Robert 'Harris' Osborne

Robert “Harris” Osborne, 87, of Quincy, went home to be with his Lord Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 with his family by his side.

Harris was born June 6, 1922 on a farm near Gloyd, WA to Omer and Minnie Osborne. He was the youngest boy of seven siblings. Harris was educated in Moses Lake, formerly Neppel and after graduating from high school enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1942 as an aviation mechanic. During WWII he was stationed overseas in the South Pacific with his brother and best friend, Ted and was honorably discharged in 1946 as a staff sergeant. Harris loved serving his country and was a true patriot. After the war he returned home and married Gertie Besancon and had two daughters, and later a son. As a young man, Harris was an excellent athlete, excelling especially in basketball but loved football and baseball as well. He also became an accomplished bowler. Proudly receiving a collection of trophies, Harris remained a dedicated sports fan throughout his entire life. He was a farmer at heart and purchased land in Block 40 near Moses Lake where he was again privileged to farm along side his brother Ted. Bad weather and poor prices for crops forced him to give up farming and move back to town where he became the foreman for Columbia Bean. Nine years later he was offered a job working for Valley Fabricators owned by his eldest brother, Tom, in Preston, WA and Renton became his home. In 1977, tiring of the coastal rain and desiring to be closer to “home” he moved to Yakima where he and Gertie purchased and remodeled a home. Harris loved carpentry and also did several remodeling jobs on the side. He later retired from Tree Top where he enjoyed maintenance and custodial duties for the company. Gertie passed away in 1984, and Harris stayed in his home for another six years until he met and married Ferol Oliver in 1990. Together, they traveled, gardened, and fixed up their home, enjoying a number of wood working projects including construction of an exact replica of their home around their mailbox. When Ferol died in 2002, Harris continued to take care of their home and garden, sharing tomatoes and red potatoes with his neighbors and friends. As his health declined he moved to Quincy in January of this year to live with his daughter, Dyanne and her family where he joyfully continued his gardening, attending his great grandkids’ sporting events with the family, and living life to the fullest. He was a gentle, loving father, grandfather, and a “Grandpa Great.” He will be greatly missed.

Harris is survived by his daughters, Sharon (Kent) Draney of Yakima, Dyanne (Arlen) Solders of Quincy, and his son Rodney (Julie) Osborne of Tacoma, eight grandchildren, nine great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers, Tom, Ed, and Ted, sisters Bertha, Ethel, Tess, Esther, and his beloved wives, Gertie and Ferol.

Inurnment service will be held at Pioneer Memorial Gardens, 14403 Road 2 NE, Moses Lake at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, October 24th. A memorial service celebrating his life will follow at Quincy Free Methodist Church, 301 I Street SW, Quincy at 1:00 P.M. Memorial contributions can be made to Quincy Valley Medical Center in Harris’ name.

You may sign the guest book or leave a note for the family at www.scharbachs.com.

Scharbach’s Columbia Funeral Chapel in Quincy has been asked by the family to handle arrangements.