Obituary: Eva L. Osborne
Eva L. Osborne, 99, died at Schowalter Villa, Hesston, on
December 20, 2012.She was born Eva Troyer on Nov. 18, 1913, in Miami County,
Indiana, the daughter of Emanuel and Maizie Troyer. She was the middle child of
seven children, all of whom helped with the farm responsibilities. She married
Chester Osborne on December 24, 1933.She attended high school at Howard Township
School and graduated in 1931, valedictorian of her class. She studied at Ball
State Teachers College in Muncie, Indiana, earning a teaching certificate. She
and Chester moved to Germfask, Michigan, in 1936, where Chester pastored a
small Mennonite congregation and Eva initially worked part-time as a substitute
teacher. They lived in Michigan for 10 years during which time five children
were born. In 1946 the family moved with five children to Indiana where Chester
pastored a Mennonite church in Kouts until 1952, when the family moved to
Hesston. Eva completed her undergraduate education degree with honors at Bethel
College in Newton in 1957 and also took several graduate level teacher
education courses at Emporia State Teachers College. She began a long teaching
career in Hesston’s elementary school, beginning in the newly-established
kindergarten class and then moving to second grade where she taught for 20
years. She was a member of Hesston Mennonite Church since moving to Hesston. Because
the youngest child of the family, Grace, was born developmentally disabled, Eva
and Chester, along with a small group of other parents of developmentally
disabled children, founded a training school in Newton, known as the
Opportunity School and then later as Northview Developmental Services. Chester
and Eva served many years as strong, active advocates of education and training
for the developmentally disabled. She is survived by three daughters, Zonda
(Lloyd) Befort of Mazeppa, MN, Rachel (Ron) Koppenhaver of El Dorado, KS, and
Grace of Newton; daughter-in-law, Lila (Conrad) Osborne of Wichita; and three
sons, Phil (Sue Lafferty) of Evanston, IL, Dave (Sena) of Hesston, and Stan
(Beth) of Wichita. Her family includes 18 grandchildren and 26
great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, five siblings,
her husband, Chester, son, Conrad, son-in-law, Ron Koppenhaver, and grandsons,
Tony and Lance. Eva’s family will greet friends from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m on
Friday, December 21, at Schowalter Villa’s chapel in Hesston. The private
committal service will be at 9:30 a.m. at Eastlawn Cemetery on Saturday,
December 22, followed by a memorial service at 11:00 a.m. at Hesston Mennonite
Church. Memorial donations are suggested to Northview Developmental Services
Inc. in care of the funeral home, Miller-Ott Funeral Home, 107 S. Lancaster,
Hesston KS 67062.
