Unmarked memorial for Alex Helper (Osborne)
Item
- Legacies Classification
- Memorial Type
- Memorial Context
- Memorialized Subject
- Title
- Background and Context
- Physical Description
- Memorial Inscription
- Creator/Participating Person(s)
- Date created, installed or dedicated
- Historical Period
- Funded by
- Campus Location
- Location: Institution, City, State
- Learn More About this Subject
-
Memorial Artwork
-
Sculptural Memorial
-
Unmarked memorial for Alex Helper (Osborne)
-
Alex Helper (Osborne) also known as Alick and Alec) died on July 2, 1912. The former enslaved and Jim Crow-era employee worked as a college janitor from 18552 until his retirement between 1903 and 1910. He was buried on July 4 at the Christian Aid Society Cemetery in Davidson, NC.
His last names—Osborne likely from his father and Helper from his enslaver—changed over time. During his marriage to Adeline White (Helper), he used Helper but later reverted to Osborne. This is reflected in his death certificate where William Osborne served as the informant. There is no visible headstone at his gravesite. It is unclear whether one was ever placed.
A probate case after his death may explain the absence of a marker. In September 1912, the children of Adeline Helper sued Mary Harris, his former housekeeper. They attempted to recover possession of property in Davidson purchased by their mother but deeded to Mary. They alleged Alex acquired their mother’s land through fraudulent means. The court ruled in Harris’s favor. Adeline’s children appealed the ruling but were denied. J.W. Mock, whose family had sold the land to Adeline, even testified on behalf of Osborne’s stepchildren. Using their mother’s maiden name, his stepchildren did not see him as legitimate; and therefore, did not place a headstone.
Despite this contested probate, students included an image of him in the “Local Color” collage photograph in the 1915 yearbook which suggests he left a positive impression on the students who encountered him during his final years of service at the college.
-
An unmarked mound covered with grass
-
N/A
-
William Osborne, death certificate informant
-
July 4, 1912
-
William Osborne
-
Christian Aid Society
-
Death Certificate of Alex Osborne, North Carolina, U.S. Death Certificates, 1909-1976, Ancestry.com
-
Probate of Adeline White Helper, North Carolina, U.S., Wills and Probates, 1665-1998, Ancestry.com
-
“Heirs Seek to Recover the Land,” The Evening Chronicle, Sep 20, 1912, 8.
-
“Seeking Title to Valuable Lands,” The Charlotte News, Sep 21, 1912, 10.
-
1915 Quips and Cranks
Position: 1409 (53 views)