Osmon Ephraim Henryson (1906-1943)

HENRYSON

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 2/8/2026 at 17:45:13

From Story City Herald March 25, 1943 (page 5)

OSMON E. HENRYSON

Osmon E. Henryson was born on April 19, 1906, in Story City, the son of Torkel T. and Ingeborg Henryson.

He spent his childhood and early manhood in Story City. He was baptized by the Rev. O. P. Vangsnes and confirmed by the Rev. J. N. Anderson in the St. Petri Lutheran church.

He attended the local public schools and graduated from high school in May, 1926. In his school association he was especially active in music. At the piano he served the various orchestra and singing groups of the school. In addition to contributing poems and miscellaneous verse to the "Annual" of his class, he was its music editor.

During his school days he spent one summer in Chicago and two in Minneapolis. He spent one season of farm work near Dows and then entered the employ of the First National Bank of Story City, where he remained until 1932.

He went to Washington, D. C., in February of 1933, where for two years he made his home with his brother, E. J. Henryson. Late in 1933 or early in 1934 he was employed by the Works Projects Administration (then the Federal Emergency Relief Administration) in the Division of Research. He served with this Agency until July of 1942, when he entered the Foreign Service of the State Department. He was originally scheduled to go to Cairo, Egypt, but, shortly before his departure, his assignment was changed to the American Consulate General at Algiers.

He left Washington by airplane on January 13th bound for Algiers. In the early morning of January 15th the plane on which he was traveling crashed near Paramaribo, the capital of Surinam (Dutch Guiana) in South America, the most disastrous crash in the history of American aviation.

Secretary of State Cordell Hull, in a letter extending his sympathy and that of the Department to the family, said, "He was killed while on the way to his post of duty in a danger area, and it may truly be said that he died in the service of his country."

The following tribute to Osmon Henryson was penned by one who had known his intimately from childhood:

Osmond was endowed with a congenial, amiable and unselfish temperament, and as a result he was recognized as everybody's friend.

He lived an exemplary life. He was a "lifter," not a "leaner." He gave the best he had to his duties. He never shirked.

A word of disrespect, derision or scorn for his fellowman was never heard passing over his lips. He knew not the meaning of the word enemy, for he had none.

Honesty, integrity and purity were attributes characteristically his own.

His memory will always be cherished by his legion of friends.