Vivian L. Osborne

Vivian L. Osborne, 82, of Caseville, passed away Thursday, October 22, 2026, surrounded by family.

Vivian was born November 26, 1943, in Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton Ohio to the late LeRoy and Laura (Eggett) Jessen. She married William Osborne on March 2, 1963, in Ohio. She held many secretarial positions throughout her career but also enjoyed being an assistant librarian at an elementary school so she could be home with her children during the summers. She also enjoyed her retirement-age job of Treasurer at the Elkton United Methodist Church.

Vivan was very proud of being the middle child. She was feisty and got herself into some trouble with her dad because of it. Her mom and sisters nicknamed her “Brat”. She adored her sisters Madeline and SanDee, making sure that they did a “sister trip” annually as often as possible.

Vivian loved all her children, but she was an amazing boy-mom. She loved doing outdoors and sporty things and didn’t mind getting dirty and messy if it meant they were getting to have fun. She adored her grandchildren and poured her whole self into loving them and making them feel special. She tried so hard to always treat them equally and make sure gift-giving and time together was “even.” She didn’t want it to look like she had a favorite because they were ALL her favorites. She always included them in whatever she was doing. We all especially loved it when she would make meringue cookies. We knew how much time and effort went into them, which just made us feel all the love. And we loved her back by polishing them off as fast as possible. Most of us have made them ourselves now and will always think of her when we have them. She loved planning ahead to make sure everyone got at least a birthday card for their birthday, and she tried to call each one on their birthday to sing happy birthday to them.

The one thing that was THE MOST important to her in regard to her grandchildren: She wanted them to know the Lord, to know and feel His love, and to ask Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. She witnessed to them by modeling and being an example of the Proverbs 31 woman (Proverbs 31:10-31). Her biggest priority each year was to make sure they all got to experience and know the Lord by taking them to Bay Shore Camp’s family camp each year. She worked so hard to make the week special. You could see it in the fact they bought a camper with bunk beds so they could take the most kids possible each year, in the planning and preparation of food and snacks, and often embellishing flip-flops as fun gifts to create further bonding between her and her grandkids. But an exceptionally meaningful thing she did each night was she would get a small hospital wash basin, put hot soapy water in it, then kneel at each of the kids’ feet and wash their filthy feet before bed.

Vivian loved volunteering at Bay Shore Camp, helping check in the child campers, but also being the greeter and assisting with organizing and parking the camper trailers for both Family Camp and the Lloyd Severance Gospel Music Festival for many years.

Vivian had a servant’s heart. She loved doing things for everyone, and she was fantastic at anticipating needs, and would do anything and everything for others, even at the expense of herself. She enjoyed sewing and quilting immensely and spent many hours making various things including bags and quilts. She taught sewing to any of the grandkids who wanted to learn. She also made a bunch of quilts, and then as each grandchild graduated from high school, she had them pick out a quilt as a graduation gift. Again, because she wanted them to feel special and have something to remember her by.

Vivan was also a peacemaker. There is a saying that ultimately people become the person that would have saved us that time when nobody did save us. Vivian endured a lot of hardship growing up, but through those challenges, became the super kind and thoughtful servant, yet feisty fighter of a woman she was. She spent her entire adult life making sure this generation and everyone following would be able to experience the peace she never got to in her childhood.

Vivian was a genuinely hilarious person. She always had the best one-liner responses. There were SO many people who knew her as “the funny lady.” And the best part was that she never ever was funny at the expense of anyone else.

Vivian’s legacy of love, laughter, fun and kindness will live on through her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Vivian is survived by her children, William Tod (Karen Parrett, fiancé) of North Branch, Gene (Lorie) of Kalamazoo, and Ruth of Caseville; grandchildren, Stephanie (Chris) Sagy, Laura (Alex) Keeter, Matthew (Abby), Celestine Gettys, Maximillian, Timothy, and Emerson Marshall; great-grandchildren, Dylan Sagy, Reagan Benoit and Mason Sagy; sisters Madeline (Ron) Kuhlman and SanDee Jessen.

A memorial service will be held at St. Paul Methodist Church in Elkton on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor Bill Eberly officiating. Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at the church. Inurnment will be in Grand Lawn Cemetery.