Maurine Owsley

Our dear mother and grandmother, Maurine Spencer Owsley, passed away Saturday, February 7, 2009 in Sonshine Manor, Republic, Missouri after a long illness. She was 80 years old.

Maurine was born in Mt. View, Oklahoma to parents Eula Dean and John W. Spencer. She attended Central Oklahoma State Laboratory School and University. She graduated with a degree in Art Education and Home Economics. Afterwards she moved to North Kansas City, Missouri to teach. There she met her husband, the late Charles R. Owsley. They lived and raised a family in the Kansas City-North area for 50 years then moved to Republic, Missouri in 2003 to be near family.

Maurine valued education and civic service. She spent her life learning and volunteering. Some of the organizations benefitting from her leadership and talents were: the First United Methodist Church NKC, AAUW, Northland Symphony Guild, PEO, Girl Scouts as a counselor, and Den Mother for Cub Scouts.

Maurine will be remembered by family and friends as a caring friend with a big smile, a gracious hostess, and a gifted artist. She opened her home to many organizations for meetings and events, family gatherings, and visitors, treating everyone to her elegant hospitality. She was known for using her art to add beauty everywhere whether in her garden, home, paintings, banners at church, or just table decorations for a banquet. Everything she did had the special touch of "Maurine."

She is survived by her children Robert and Barbara Owsley of Tianjin, China; Cyndy and Jack Muench of Republic, Missouri; Steve and Glenda Owsley of Colorado Springs, Colorado; her grandchildren Luke, Elizabeth, and Caleb Owsley; Bryan, Robert and Leslie Muench; two cousins, John Spencer and his wife Susan of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and Bill Curry and his wife Shirley of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Her children would like to thank her extended family and friends for their love, faithful support and prayers. A special thanks goes to her lifelong friends from First UMC, Don and Martha Kuenzi, Paul and Eleanor Calvert, her neighborhood sewing group, and golfing buddies who were our eyes and hands that cared for her before she moved from KC; James and Mary Taylor, and Rev. Dennis Bowling who loved her here in Republic; and the nurses and staff from Sonshine Manor and Community Hospice (especially Pam, Sheryl, Amanda, and Cindy) whose tender care made all the difference these past three years. "Thank you."

A family graveside service will be later in the year in Edmond, Oklahoma. The family requests memorial donations to be made in her memory to Community Hospice of America, 1465 E. Primrose, Springfield, MO 65804 or the Huntington's Disease Society of America St. Louis Chapter 3286 Ivanhoe Ave. St. Louis, MO 63139. Online condolences can be shared at www.hhlohmeyer.com