A former teacher turned spiritual advisor, Bishop Osie England, or “Miss Osie” was born April 7, 1877, to Adolphus W. England and Nancy A. Riley in a log cabin in the hills of Ross County, Ohio. As one of the middle children amongst four siblings, she experienced some heath issues, such as meningitis and rheumatism, but was blessed with familial support. When she was detained from her studies, her older sister Nettie brought home assignments, and Miss Osie would return to class without loss and remained interested in learning. Amidst schoolwork, she and her siblings picked strawberries for a neighbor for a cent and a half a quart, each earning money for dress material and favored hats, which cost $1 a piece.
She remained a diligent student and was ready for high school at the age of 13. Her parents were unable to enroll her at the local school, so she recycled the 8th grade coursework a second time and gave much praise to her teacher, Miss Mary McGinty. Learning some high school subjects and gaining knowledge from mentoring educators, Miss Osie would take up the mantle for teaching local boys and girls who were slightly older than she was. In the following years, she attended summer courses at Ohio University and showed particular interest in helping rural children because she felt many teachers were drawn to city schools, using “the country school as a stepping stone” (Maddy, 10).
Miss Osie’s spiritual connection was fostered at a young age as her father was a great Bible student. The family would suffer some great trials, but Miss Osie remained steadfast in her goal of helping others. She soon founded the West Virginia Training School in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, in 1923, and later an orphanage with the mission to help the poor and underprivileged. In the 1930s, Miss Osie was called to the land of flowers and sunshine, to the town of Intercession City, FL, with a newly established Bible School (ICBS).
A Church was built, named Morrison Memorial Church, and Osie England became the first Pastor. Prayer cabins and centers went up throughout the city. There was a library, chapel, dormitory, and other structures such as a music conservatory built, including Miss Osie ’s home across the street from the Church, which still stands today. There are current plans to restore this historic property, as many of the other structures have been repurposed or torn down. Also known as Interocean City, there was once the Interocean City Hotel, circa 1920s, renamed England Hall.
Miss Osie England left Intercession City in 1947 and relocated about half of the Bible School students and some residents to Sanford on the Naval Air Station. Many historical discoveries had been collected and documented by late local historian Ted LaVigne. While current exploration and promising projects have been pioneered by Wesley and Arabella Weaver to preserve the history of Intercession City.
Sources:
Maddy, C. A. (1952). The Book of Osie: The Life of Bishop Osie England. Sanford Builder, Printers. Sanford, Florida.
Weaver, W. J. (2020). INTEROCEAN CITY The Dream City of Mr. J.W. White. Intercession City FL. https://www.intercessioncityliveagain.org/music.
