Tidwell, Olga I. (Escourido) 1917-2021

TIDWELL, ESCOURIDO, DARLINGTON

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 11/30/2021 at 19:46:32

Olga Inez Escourido Tidwell

February 2, 1917-September 18, 2021

Olga Inez Escourido Tidwell (1917-2021) was born February 2, 1917 in Danville, Virginia. She married James Oliver Tidwell in Yanceyville, Virginia, in the mid-1930s. She and her husband lived in many states during her life, each move bringing a sense of adventure which her daughters experienced vicariously through the stories she told. From geoduck clamming on the shores of Puget Sound, to serving as House Mother at the California Military Academy, to picking strawberries, candling eggs, and serving as a coastal watcher identifying planes and ships in a lookout on the Washington border during the war, Olga loved new challenges and adventures throughout her life. At the age of 90, she travelled with her daughter to England, where she explored small villages, Stonehenge, and the House of Commons, along with many historical World War II sites in London.

She was born at the end of World War I, during the beginning of the Spanish Flu pandemic, and before women had the right to vote. Not many fight city hall and win, but Olga did on several occasions. This came from her strength of character which was only enhanced by her experiences surviving two World Wars and the Great Depression. Raised in a Southern family who encouraged education (both her parents were college graduates) and the importance of human rights and equity, she was a lifelong Democrat. While she had a strong backbone, she had a flexible mind and spirit that could be seen in her willingness to adapt to change and address issues as they arose. She was loved for her many artistic talents from singing, sewing, painting and dance; teaching her daughters to celebrate with song, stories and laughter all moments of life. With her Southern and Cuban heritage, she created fusion cooking before its time.

Olga Tidwell was preceded in death by her husband (James Oliver Tidwell), her parents (Emanuel Escourido and Estelle Darlington Escourido), and her siblings (Emanuel Escourido, Mable Escourido East, Carmen Escourido Sigley, and Joseph Escourido). She is survived by her daughters Pamela Schwartz (Paul), Deborah Tidwell (Jeff Klinge), and Janet Dunn (Roger), three grandchildren, (Noah, Elizabeth, and Christina), two great grandchildren (Hanalay and Sophia), and many nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that memorials for Olga Tidwell be given through donations to either the Southern Poverty Law Center or the Humane Society of Northeast Iowa.

Funeral Service will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, October 9, 2021 at Leonard-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Monona, Iowa. There will be a visitation from 12:00 pm until time of service at the funeral home on Saturday.

Interment will follow at Giard Cemetery, rural Giard, Iowa.

Leonard-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Monona, Iowa is assisting the family with arrangements.

Published by Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier on Oct. 3, 2021.