Lois Divine Osen

Lois Divine Osen passed away peacefully on the evening of February 20 at the age of 100 after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease and with family near her throughout the day. Born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania, she was the younger of the two children of Edna Miller and Fowler Edwin Divine. She recounted favorite moments growing up including ballet lessons and sailing and boating on Lake Erie. In 1943, she left home to attend the University of Michigan for a program in architecture, but after a year with too few students in the class due to the war, she returned to Erie and began working as a draftsperson. Following the war, she met Lloyd Osen, a General Electric Engineer, at a church social. They were married in 1948. which began their partnership of 67 years until Lloyd’s death in 2015. The family grew with three sons and a daughter in the 1950s to 1960s when they moved into the house they built in Harbor Creek, PA, just outside of Erie. In addition to raising the children, Lois was known for her cooking and gardening skills, and as an exacting sewing instructor for her daughter while in 4-H . She worked outside of the home as a draftsperson for both a civil engineering firm as well as for GE’s locomotive division, and as a florist. Her hobbies displayed her talents for fiber arts, especially knitting, weaving, rug hooking, and quilting. Lois enjoyed traveling with Lloyd, first with a carload of children visiting campgrounds, parks, and sights across the US and later on organized group trips. They visited family across the US from Washington D.C. to Alaska, Hawaii, and in between. Lois and Lloyd moved west to Corvallis, Oregon, in 1993 where they both became involved in community activities including volunteering at the Corvallis-Benton County Library. Lois joined the Marys River Quilt Guild and participated in the Linn and Benton Counties’ Better Bones and Balance program and research. Lloyd passed away in 2015, and Lois eventually moved into Mennonite Village in 2023. Lois is survived by Russell Osen of North East, Pennsylvania, Bruce Osen (Jane Averill) of Corvallis, James Osen (Ann Aldrich) of Hagerstown, Maryland and Wendy Osen (Mike Anderson) of Kailua Kona, Hawaii, four grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Donations in her memory could be made to the Marys River Quilt Guild, Mennonite Village Foundation, or Samaritan Evergreen Hospice.

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Lois Divine Osen

April 13, 1925 - February 20, 2026