Betty Jo Osborn

Betty Jo Osborn, 73, of Stillwater, passed from this life on Sunday, February 19, 2012 surrounded by her family. Services have been entrusted to the care of the Palmer Marler Funeral Home and will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday, February 25, 2012 at the Palmer Marler Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens. Public visitation will be held on Thursday from 12-5pm and on Friday from 8am-8pm. Friends and family are invited to attend lunch at the Stillwater Moose Lodge from 11:30-1:30 on Saturday, February 25, 2012.
Betty Jo (Jones) Osborn was born on Feb 26, 1938 daughter of J.C. Rush and Helen Jones Rush in Wagoner, OK. She grew up and attended schools in the Wagoner area. After graduating high school, Betty relocated to Los Angeles, CA and worked as a waitress. While in L.A., she met and married Arthur Forsyth. In February of 1959, after two short years of marriage, Arthur was killed in a tragic car accident. Betty returned to Oklahoma in 1961 to be closer to her family. On Sept 6, 1962, she married her best friend, James Osborn. Their marriage would last for more than 42 years, only ending upon James death in 2004.
After moving back to OK, Betty held several accounting positions with various businesses around Stillwater. In 1976, she accepted a position as a Quality Control Specialist with Mercury Marine. Betty spent more than 25 years with Mercury Marine, retiring in 2001. Following her retirement, she went to work at the bakery in the local Wal-mart, a job she truly loved.
Betty was a member of the Stillwater Moose Lodge and spent many years on the Moose Lodge Ritual Team. She was also honored as the Volunteer of the Year by the Oklahoma Moose Association. Betty volunteered at the Karman Korner Resale Shop and Salvation Army Christmas Store, as a Cub Scout den mother, and was the corporate volunteer coordinator liaison for Mercury Marine, working with the March of Dimes, Relay for Life and her true passion, The Special Olympics.
Betty Osborn loved her life. She loved to travel and most recently toured Eastern Europe with her two sisters. She can best be described as a generous woman who was fiercly loyal and extremely witty. She enjoyed making others happy and was sure to make you smile. She loved going to the casino, playing bingo, baking, spending time with her grandchildren and preparing family dinners. Betty will be missed by her friends and family, but her legacy of kindness and generosity will live on through the lives of those she has touched.
The family wishes to express sincere gratitude to Bettys good friend Shirley McChesney and daughter-in-law Tammy Hahn for their many acts of kindness and caring assistance during Bettys illness
Betty was preceded in death by her first husband Arthur Forsyth, husband of 43 years, James Osborn, Parents: J.C. and Helen Rush. Two brothers: Jack Rush and Robert Neal.
She is survived by four children: Arthur Buddy Forsyth of Stillwater, Ruth Anne Kennedy and husband Tim, of Durham, NC. Randall L. Osborn and wife Christina, of El Paso, TX, and Michelle Norman husband Ken, of Yukon, OK. 5 siblings: Alice Williams of Morgan Town, WV, Barbara Murphy of Arkadelphia, AR, Larry Wayne Rush, Patty Gail Berg, and Bobbie Lee Rush all of Stillwater. 8 grandchildren: Jason Shiplett (Erica), Buddy Forsyth (Sam), A.J. Kennedy (Amy), Jamie Dwinnells (Tommy), Randa Osborn (Eric), J.C. Osborn, Tony Forsyth (Kristyn), and Jennifer Watkins (Matt) and two daughters-in-law, Tammy Hahn and Robin Osborn.
In Lieu of flowers, the family askes that donations be made to the American Cancer Society or to Judith Karman Hospice. Condolences can be sent to the family via an online guestbook at www.pmcfh.com or on facebook at www.facebook.com/pmcfh