Evelyn M. Osborn, 92, of Grinnell, IA, died on Wednesday, December 11, 2013, at her home.
A funeral service will be held 10:30 a.m., Monday, December 16, 2013, at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell with Rev. Fred Berry, chaplain of the Iowa Hospice, officiating. Interment will be at Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell.
Friends may call at the Smith Funeral Home beginning 12 noon on Sunday and the family will be present at the funeral home from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Memorials may be directed to PALS or to the Newburg-Chester Women's Fellowship and sent in care of the Smith Funeral Home, P.O. Box 368, Grinnell, IA.
Evelyn was born on September 16, 1921, near Ferguson, IA. As a young child, she was injured in an accident and was partially paralyzed. Her parents nurtured her and she gradually recovered from the injuries so that she could live a normal life. The family lived on various farms in Marshall and Poweshiek Counties and she attended rural schools.
On June 29, 1946, she was married to Arthur Dale Osborn at the Northside Friends Church in Grinnell. A union of nearly 67 years!
Evelyn and Arthur farmed in the Rock Creek Lake area, west of Grinnell, most of their lives. She assisted her husband with the farm operation and was a mother and homemaker. While living on the farm she gardened, baked breads and pies, and tended her flock of sheep. Besides caring for the farm animals, she also cared for a monkey, a cockatoo and some parrots.
Evelyn was a member of the Hickory Grove Church and the Neighborly Neighbor Club in the Newburg area.
She is survived by one son, Leon (Cristy Peak) Osborn of Buffalo, WY; one daughter, Ranae (Mike) Hamor of Gilman; five grandchildren, Travis and Cody Osborn, Shoneen Davis and Crystal and Lacey Poole; four great grandchildren, and one brother, Duane Claybrook of Omaha, TX.
Evelyn was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; one son, Garland D. Osborn; one brother, Wendell Claybrook; and one sister, Freda Ahrens.