Looking back to the year of 1945, I find a lot of interesting things were happening in Independence, Kansas. We had been fortunate to have the Independence Army Air Base here since 1942. Our church was alive with activity, and during this period a new Sunday School class was formed. Originally called “The War Wives’ Class,” it was started by young wives whose husbands were in the military and away from home. Ruth Osborn was a member of that class and still today attends our church and is the lone surviving charter member of that class. Today, we call the class “The Future Planners.”
Ruth married RJ Osborn in 1943 while he was an Apprentice Seaman in the US Navy. Ending his Navy enlistment in 1946 as an Ensign, he came home to a position with Sinclair Oil Company, where he worked for 37 years as Divisional Manager.
In her early years, Ruth worked part time at our local JC Penney store and later worked part time at Yerkes and Michels Accounting Firm. They have two children, Ron and Marsha. Ron recently retired from a federal government position, and Marsha is a retired US Post Office employee and is currently a fulltime English teacher at Independence Community College. The Osborns have 3 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. This past November they celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary.
Ruth and RJ’s main hobby is traveling. I think I am safe to say that they have traveled the world over and have shared many of their travel experiences and RJ’s pictures with their friends and church members. Ruth loves to play bridge and is very good at it. She also says she has always loved “experimental cooking.” I am not sure what that is, but I did ask her how it went over with the family and she laughingly told me, “Well, they have survived it so far.”
RJ is a talented photographer and has always been there when we needed him to assist with pictorial yearbooks and other pictorial needs. His assistance with the church computers has been a blessing, as well as his teaching talents. Their loyalty to the First Christian Church has been a many-year commitment.
Submitted by Ernie Cain