Biography:

Grace Emma (Osborne) Emerson, 84 of Lake Heritage passed away Sunday evening, September 28, 2014 at home surrounded by her family. She was born in Forty Fort, PA to the late Raymond and Audrey (Smith) Osborne.

Grace graduated from Forty Fort High in 1947 and went on to Nurse’s training at the Jewish Hospital in Philadelphia (now the Albert Einstein Medical Center), taking classes at Temple University. She met the love of her life, Dick Emerson while in Philadelphia. They courted for three years and would have celebrated their 62^nd wedding anniversary on October 18^th.

Upon graduation as an RN, Grace volunteered to do polio nursing in Madison, WI. As a bride, she moved to Baltimore, MD and worked at Union Memorial, Women’s Hospital and Johns Hopkins. Dick and Grace moved to Adams County in 1960 and Grace did Industrial Nursing at Cambridge Rubber in Taneytown, MD. She then went to Annie Warner Hospital (now Wellspan) and worked for many years in various departments – you didn’t have a specialty then – you worked wherever you were needed.

Grace was hired as a Charge Nurse when the Lutheran Home first opened. In 1972 she went to work as the Elks Home Service Nurse and covered Adams, York, Franklin, and Fulton counties. She was instrumental in starting an Early Intervention Program while working with United Cerebral Palsy. She found her work with clients, families and physicians to be very rewarding and gratifying.

It wasn’t long after she retired that she went to work as a substitute school nurse and enjoyed that work for several years.

Grace and her husband designed and constructed the third home built in Lake Heritage. She enjoyed many years of entertaining and teaching people to ski at the lake. Grace was an avid bridge player, learning the game at the “Y” as a young mother. She played in several bridge clubs for fifty fun-filled years and cherished her friendships with her many bridge buddies.

Grace was pre-deceased by her son, Richard (Rick) Emerson, Jr and her two brothers, Raymond (Bud) and Charles (Chick) Osborne. Grace is survived by her beloved husband, Richard (Dick) Emerson, Sr, her devoted daughter, Patricia and nieces Jane (Jerry) Bowers, Belinda (John) Karas, Dianne, Debbie, Donna and a nephew Rob Osborne and many great nieces and nephews. “Nana” will be dearly missed by her granddaughters Kali and Kara Emerson and her daughter-in-law Zoe Fox Emerson and son-in-law Jerry Mabry – all of Midlothian, VA.

Grace donated her body to science through the Human Gifts Registry, Philadelphia.  She recalled how important it was as a Nursing student that people were willing to donate their bodies. A memorial service will be held at a future date to celebrate her life. Little’s Funeral Home, Littlestown is assisting the family with arrangements.  Online condolences may be shared on www.littlesfh.com.