Irene Judge Wiley
and her obituary scrapbook
Page 34

Radio Singer Osborne Kills Himself

Country music singer Jimmie Osborne died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound here last night. Chief Deputy Coroner William C. Kammerer said the 34-year-old Osborne took his own life by holding a .32-caliber revolver to his right temple and firing a bullet into his brain. Kammerer said the suicide followed an argument with Mrs. Osborne in the couple's trailer home in Bluegrass Mobile Home Park, 3510 Newburg Road.

The body was found on the floor of the bathroom by Mrs. Osborne and a family friend, Robert Ryan of 2530 Kings Highway, Kammerer said. Ryan had been invited to the trailer by the Osbornes and the three had been talking only a short time before Osborne shot himself.

Osborne, a native of Winchester, Ky., sang country music over radio stations in Lexington, Shreveport, Nashville and Louisville during a career that started when he was 15 years old. He was reported to be the highest-paid performer in the radio and television field in Louisville.

For the past year Osborne had been singing over radio station WGRC. For five years before that he strummed his guitar and sang over station WKLO and he was due to return to that station in 10 days. William Spencer, general manager of WKLO, said today that Osborne had agreed to come back starting January 6.

As a recording artist, Osborne was best known for two hits--"My Heart Echoes", his first record and one that hit the best seller list in the country music field in 1947, and a few years later, "The Death of Kathy Fiscus", which sold 1,000,000 copies.

Osborne wrote the song while working on radio station WLEX in Lexington. He gave half the royalties to a memorial fund for the little California girl who fell in a well and died.

Like many other performers in the country and folk music business, Osborne played many benefits--for fellow performers down on their luck and for such causes as the March of Dimes.

Those who worked with him said Osborne's success was based on his "infectious personality" rather than on his singing voice, which was not a notable one.

His home town of Winchester never forgot him and once gave him a home-coming day. The key to the city was handed to Osborne by the Mayor, Dr. John A. Snowden, who was the physician who brought Osborne into this world.

He is still remembered in Winchester as the youngster who began "picking and singin" with a guitar that cost $4 and a "get-up" that featured the oldest overalls he could find and a floppy black hat.

Funeral arrangements for the country music singer are incomplete. The body is at the Owen Funeral Home, 2611 Virginia.


Stanley Wade Dies In Louisville

Stanley Wade, 47, Devil's Hollow pike resident, died at 5:30 yesterday afternoon in Norton Memorial Infirmary, Louisville. A native of Franklin county, he had been ill for several months. For the last eight weeks he had been a patient at the hospital in Louisville, where he underwent two operations. A farmer all of his life, he was a member of the First Baptist Church here.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Helen Collins Wade, and two brothers, Preston Wade, Frankfort, and Waller Wade, St. Paul, Minn.

A well-known farm leader of the Choateville community, Mr. Wade was a director of the Franklin County Farm Bureau, and chairman of the Bridgeport PMA. He was a past master of Hiram Lodge and a member of the Baptist Church.

Funeral services will be conducted at two p.m. Tuesday at Rogers. The Masonic Lodge will conduct services at the grave.

 Frankfort Cemetery, Frankfort, Ky
Stanley Wade, 29 Sep 1905-13 Jun 1953


Mrs. Pearl Wright Gray

Mrs. Pearl Wright Gray, 73, of 413 West Broadway, died at Green's Rest Home here at 4:20 p.m. Friday after a long illness. She was a native of Henry County and a former employee of national Distillery. She was a member of the First Christian Church.

Survivors include three daughters, Mrs. Margaret Bowman and Mrs. Lottie Beasley, Franklin County, and Mrs. Jean Bowles, Covington; two sons, Robert and Charles Wright, Franklin County; a brother William Parker, Franklin County; 20 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and two nieces.

Services will be conducted at Harrod Brothers Funeral Home at 2 p.m. Monday by the Rev. John Chenault and the Rev. J. W. Blaes. Burial will be in the Frankfort Cemetery.

 Frankfort Cemetery, Frankfort, Ky
Benjamin O. Wright, 1885-1946
Pearl Wright Gray, 1890-1964

 Sunset Memorial Gardens, Woodford County, Ky
Robert O. Wright, 1909-1984 [Son]
Stella Mae Wright, 1910-

David O. Wright, 1938-1986 [Grandson]
Mary A. Wright, 1940-1985

 Note: Benjamin O. is the son of John and Liza Bates Wright.


Mrs. Virginia Terrell

Mrs. Virginia "Dolly" Terrell, 35, 431 Holmes Street, died at the Kings Daughter's Hospital Wednesday at 2:50 p.m. following a long illness. A native of Franklin County born May 20, 1926, daughter of Mrs. Radie Quire and the late James Thurman. She had resided in Franklin County all of her life. Her latest employment was with the Union Underwear Co. Mrs. Terrell was a member of the Crestwood Church.

Survivors, beside her mother, are, three daughters, Wanda Louise, and Ruth Ann Clark, Patricia Reed Terrell all of Frankfort, three brothers; Artis, and Kermit Thurman of Frankfort; Elmer Thurman of Little Rock, Arkansas; five sisters, Mrs. John Woolums, Mrs. John Buffin and Mrs. William Sewell all of Franklin County; Mr. J. C. Wilhoite of Woodford County, Mrs. Sherman Van of Seattle, Washington,; several nieces and nephews.

Burial will follow in the family lot in the Sunset Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers will be: James, Lester and John Woolums Jr., J. C. and Benny Wayne Thurman, Bobby Buffin. The Harrod Bros. Funeral Home will be in charge.

 Note: Mrs. Terrell died November 8, 1961.


Harry Mastin

Harry Mastin, 76, of 331 Jefferson Street, died at 11:15 p.m. Tuesday at Good Samaritan Hospital after a long illness. He was a retired employee of the City of Lexington and was a member of Northern Parkway Baptist Church. He was born in Woodford County and was a son of the later A. P. and Millie Mastin.

Survivors are one stepson, D. B. Logan, Lexington; one brother, Joe S. Mastin, Versailles, and several nieces and nephews.

Services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday at Kerr Brothers Funeral Home by the Rev. John Wallace. Burial will be in the Hillcrest Memorial Park.

Bearers will be James Mastin, D. B. Logan, Raymond Kayse, Thelbert Myers, Woodrow Kayse and Marion Mastin.


Mrs. James C. Redmon

Mrs. Elizabeth Redmon, 42, wife of James C. Redmon, 312 Westland Drive, died at 11:15 a.m. Saturday at her home. A distillery employee, she was a native of Woodford County and a member of the Versailles Baptist Church.

Other survivors are four daughters, Mrs. Christine Layer, Woodford County; Mrs. Wanda Jean Lippert, Pewee Valley; Mrs. Marilyn Monroe and Miss Glenda J. Redmon; two sons, Jimmy and Milton Redmon, at home, three sisters, Mrs. Mary B. Reed, Lexington; Mrs. Dorothy Dean and Mrs. Minnie Grimes, Versailles, and two brothers, Boyd Grimes, Lexington, and Virgil Grimes, Versailles.

Services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Monday at Harrod Brothers Funeral Home. Burial will be in the Sunset Memorial Gardens, Woodford County.


Claude Colston

Claude Colston, 49, a native of this county, died Feb. 28 at the Community Hospital in Long Beach, Calif., after a long illness. The son of Mrs. Rose Colston and the late Hugh Colston, he had made his home in the west for a number of years.

The body is at the Hunton Mortuary, Long Beach, Calif., where funeral services will be conducted Saturday.

Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Mildred Lusby Colston; his mother, Mrs. Rose Colston; six sisters, Mrs. Mary Kennedy, Mrs. Kathileen Risk, Mrs. Elsie Hartung, and Mrs. Hazel Carter, all of Louisville, and Mrs. Alice Hockensmith, Frankfort; and Mrs. Rachel Snyder, San Luis Obispo, Calif., and a number of nieces and nephews.

 Frankfort Cemetery, Frankfort, Ky
Hugh Colston, 24 Dec 1869-09 Aug 1954 [Father]
Rose Crawley Colston, 24 May 1875-15 Feb 1963 [Mother]


Mrs. Charles Redding

Mrs. Thelma Redmon Redding, 66, died at 12:40 p.m. Wednesday at her home on the Bridgeport-Benson Road after a long Illness. She was a native of Franklin County and a member of the North Benson Baptist Church.

Survivors are her husband, Charles Redding; a daughter, Mrs. Tom Powers, Franklin County; a son, Charles Edward Redding; Franklin County; a sister, Mrs. Christine Singleton, Jefferson County; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Services will be conducted at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Harrod Brothers Funeral Home by the Rev. Homer Brewer. Burial will be in the Redding Cemetery.

 Redding Cemetery, Franklin County, Ky
Charlie Redding, 25 Jul 1893-22 Apr 1971
Thelma Redmon Redding, 01 Sep 1897-01 Apr 1964





Beulah Franks
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