Thelma Osborne

Osborne, Thelma
(Shipp)

Of Cambridge, entered into peaceful rest on December 21, 2020 at the age of 100. Born July 8, 1920 to Nellie and John Shipp, she managed to live out her years well beyond the lives of her six siblings.

She attended Kentucky State College where she met and married her beloved husband of 64 years, Edward Kenneth. Together they raised two daughters, Regina Osborne of Cambridge and Susan L. Hickson of Nashville, Tennessee.

She was affectionally called: Thel, Tellie, Mom, Aunt Thel, Grandma and GG. She has two great grandchildren, Idrees and IlIyas of Nashville and Gina Hickson and her brother Kenney are her grandchildren. She is also the much loved auntie to many nieces and nephews scattered around the country.

She obtained a degree in Home Economics from Iowa State College in 1943. Using her learned skills from the program, she opened her own clothing and alterations business in Evanston, Illinois. She employed three seamstress under the banner name of Elite Clothing and Alterations where they artfully made and tailored men's wear to wedding attire.

In 1960 she took a position as bank teller in Evanston, Ill. That position was suspended when the bank was asked, why it hired a "Negro"....asked if she was , she answered, "Yes". The NAACP took discriminatory action against the bank in which an apology, with 3 months salary, was granted to her along with the bank's acknowledgement of its offense in the community newspaper. The family later moved to Glencoe, Ill before moving to Cambridge. While in Glencoe, she volunteered at the Hadassah House for five years. An avid reader, she was a member of the library book club and took joy in modeling clothes for the club's yearly fundraising events. For eight years she was the pillar of support and energy while working for the school department as one of their administrative assistants. She had two favorite pastime activities, tennis and bridge both of which gave her great enjoyment.

Although Thelma, the matriarch of our family has departed to join her heavenly family, she will always remain in our loving hearts.

A small memorial service will be held at Cadbury Commons Assisted Living facility where she lived for nine years and where she spent her last days.

Services will be held at Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie, Ill. It is there where her ashes will be placed next to her devoted husband, Edward sometime in early spring.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Thelma Osborne, please visit our floral store.