Olive Osmond, Mother of Marie Osmond, Dies

Olive Osmond died Sunday, May 9 of complications from a massive stroke suffered nearly two-and-a-half years ago. Olive is the mother of the Osmonds, including Marie Osmond, doll artist and owner of Charisma brand dolls. According to a family spokesman, her condition began to deteriorate last week, and throughout the weekend family members began a bed-side vigil.

Collectors of Marie's dolls often have heard stories often about her mother and the special time they shared collecting dolls, sewing, and fussing over their collections together.

“She was surrounded by those who made her life worthwhile and complete,” said Ron Clark, a former family representative. “How fitting she would pass on Mother’s Day. Such a fitting time for a most remarkable mother.” She was 79.

Mrs. Osmond was born in Samaria, Idaho in 1925 to Thomas and Vera Ann Davis. Her father was the principal of the local school, and education became an integral part of her life. She loved learning and was an avid reader and student.

After receiving her early education in the southern Idaho community, she moved to Ogden, Utah where she became employed as a secretary at the Adjutant General Depot. It was there she met George V. Osmond, a handsome young soldier of whom she wrote in her diary: “Today I met someone who’s going to mean a lot to me.”

Their early courtship revealed that music was among the many things they had in common. Both were talented musicians–George with his baritone voice, and Olive with her saxophone. Following their marriage in 1944, they hoped that even a small portion of this gift might be passed along to their future family. It did more than just rub off. It became the motivating factor behind one of entertainment’s major show business conglomerates and house-hold names.

But as they started their young family, they were faced with the realization that their first two sons, Virl and Tom, had developed degenerative hearing losses that also affected their speech. Doctors sounded a genetic concern that this might continue to happen if they were to have more children, but the new parents were undaunted by such possibilities. They wanted a large family, and whether or not each child carried the disorder didn’t matter. They would be loved just the same, and raised in a home where inner strength would sustain and succeed over any physical challenge. The next four sons, Alan, Wayne, Merrill and Jay had no signs of hearing loss and began singing almost immediately their close four-part harmonies.

Although she was delighted with their progress and encouraged them to carry on, Olive remained a tireless teacher of speech and hearing techniques for her oldest sons, and it paid off in dividends. Eventually three more children entered their lives–Donny, Marie, and Jimmy.

Olive nurtured her famous nine children in an atmosphere of constant encouragement–always teaching down-home principles of hard work and dedication toward any task given them. Her sense of balance guided them through the heights of wealth and success as she motivated them in living the virtues of a simple, God-fearing life. She was their role model, exemplar, and provider of endless and unconditional love. Wherever their world-wide travels would lead them, they went as a family, maintaining the love, family solidarity, and firm grounding in their faith.

Very often Olive was credited as being the heartbeat of all family matters, and the conscience of heavy decisions. As he frequently did, George Osmond recently spoke of his wife and companion of 60-years as “the heart and soul of this outfit.” She was his equal and total partner in all family matters. They were very much in love; their sons and daughter knew it, and so did the world.

She was steadfast in her beliefs, and taught her children to be fearless and honorable on their own. Her opinion was frequently sought and followed because her thinking seemed consistent with decency, sound logic, simple truths, and positive counsel. In the aftermath of dark times, it was Olive who admonished, “We’re going to laugh about this later, so we might as well do it now and throw everything negative right out the window.” So they did. Her wisdom and philosophy became their creed, and rarely would they allow themselves to get down on anything or anyone. Many sited her as being the glue that held the family together–unified as siblings and individually fused in religious convictions.

Mrs. Osmond is survived by her husband, George; eight sons, Virl (Chris), Tom (Carolyn), Alan (Suzanne), Wayne (Kathlyn), Merrill (Mary), Jay (Candilyn), Donny (Debbie), and Jimmy (Michelle); one daughter, Marie (Brian); 55 grand children; and 22 great grand children. Preceding her in death are her parents and her only brother and sibling, Thomas N. Davis.

Futher information may be found on a fan-established web site, oliveosmond.com.