Helen Frances Owensby

Helen Frances (Swink) Owensby died May 8, 2014 at the Christian Healthcare East in Springfield Mo. She died following a short illness due to Diabetes. She was 78 years and 11 months of age. She was born June 9, 1935 in Cleveland County, near Shelby, North Carolina. She was the daughter of William Charles Hugh Swink and Lola Tessnear. She was the 5th child of 14 children born. Her parents were sharecroppers. As a child she picked cotton with her family, she helped raise her younger brothers and sisters. She often told exciting bedtime stories of her childhood adventures with her siblings and cousins to her children each night. When she was 13 years old, she went to a tent revival meeting and received Christ as her Lord and Savior. She married Paul McGene Owensby of Grover, North Carloina at age 21. To this union 3 children were born, Scott, Wayne, and Susan Beth. Her husband, Paul was in the Navy and so she traveled around the world with her family. Her favorite place to live was on the Island of Guam. She met many people in her travels. She lived in many States and held many different jobs from telephone switchboard operator, Nursery Care Worker, Bolivar Pants Factory, Petit Jean Poultry, waitress at the Bison Inn, Engles Senior Center to working at the Buffalo High School Cafeteria. She was no stranger to hard work and she instilled that to her children. She gave to others in need, she sewed dresses, quilts, crochet blankets, She was a good cook of Homemade Fried Chicken, Blackberry Pie, Banana Pudding, and Breakfast. She loved her family and friends and her Lord Jesus. She raised her children in faithful attendance of Church Services. She taught Vacation Bible School Backyard Bible Clubs, Sunday School and attended local Revivals. She loved Southern Gospel Music and enjoyed listening to Country Music and Elvis Presley. As a telephone switchboard operator, she listened in on one of Elvis Presley phone conversation, she said, "she couldn't help it". When her husband, Paul retired from the Navy in 1974, they had bought land from the Owensby and Sons Realty in Buffalo, Mo. They moved from California to Buffalo, Mo. They built a home on 58 acres. As their children grew up, they married and blessed her with grandchildren and great grandchildren, who were the love of her life. she was a loving mother and grandmother. She will be greatly missed by her family and many friends of the Buffalo Community. She is preceded in death by her parents William and Lola Swink, her husband, Paul Owensby, her brothers Kenneth and Barry Swink, her sisters Louise Bridges, Dorothy McNeilly, Betty Bowens, Janie Carpenter, Marthel Philbeck, and grandson Joseph Walters. She leaves behind her son Scott and wife Becky Ownesby, son Wayne and wife Donna Owensby, daughter Susan Owensby and husband Jamie Caldwell, grandsons Michael, Andrew, Timothy, Matthew Owensby, Charlie Bankes, Ben and Sterling Walters, granddaughters Jennifer Shute and Renee' Caldwell and 7 great grandchildren of whom will dearly miss her. Services were held Monday, May 12th at 2:00 P.M. in the Montgomery-Viets Chapel with the Rev. Ron Lilley officiating. Recorded Music was "Mama Liked The Roses" and "How Great Thou Art" by Elvis Presley. Pallbearers were Timothy Owensby, Charlie Bankes, Ben Walters, and Sterling Walters Burial was in the Church Grove Cemetery under the direction of the Montgomery-Viets Funeral Home of Buffalo.

Helen Frances Owensby

June 9, 1935 - May 8, 2014