Elizabeth Head Osborn's Obituary
Elizabeth Head Osborn, 82, died October 22, 2011. Born in Trumann, AR, on January 25, 1929 to Claude William Head and Sabira Cassidy Head, she attended Mississippi State College for Women and continued her education at the University of Mississippi, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, with a minor in English. While attending the University of Mississippi, she was a member of Delta Gamma sorority, where she was House Chairman. Her love of teaching children, along with an interest in travel, culminated in her teaching school for a number of years in Hawaii and France. She subsequently moved to Memphis and developed the curriculum for fifth grade television science for the Memphis City Schools, where she was featured as the television science teacher on WKNO. She also taught at Rozelle Elementary School in Memphis. Following her retirement from teaching, she was active in a number of church, civic, and social organizations. She taught children’s Sunday School at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church for over 30 years, where she was also a circle leader. She served as Cub Scout den mother and Brownie leader for her son and daughter. She also served as Secretary of the Friends of the Pink Palace, Secretary of the Women’s Exchange, and Secretary of the Christian Brothers High School Mother’s Club. She was a member of the Shelby County Medical Auxiliary, Subsidium, and the Brooks Museum League. She was also a member of Christ United Methodist Church, where she was a member of the Women of the Word Bible Study. Her life was one filled with service to children through teaching, but she had numerous other interests including travel with her husband, Frank, reading mystery novels and following college basketball. She was a devoted mother and grandmother, who loved nothing more than spending time with her children and grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband of 48 years, Dr. Frank Jackson Osborn, and her sister, Joan Murchison Hawkins. She is survived by her two children, Dr. Laurie Osborn Moody (David) and Dr. Frank David Osborn (Stephanie), her five grandchildren, Jackson Pierce Moody, Elizabeth Osborn Moody, James Bailey Osborn, Joseph Cassidy Osborn, and Kendall Faith Jackson, and her brother, Dr. William Cassidy Head of McKinney, Texas. The family will receive friends on Monday, October 24 from 5-7 PM in the parlor at Christ United Methodist Church. A memorial service will be held in Wilson Chapel at Christ United Methodist Church on Tuesday, October 25 at 10 AM. Memorials may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church.
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