Bill OsmanBill OsmanWilliam "Bill" A. Osman, 86, of Brazil, Ind., died at 1:28 a.m. July 30, 2006, at Clay County Health and Rehabilitation Center in Brazil.
He was born Oct. 5, 1919, in Picketsville, Champaign County, a son of Alva and Daisy Hanson Osman. He married Marion Olson on May 11, 1947. She died May 21, 2001. He later married Thelma Kysar Erickson on Jan. 21, 2003. She survives.
Also surviving are one daughter, Carol Ann (and Jerry) Parkins; one stepdaughter, Carolyn Gisler; one sister, Georgiana Johnson; three grandchildren; one great-grandchild; three step-grandchildren; and three step-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by one brother and one sister.
He served in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 11th Airborne in 1942 at Fort Knox, Ky. He later was stationed at Fort Benning, Ga., where he was trained to become a paratrooper. After training, he was stationed in New Guinea and then sent to Luzon in the Philippines. He was injured during World War II and received a Purple Heart, two bronze stars and six other military awards.
He was a 1937 graduate of Drummer Township High School in Gibson City.
He was a jeweler in Astoria for several years and later retired as postmaster at Astoria.
He was a member of VFW, American Legion, DAV, Masonic Lodge, Eastern Star and Moose Lodge.
Services will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at French Funeral Home in Brazil with Pastor Richard Pippin officiating. Burial will be in Clearview Cemetery.
Memorials may be sent to the American Diabetes Association or St. Jude Children's Hospital.
Visit www.frenchfuneralhome.com to light a candle in his memory.