Osa Schram

Emilie Louise "Osa" Schram, 78, passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 18, 2016 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She was born May 5, 1938 to Johannes "John" and Poela "Pauline" (Roelants) Visser in Bandung, Indonesia. On September 30, 1961 she married Victor Albertus "Bert" Schram in Downey, California. They lived in Bellflower, California for over 50 years before moving to Colorado Springs, Colorado in 2007. Osa's nickname came from the early 20th century American adventurer and documentary filmmaker, Osa Johnson. The two shared a resolute spirit that would remain throughout Osa Schram's life. She left Indonesia July, 1954 and immigrated to the Netherlands. While working in the Netherlands, she met Victor. In the 1950s, there were U.S. policies for admitting persons fleeing persecution from other countries. One stipulation was that you needed a U.S. sponsor to be admitted. The pair immigrated to the United States by boat in 1960. Victor had a sponsor in New York, while Osa had a sponsor in California. The Statue of Liberty always held a special place in Osa's heart, because she was able to see the iconic figure which welcomed her, as so many immigrants before her, to Osa's new country. With only $200.00 in her pocket, and a package of Fig Newtons, Osa and a girlfriend took a train from New York to California. Osa's professional career in the banking world spanned many years, with a break to be a stay-at-home mother before the phrase was invented. She worked at Great Western Savings and Loan (Great Western Bank), which later became Washington Mutual. She was always proud of the Bank's spokespersons, John Wayne and Dennis Weaver. She was an active member of the Church of Christ, being a participant of "Ladies Bible Classes" at the churches where she worshiped throughout her life. She was known for her gracious spirit, open heart, willingness to serve, zest for life and genuine happiness. Her love of music spanned big band, 50's, 60's, 70's, jazz, and contemporary. Osa and Victor enjoyed dancing to dixieland or jazz music at Disneyland. Just like the Statue of Liberty, lighthouses became a symbol Osa loved, and she acquired many a collectible over the years. Other things Osa loved and collected were hummingbirds, post cards, and pins. Collecting pins started when she and her son, Tim, went to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and continued with the popularity of Disney pin trading. Disney's animated feature, 'Bambi', was one of Osa's favorite movies, as it was the first movie she saw when she was released from a concentration camp in Indonesia. Like Osa's father, and her kids, she rarely turned down a good meal. While Osa's mother taught her to cook many traditional Indonesian dishes, she could always be tempted to go out for seafood, steak, or just about any type of hearty meal. Survivors include her son, Timothy Schram (Garry Zachman); daughter Michelle (Mike) Genung; grandchildren Sean, Rachel, Rebekah, and Melanie; sister, Sella (Morrie) Libby, brother, Paul (Debbie) Visser; as well as many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband. A time of gathering will be held on Sunday, August 28, 2016 at 2:00 PM, at the Church of Christ in Colorado Springs. The family respectfully requests no flowers.