Garner Osburn

Garner Ferris Osburn, (Ozzie) the loving husband of Helen Osburn for nearly 75 years and the father of three children, Larry, April and Becky, has gone to be with the Lord. With joy we will all be joining him again one day. Born September 23, 1926 in Clinton, Arkansas, Ozzie began his life of travel at a young age. Like so many people at that time, he migrated out to Washington state when he was young. He lived in the Moxee area and attended Moxee High school. Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor he enlisted in the Navy. He was trained to be a diesel engine mechanic and worked on transport ships that traveled up and down the east coast of the US. After his time in the Navy he moved to Bremerton. Helen and Ozzie, met at a grocery store in Bremerton 75 years ago. She had gone to get something for dinner and he was working as the produce man. They had a conversation and Ozzie asked her if she would like to go bowling that evening. When you find the person who completes the empty half of your heart, time is not a factor. A few weeks after meeting they were married in Yakima. Soon Ozzie was working in the grocery business in Yakima and Helen was answering phones at Montgomery Wards. Over the next couple of years Ozzie worked at different jobs in the valley. Among those jobs he worked in a radiator shop, installed insulation and of course worked in grocery stores. Produce and grocery stores would be his lifelong profession. Two years after getting married, they started their family. At the time they were living in Terrace Heights. Just like jobs they moved around a bit. Toppenish, Richland and Moses Lake, would all be places they lived, until they bought a home on Prasch Avenue in Yakima. That would be their home until they moved to an apple orchard in Selah. Ozzie was always a hard worker. Whether it was fixing car radiators, installing insulation, or trimming produce, he always gave it his all. Over the years while workings in grocery stores, he most often worked on the produce stand, sometimes managing the store. Eventually he left the retail end of the grocery business and went to work for Associated Grocers. In the late 60s he and Helen bought a store in Umatilla, Oregon. They sold that store to Bob Mead and then Ozzie went to work for Bob Mead in Selah. Later he was back at Associated Grocers from where he retired when Associated closed the Yakima warehouse. The move back to Yakima also provided Ozzie the opportunity to attend Tieton Drive Bible Chapel and through his attendance there he learned about the saving grace of Jesus and accepted Christ as his Savior. From this huge redirection in his life, Ozzie rearranged his priorities to these: Love God, love your spouse faithfully, be a great role model for your children. Even before his Christian transformation, he taught his children how to work hard and how to recognize great opportunities. He was never one to hesitate. After retirement Ozzie and Helen moved to Emmanuel Mission in Arizona on the Navajo Reservation. Ozzie did not do well with the dry climate of Arizona, so they headed back north and spent some time working at Cannon Beach Conference Center. The climate suited them so well, they purchased some property and set up a home just outside of Clatskanie, Oregon. They were very familiar with Clatskanie, Helen had grown up there after moving from Kansas. That would not be the last move they made. After a few years in Clatskanie, they moved back to Yakima. Speaking of moving, it is worth noting that over the years Helen and Ozzie visited 49 of the 50 states, the only one they missed was Alaska. Ozzie had a real fondness for baseball and even when Ozzie and Helen were a newly married couple they would walk from Terrace Heights to the Bear’s baseball field. There were several years that Ozzie coached a baseball team and had a winning streak of 72 games in a row. With a job change and different hours, he had to give up coaching but he never lost his love for the game. Ozzie stayed in good health and was able to drive well into his 90s. The day came, where he needed to stop driving. For a few years they lived at Living Care, then they moved to Ponderosa. Ozzie had an accident and broke his pelvis. He was placed in Crescent Convalescent for rehab, but his health was failing him and so he stayed in the care center. Helen moved to Crescent Place and so the two of them were able to see each other from time to time. Ozzie is survived by his wife Helen of near 75 years, one son, Larry Osburn (wife Bonnie) and two daughters April Thome (husband David) and Becky Meinzinger (husband John); five grandchildren Aleah Mickelson, Chris Osburn, Joel Thome, Stephen Meinzinger, Andrew Meinzinger and 17 great-grandchildren most of who are living in the Yakima Valley. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Garner Osburn, please visit our flower store.