Obituary of Dorothy Osborne

Dorothy Osborne Dorothy Marie Taylor was born July 28, 1932 in Laverne, Oklahoma, the first child of Alice and Bert Taylor. Dorothy attended grade school in Thomas, Oklahoma and when she was in 8th grade, the Taylor family moved to Hugoton, Kansas. Dorothy attended a country school and graduated from 8Th grade as Salutatorian. She attended Hugoton High School for two years before completing her junior year at Moscow, Kansas. During this interesting time for her, Dorothy, her cousin Ila Harper and a friend, Barbara Campbell, sang together on a local radio program. She had a very happy childhood living close to her grandparents and having playmates in her cousins. In 1949, the Taylor family moved to Karval, Colorado. There was no high school in Karval at that time, so Dorothy moved to Hugo to finish her senior year. She roomed with the Daugherty family the first half of the year and she stayed at the Greymont Hotel the last half. She worked at the hotel after school until 11 p.m. as a waitress. Her first job after graduating in 1950 was for Kay and Thelma Webb’s Red and White Store in Karval, being general clerk, running the switchboard and pumping gas. Dorothy moved back to Hugo in 1952 and worked for W. A. “Doc” Daniel at Daniel’s Drugstore. It was open seven days a week until 11 p.m. and featured an ice cream fountain, cosmetics, candy, vet supplies and liquor in addition to prescription drugs. When Frank Palmer bought the store, Dorothy remained for about a month before working at the Production Marketing Administration Office, which was located in the basement of the courthouse. Creighton Osborne arrived in Hugo in 1951 to teach music. His friend Stan Ulrich prompted Creighton to ask Dorothy out. If Creighton wouldn’t, Stan said he was planning to. Creighton and Dorothy were married June 19, 1953. Dorothy continued to work at PMA until 1955. Brenda Sue was born in 1955, with Dee Ann following in 1957, and with William Chris following in 1959. Creighton built the Dairy Delite, a seasonal ice cream business, in 1957. When Chris started Kindergarten, Dorothy worked as a nurse’s aid at Lincoln Community Hospital and Nursing Home. She continued to run the Dairy Delite during the summers and to work as a nurse’s aid during the winter months for 10 years. The Dairy Delite was hard work, but a wonderful experience for the Osborne family. Dorothy had all three of her children working for her. It was an education for which Brenda, Dee Ann and Chris will be forever grateful. It truly was a family business, as Dorothy’s parents and brother, Roy, helped keep the business going. The Dairy Delite was open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. from April to Labor Day. During the county fair and at harvest time, the hours were extended until midnight. When the railroad was active, railroaders would call in their orders from Limon and hop off the train at Hugo to get their meals. One time, when the circus was in town, the circus people called in an order for 100 burgers and fries. Chris remembers that just he and his mom were working that Sunday, and they had to close the Dairy Delite to fill the order. Dorothy loved the Dairy Delite. It was a fun, family time for her. In July 1973, Creighton retired from teaching and he and Dorothy sold the Dairy Delite to Don and Susie Weaver of Limon. Creighton and Dorothy then purchased Palmer’s Grocery from Chet and Peggy Stroud. They operated Palmer’s Grocery until 1980 when it was moved to Main Street, renaming the business “Osborne’s Supermarket.” That was when the entire family got involved with the business. Sons-in-law Carl Dutro and Lloyd Grauberger helped Creighton remodel the buildings. At that time the Osborne children took over operation of the store so that Creighton and Dorothy could retire. That never really happened until much later for Creighton and never for Dorothy. She continued straightening and cleaning shelves for the most recent owners, Megan and Lucas Hohl, one to two days a week. Dorothy was always available to cover at the store, to babysit or to fix a meal for the rest of the family. Dorothy was very close to her siblings, Roy, Maxine and Loretta. When describing her siblings, she would talk about each of their strengths and the final most important thing would be about their good parenting skills. Brenda and Dee Ann relied on their mother to help raise their daughters. Dorothy thought the granddaughters were easy to take care of. They rarely fought and had great imaginations. They could always find things to do and various ways to play. Because Dorothy worked so much, it was important for her to have meals for the family in her absence. After Brenda, Dee Ann and Chris would come home after school, dinner would be on the stove or in the oven ready to be warmed up. She was a good mother and loving grandmother. Dorothy’s first impression of Creighton was that he was nice, very polite and handsome. Even after he showed his true colors, Dorothy still loved him. She supported him in his musical, creative and community pursuits. They were a team, especially in her later years when they depended on each other more often. Dorothy was a huge Denver Nuggets fan, and often felt the coaches could benefit from listening to her advice. She started watching college basketball when Ben Blevins worked at Duke University. Dorothy kept up with the Duke Blue Devil players who went on to professional ball, informing Dee Ann and Terry of everything she knew. Dorothy passed away peacefully in her own bed in the early morning hours of Saturday, January 18, 2014. She was preceded in death by her parents and by an infant sister, Mary Ilene, and by two brothers-in-law, Colin Normington and Fred Palmer. Surviving are her husband of more than 60 years, Creighton of Hugo; two sisters and a brother, Maxine Palmer of Sun Lakes, AZ, Loretta Normington of Fruit Heights, UT and Roy L. Taylor of Fort Dodge, KS; brother and sisters-in-law, Elroy (Maxine) Osborne and Velda Jones of Colorado Springs and Dorothy Mayer of Arizona; by her children, Brenda (Carl) Dutro, Dee Ann (Terry) Blevins, both of Hugo, and Chris Osborne of Longmont; her grandchildren, Megan (Lucas) Hohl of Hugo; Nicole (Aaron) Hood of Cincinnati, OH; Ginger Grauberger and Cortney (Max) Brummond, both of Omaha, NE; Cory Osborne of Loveland; Ryanne and Kelly Osborne, both of Arvada; her step- grandchildren, Karina Low of Parker, Lani Blevins of Hugo and Ben Blevins of Sunnyvale, CA; one great granddaughter, Gwendolyn Hohl of Hugo, one great grandson, Maximus Brummond of Omaha, NE; and two step-great grandchildren, Sidney Gotto of Aurora and Jordan Low of Parker; and by a host of nieces, nephews and friends.