The Jake Mosby Story

The Jake Mosby Story centers around the life of 90-year-old Korean War hero Jake Mosby, his "Bride" of 65 years Frances, and their children and grandchildren. Jake Mosby's amazing life experiences began early—he became the patriarch of his family at the age of 11 years old; taking over his ailing father's role as provider and caretaker for his mother and sibling and hiring out to a large rice farmer in the community. His story, Jake says, would not be worth writing if he had not met and married the woman he calls his soul mate. Frances and Jake met doing what has meant so much to them both throughout their lives --praising God through song. For many years, each of them belonged to family singing groups. Beyond his close family relationship, Jake served his country with distinction during the Korean war, including one memorable special project under General Omar Bradly – one of America's first black generals – who served in both WWII, and the Korean War and oversaw the transformation of the 82nd Infantry Division into the first American airborne division. Mr. Mosby, who never went beyond third grade in his segregated Prairie County school, is a riveting storyteller with an innate wisdom about life and history. His story is American history, Arkansas history and African American history. Jake Mosby today cares for and continues to dote of his "bride of 65 years," who now suffers Alzheimer. He continues to be grateful for their blessings, for his community, his church, and his family of seven children and grandchildren. He is proud that his children today represent moral values, faith, family, and self-responsibility.

Ninety-year-old Jake Mosby is the grandson of slaves, a lifelong native of Prairie County, Arkansas, and one of the only African Americans selected as Arkansas' Farmer of the Year. Jake has lived in the east Arkansas delta region all his life and has endless stories about growing up in this fertile area of the state where rice, not cotton, was king. Sharing his story with others has been Jake Mosby's lifelong dream. But, it wasn't until the 86-year old, on his way to a relative's funeral, met an amazing woman by the name of Mary Ann Campbell, who listened to his story, then urged him to contact her friend Janis F. Kearney, and follow his dream. It was just the push Jake Mosby needed. As narrator of the Jake Mosby Story, the energetic former rice farmer paints a riveting story of a childhood in which he is thrust into becoming the breadwinner of his household at the age of 11, of his family's struggles to survive and his eventual meeting and falling in love with the beautiful girl with the beautiful voice, Frances, who would change his life forever. The Jake Mosby Story: A Man for All Seasons, as told to Presidential biographer Janis F. Kearney was published in 2017. This new memoir chronicles the life and memories of Jake Mosby, a Korean War veteran whose experiences spans eight decades – from the racially charged Jim Crow 1920's, to the unlikely election of America's first Black president. Mosby tells of his and Frances' decision, early in their marriage, to adopt his younger siblings who were orphaned when both parents died one year apart. "I suddenly felt the responsibility to work extremely hard and take care of my family…there were so many feet under my dinner table." These included his and Frances' own children. Jake Mosby remembers with great reverence, his time as a soldier, and his deportment to Korea marked by getting lost in the faraway land, the only thing saving him, he recalls, was his bag full of "O Henry" chocolate bars and his good memory – he could sing a Korean song he'd learned in basic training. Jake Mosby is a master storyteller whose amazing journey is worthy of telling and worthy of sharing with readers of all ages.

Jake Mosby is a former rice farmer who grew up and raised his family in Prairie County, Arkansas. After his father's early death, Jake was hired out to local rice farmers at the age of nine, and worked to save his mother and siblings. Jake and his brothers formed a gospel quintet, which was the impetus to his meeting the love of his wife, the love of his life. He is a Korean War Veteran who received a Purple Heart for outstanding service in Korea.