In the book's own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1852, Ray county
From History of Ray County, Mo. (1881)
OSCAR MASON.
Oscar Mason was born in Ray county, Missouri, October 13, 1852. He is the son of John and Mary H. Mason. His father was born in Kentucky, and his mother in Mississippi. His opportunities for education were very limited, on account of the war, but he made the best use he could of such time as he spent at school, and has a fair common school education. He began farming for himself at the age of seventeen years and continued in that business in this county for about three years, and then went to Texas, where he engaged in harding cattle for two years and then returned to this county. He then engaged as clerk for one year in the dry goods store of Dorton & Pigg, since which time he has been engaged at Orrick, in business for himself.
As printed in History of Ray County, Mo. (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1881. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.