Elaine B. Wisdom, 78, of Sterling, died Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009, at her home in Sterling. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 23, at Christ United Methodist Church with the Revs. Derek and Joyce DeToni-Hill officiating. Burial will follow at Riverside Cemetery.

Mrs. Wisdom was born May 22, 1931, in San Pedro, Calif., to Alfred Osborn and Hazel (Dowis) Osborn. Alfred Osborn was a career U.S. Navy man, so Elaine was raised as a "Navy brat" until her father's retirement after World War II, when they returned to Sterling.

She graduated from Sterling High School in 1949. She attended the University of Colorado nursing program and graduated as Elaine B. Wisdom a registered nurse in 1954.

On Nov. 15, 1953, she married Gerald F. "Jerry" Wisdom. At the time of their marriage, Jerry was serving in the Navy. Elaine joined Jerry in Yokosuka, Japan, before the birth of their son, Victor, in 1955 and resided there until Jerry's discharge in 1956.

Elaine Wisdom did her nurse's training at Colorado General Hospital. She worked as a family care nurse in the Colorado Migrant Health program during the 1960s and 1970s and for Dr. Gaylord Dowis in Sterling.

Mrs. Wisdom's maternal family, the Dowises, founded Forsythe and Dowis Rides in the early 1900s. Upon his retirement from the Navy in 1946, Elaine's father, Alfred Osborn, purchased the traveling carnival business. Elaine worked on the carnival during the summers and full time after the return from Japan. Upon Alfred Osborn's death in the mid 1960s, Elaine and Jerry purchased and operated the carnival. During the time with the carnival, they operated at many state fairs including the state fair of Oklahoma, Kansas, Wyoming, Washington, and Colorado.

Under the operation of Elaine and Jerry, Forsythe and Dowis Rides became one of the premier carnivals of the western United States. They operated it until 1969 when they sold the carnival and formed Wisdom Manufacturing when they began full time amusement ride manufacturing. Elaine owned and operated Wisdom Manufacturing, with her family, from 1969 to the present. Wisdom Manufacturing ships equipment throughout the world and has built more roller coasters than anyone in the world.

Elaine enjoyed her position as secretary treasurer of Wisdom Manufacturing, seeing to the financial operation of the company and personnel in the business.

Elaine enjoyed collecting decorated eggs and owls when traveling for the business. She helped many people with schooling during her years, providing scholarship money for those who needed assistance.
Elaine is survived by her son, Victor Wisdom and wife Mai; daughter, Carol Silvey and husband Russ; grandchildren, Vanessa Davis, Jared Davis, and Bryan Wisdom; great-grandchildren, Randall and Joshua Anderson.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jerry Wisdom; mother, Hazel Osborn; and father, Alfred Osborn.

Memorials may be made to the Jerry and Elaine Wisdom Memorial Fund for Children, in care of Chaney-Reager Funeral Home, 443 S. Second St., Sterling, CO 80751.