Longtime Yuman dies at age 87
Yuma has lost one of its hardest-working set of hands with the death of visionary volunteer and leader Jo Ochsner.
"She just wanted things to be better" is a common remark from people who worked with her.
"Most of us tend to have one or two organizations that we give most of our contributions to," said longtime friend Val Colvin. "Jo was actually active with so many and spent hours, hours and hours."
Ochsner, 87, died Thursday at a local nursing home.
The letter that nominated her for The Sun's Citizen of the Year award, which was earned in 1992, described Ochsner's impact well: "The impact Mrs. Josephine Ochsner has had on our community is completely obvious. Her tireless and unselfish efforts have had at least an indirect impact on every citizen of our community regardless of economic, social or ethnic background."
She moved to Yuma with her husband, the late Dr. A.J. Ochsner, in the late 1950s. The daughter of Russian immigrants, she had spent many of her early years working as an Army nurse.
Ochsner's service and leadership in Yuma included organizations such as the Girl Scouts, Arizona Federation of Garden Clubs, Yuma Regional Medical Center Foundation, Yuma Woman's Club, Red Cross and Yuma County Extension Homemakers Council. She also volunteered as a tutor for several literacy groups.
