Oral tradition has it that Thomas Oswalt was born in the Black Forest area of Germany and immigrated to the States as a very young child. However the 1930 Census for Webster County it shows that he stated that both his mother and father were born in Mississippi.

Madora Emeline was a midwife and because of this, their home had the distinction of being the first family in the area to have a telephone so she could be easily reached when needed. The telephone was also the cause of an unfortunate accident, when Mr. Thomas Oswalt's wagon ran into the line leaving him paralyzed.