Josephine Teresa Olmo, 94, of Memphis, Tennessee, went home to the Lord on September 1, 2018. Josephine was born November 5, 1923 in Rivarone Italy. She came to the United States by ship through Ellis Island with her Mother Maria, at the age of 3. Her father Emilio was already in the U.S. working on a truck farm to earn enough wages to bring his family to Memphis from Italy.
Josephine graduated from Whitehaven High School. She was employed for many years by Hecht’s Tall Shop, a women’s boutique that thrived in Memphis from 1948-1998. A devout Catholic, she attended St. John’s Catholic Church for many years before moving to the Fox Meadows area in 1979 and becoming an active member of The Church of the Resurrection.
One of Josephine’s fondest memories was her Perillo Tours trip to Italy with her sister Rosa, nephew Charlie and niece Barbara. Before joining the tour in Milan, Josephine and Rosa were met by their maternal cousins from Valenza, Italy at the Milan airport. They had the opportunity to spend a few days with the family in Valenza. Over the years the families had sent gifts to each other at Christmas and talked via telephone, but they had never met. During the visit they took her to Rivarone where she saw the house where she was born. The tour of Italy was breathtaking, but nothing tops the time she was able to spend with her family in Italy.
Josephine was preceded in death by her parents, Emilio Olmo and Maria Ferraris Olmo; her sister-in-law Fannie Thompson Olmo (Joe); and nephew Robert Olmo (Brenda).
She leaves her brother, Charlie Joseph Olmo, Sr., sister, Rosa Marie Olmo, nephew Charlie Joseph Olmo, Jr. (Barbara); cousin Guiseppe (Peppino) Ferraris of Valenza, Italy; and three generations of nephews and nieces.
Visitation will be at Memphis Funeral Home, 5599 Poplar Avenue from 5-7 P.M. on Thursday September 6, 2018. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at Church of the Resurrection on Friday September 7 at 10:30 A.M.; with interment to follow at Calvary Cemetery.
