Leonard L. Olson 1933-1957

OLSON

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 8/30/2013 at 00:43:40

Rites for Olson On Saturday
Funeral services for Sp. 3 Leonard L. Olson, son of Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Olson of Wallingford, will be conducted Saturday afternoon at Wallingford. A family service will be held at the Olson home at 1 p.m. and a church service at Wallingford Lutheran church at 2 p.m., the Rev. Norbert Jolivette officiating.

Leonard was killed in an automobile accident near Chermin Du Allouette, France, June 15, while serving with the airforce. His parents had received notification of his death June 17, but no details of the incident were available at that time.

According to recent information received by Mr. and Mrs. Olson Leonard was returning to base with a group of friends, all who had attended the annual company picnic held at an Army camp six miles from Leonard’s base.

At 5:45 p.m., the car in which he was riding left the highway on a sharp curve of the highway near Chemin Du Allouette. Leonard, according to the report, was killed instantly; one other passenger also was killed and two others were seriously injured in the accident.

His body is being escorted home by Sp-3 Eldon R. Skattebo, who had enlisted with Olson, and was stationed in Germany. Olson’s body arrived in the United States Monday and is scheduled to arrive in Graettinger at 7:15 p.m. today, being brought by train from Dover, Del.

Olson’s commanding officer Capt. Eugene A. Hunt, said in a message to Mr. and Mrs. Olson that “Leonard’s capable performance of duty and cheerful attitude won him many friends here.”

Leonard had enlisted in the Air Force Jan. 26, 1955, and was scheduled to be released next January. He had his boot training at Fort Ord, Calif., and then attended school at Fort Belvior, Va., until August, 1955.

Arriving overseas in August, he had been stationed first in Germany, then being transferred to the 850th Engineer Battalion Heavy Construction, near Bordeaux, France, in July, 1956. Olson was a mechanic.

A graduate of Estherville High School in 1950, Olson had been active in Future Farmers of America all four years. Upon graduation he had farmed with his father three and one-half miles north east of Wallingford until enlistment.

The only child of Mr. and Mrs. Olson, he is survived by his parents. Pallbearers for the service will be Castor Rasmussen, Robert Refsell, Verlyn Sunde, Charles Lande, Phillip Herum and Wayne Brown. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, June 26, 1957)

Services Saturday at Wallingford for Leonard Olson
Funeral services will be held Saturday afternoon at Wallingford Lutheran church for Leonard Olson, 23, who was killed in an automobile accident near Bordeaux, France on Saturday, June 15. He was the only child of Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Olson.

A family service will be held at 1 p.m. at the Olson home and services will be held at 2 p.m. at the Wallingford Lutheran church. The Rev. Norbett Jolievette will officiate. Burial will be in High Lake cemetery. The Martin Funeral home is in charge of arrangements. Pallbearers will be Castor Rasmussen, Robert Refsell, Verlyn Sunde, Charles Lande, Wayne Brown and Philip Herum.

Mr. and Mrs. Olson received word June 17, that their son, SP3 Leonard L. Olson, of the 850th Engineer Battalion, Heavy Construction, was killed in an automobile accident near Bordaux, France, June 5. Leonard was returning to base with a group of friends, from the annual company picnic held at an army camp six miles away from the base. The car in which Leonard was a passenger, returning to base, left the highway on a dangerous curve of the highway Chemin Du Allioutee. Leonard was killed instantly, one other passenger was also killed in the accident, and two others seriously injured.

Leonard had enlisted in the Air Force Jan. 25, 1955 and was scheduled to be released next January. He had received his boot training in Fort Ord, Calif. from there he attended training school at Ft. Belvoir, Va. He went overseas in August, 1955, and was stationed in Germany until July, 1957. Since then he had been stationed near Bordeaux, France.

The following message was received from Leonard’s commanding officer Capt. Eugene A. Hunt, “Leonard’s capable performance of duty and cheerful attitude won him many friends here.”

Leonard’s body arrived in the United States Monday and left Dover, Delaware that evening and was scheduled to arrive in Graettinger yesterday (Wednesday) evening.

Olson’s body was accompanied here by SP 3-c Eldon Skattebo, also of Wallingford, who has been stationed in Germany. Arrangements were made through the Red Cross for Skattebo to accompany the body home. (Graettinger Times, Graettinger, IA, June 27, 1957)