell County area and moved to “greener pastures" in Missouri.

Their third born child, William, was one of those who moved to Missouri. William's first born child, Stephen Mathis Gose, is the ancestry line for the Gose families of Decatur, Texas. This is the family line that gave us The GOSE Book by Thelma Pearl Yost.  Their line thus descends through William, (son of Christopher) who was born in Virginia in 1798 and where he married Martha Knifong in 1823.  William and his family moved to Sullivan County, Missouri in 1831 after their first four children were born.  William’s son, Stephen Mathus Gose, born in Virginia in 1824, married Mary Frances Gerking in Sullivan County, Missouri in 1849 and moved his family to Denton County, Texas in 1859.  After a brief stay in Denton County, they finally settled permanently in Decatur, Texas in 1861.  And the rest, as they say, is history.   

 

The Goses of Decatur, Texas have kept their family traditions very alive with the cornerpost being an annual family reunion held every year since the early 1920’s.  The GFR (Gose Family Reunion) is held every year on the first Sunday in June at the “Old Reunion Grounds” in Decatur, Texas.

 

It was in 1967 that the seeds were planted for the makings of The GOSE Book.  It was at this time that Thelma Pearl Yost was elected president of the GFR and a $300 surplus of monies was also available. 

 

I had the pleasure of meeting Thelma Pearl at her home in Fort Worth, Texas in 1970.  It was then that I obtained one of the first printing copies of The GOSE Book.  I again had the opportunity to visit with her and meet many members of this Texas branch when our family attended the GFR in 1990.  You couldn’t hope to meet a nicer bunch of people.  But then, that has always been the case with any Gose family members, regardless of the branch.

 

Though Thelma Pearl is no longer among us in the flesh, her spirit is still felt, and I would encourage any of you to attend one of the Decatur Gose Family Reunions.  Take some family photos with you along with your best recipe dish.  The afternoon meal is “pot luck” and the old family recipes make for a great feast.  If you can’t bring a homemade dish, just pick up some fried chicken and go anyway!

 

Thank you Decatur Gose Family, for your wonderful contributions to family history and the perpetuation of family traditions and values that set an outstanding example for our children to follow.

 

Hope to see you all again soon!

If you have any additional information to add to this page on the Christopher Gose family and their descendants, please contact us!

Return To Family History Page

Return To Main Table Of Contents