Frederick Dewey Osborne Obituary (1936 - 2017)

"I am in love with this world... I have tilled its soil, I have gathered its harvest, I have waited upon its seasons, and always have I reaped what I have sown. I have climbed its mountains, roamed its forests, sailed its waters, crossed its deserts, felt the sting of its frosts, the oppression of its heats, the drench of its rains, the fury of its winds, and always have beauty and joy waited upon my goings and comings." John Burroughs The Summit of the Years Frederick "Fred" Dewey Osborne of Baker City died June 21, 2017, 11 months after losing his wife of 47 years - Waleska "Willie" Ruth Williams. Per Fred's wishes, there will be an internment only on July 2 at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Baker City where he will be laid to rest with his wife. Fred was born in Pueblo, Colorado on December 20, 1936 to Cecil Freeman Osborne and Buena Dewey Osborne. Cecil was a well-known figure in Pueblo as a reporter/editor for the Pueblo Chieftain and Star Journal. Fred's earliest memories were of World War II and of the blackouts, rationing sugar, gasoline, tires, and many other things. Helping with events such as scrap metal drives; and going weekly with his dad, Cecil, to buy War Bonds to help America win the war. It was drilled into Fred's head that America must win this war. Money was always scarce when he was growing up, but there was always money to buy what the family really needed and often what they wanted. Thrift was a way of life to the family, and every nickel mattered. In 1939, Fred's only sibling was born, Carolyn Jean Osborne. Fred had a happy childhood with his younger sister playing in their North Grand Avenue home. He went to Somerlid Grade School, Centennial High School, and was a member of the First Baptist Church of Pueblo. He went to Colorado State University and graduated with a degree in Range Management. Fred had a love of the outdoors and much of his life shows this. While still in high school, Fred and a buddy went on a several day horseback trip up in the Silverton Mountains in southwestern Colorado. They had quite an adventure and sure were hungry when they got back home. Fred had one of the few four-wheel drive vehicles of the time and as time passed one of his passions was exploring four-wheel drive roads. Family vacations were often fishing trips for mountain trout, although occasional trips to visit relatives in places like Tucson and Salt Lake City were also interspersed. Fred and his dad enjoyed hunting trips together. They hunted both big game like deer, elk, and antelope, and birds such as duck, geese, grouse, and pheasant. Thus Fred had a well-rounded childhood. He spent a summer in Alaska counting fish for the government and did a tour in the U.S. Army National Guard in San Francisco, then considered his future. In 1961 he ended up taking a job with the Bureau of Land Management in Oregon. Fred retired after more than 40 years of working for the BLM in Vale, Prineville and Baker City, Oregon. His sister married Fred's best friend, Ray Fosdick, who shared Fred's love of the outdoors and hunting and guns. A friend once observed that Fred and Ray could conduct a whole conversation without saying any nouns except numbers indicating guns, bullets, range statistics, and the like. The poem at the start of this obituary so memorializes Fred's life that it is included in this obituary. It says more about what Fred's life was than a thousand other words. Rest in peace, Fred. From your sister, Carol - I love you Fred is survived by his sister Carol and her husband Ray of Dove Creek, Colorado, their children and grandchildren. Fred and Willie are survived by their children Nathan Osborne of Baker City and wife Teri, daughter Shanna Golden of North Powder and husband Ted, and son William Osborne of Grants, NM. They are also survived by 6 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. Fred was preceded in death by his parents Cecil and Buena. Memorial contributions can be made to the National Rifle Association or the Elks Lodge #338 Baker City both of which he was a lifelong member through Gray's West & Company, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.