Oliver "Ollie" Lynch Bossom

A Memorial Service for Oliver “Ollie” L. Bossom, 97, of Norfolk, will be 11:00 a.m., Saturday, May 7, 2022 at the First Presbyterian Church in Norfolk.  The Reverend Brian Johnson will be officiating.  Visitation will be one hour prior to the service.  Military Honors will be conducted by the Army National Guard Honor Guard, American Legion Post 16 and VFW Post 1644.  Home for Funerals is in charge of the arrangements.

He passed away Sunday, April 24, 2022 at the Norfolk Veterans Home.

Oliver Lynch Bossom was born April 10, 1925 in Cocoa, Florida, the only child to Oliver Laird and Hazel May (Wetherell) Bossom.  He was educated in schools there.  Oliver worked at the Cocoa post office and a local grocery store when he was drafted by the Army in 1943.  He received his basic training at Fort McClellan, Alabama, which at the time was one of the largest U.S. Army installations.  Upon completion of training, he was sent to Europe, just 30 days after D-Day.  He worked as a machine gunner serving in France, Germany, and Austria. 

He received several medals of honor and heroism and in 1946 he was honorable discharged from the Army.  He then moved to Key West, Florida.  While there he worked for a company that took care of maintenance repairs for an apartment complex.  While on a repair call, he met Patricia Harrison.  Oliver and Patricia dated for six months and were married in Miami, Florida in 1947.  The couple eventually moved to Kansas City, Missouri so that Oliver could attend a jewelry/watch-making school and obtain a certification.  This began his affection for things that sparkle.  After receiving his certification, Oliver and Pat moved to Lincoln, Nebraska where he began working at the Miller and Paine Jewelry Store.  His career eventually led them to Norfolk where Oliver worked for Wetzel and Truex Jewelers from January 1965 to January 2019 where he was a major fixture of the business for 53 years.

Oliver was a dedicated member of the Lions Club. Over the years he traveled to Lions conventions, swapping pins with others around the world.   He looked forward to the pancake feed every year.  Oliver coached girls volleyball, attended most local sporting events, and loved the dirt racetrack at Riviera Raceway in Norfolk.

Ollie had been residing at the Norfolk Veterans Home at the time of his death.  He enjoyed all the activities they offered, including the “road trips”.  He cheered for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, and the Minnesota Twins baseball team.  His favorite music was The Glenn Miller Orchestra and Reba McEntire.  Ollie’s hobbies included solving crossword and word search puzzles, and at one time he was a stamp collector.  He was also one of the founding members of the Norfolk Crimson Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps.

He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, a long-time active and honored member of the Norfolk Lions Club, and a member of the American Legion Post 16 and VFW Post 1644.

Ollie is survived by his daughter, Terri Anderson of Springfield, Missouri; son, Matthew Bossom of Lincoln, Nebraska; grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Patricia.

Memorials may be designated to the First Presbyterian Church, 104 S. 10th Street, Norfolk, NE 68701.  A memorial fund is being set up to purchase a memorial bench for the Norfolk Veterans Home in Ollie’s memory. 

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