Olsen, Ralph Ainslee (1901-1982)

OLSEN, SEXE, JOHNSON, PETERSON, YUNGCLAS, WESLEY, RISETTER, WALLACE

Posted By: Debbie Greenfield (email)
Date: 2/10/2015 at 12:19:33

Daily Freeman Journal, Tuesday, September 21, 1982

ELLSWORTH - Ralph A. Olsen, 81, lifelong Ellsworth resident, who was prominent in many Iowa agricultural industries and cooperatives, died at 5 p.m. Monday at the Des Moines General hospital.

He had suffered an apparent heart attack at his rural home near Ellsworth Saturday morning and was taken to Story City Memorial hospital and then transferred to Des Moines General.

Funeral services will be held Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran church in Ellsworth with the Rev. Harvey Sigurdson officiating and with burial in Greenwood cemetery at Ellsworth.

The body will lie in state at the Becker Funeral home from tomorrow until 10 a.m. Thursday when the casket will be taken to the church.

Ralph Ainslee Olsen, son of Nels Peter Olsen and Julia Sexe Olsen, was born June 13, 1901, near Ellsworth.

He was graduated from Ellsworth high school and Iowa State University at Ames, and served as captain of the R.O.T.C. at Iowa State.

He was married Jan. 1, 1925, to Genevieve Johnson at the Methodist church in Ellsworth and she preceded him in death March 6, 1977.

He was united in marriage July 7, 1978, to Bonita Peterson at Ellsworth, and the couple had since resided at the Olsen farm home.

He is survived by his wife; one daughter, Mrs. Bruce (Patricia May) Yungclas of Webster City; one son, Neil Peter Olsen of Blairsburg, one step-daughter, Julie Peterson Wesley of Brattleborough, Vermont; one step-son, Kris Peterson of Slater; one sister, Blanche Risetter of Story City; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

In addition to his first wife, he was preceded in death by his parents; one grandson, Gary Yungclas, Aug. 17, 1970; a brother, Chris Olsen, and a sister, Martha Wallace.

He was a member of Trinity Lutheran church, the Masonic Lodge, Eastern Star, and was past president and board member of Soy-Cot Sales of the United States, and secretary of the Ellsworth-Williams Co-op, president of the Boone Valley Co-operative at Eagle Grove and former board member of Farmland Foods and former member of the FEMIC, and formerly served on the Ellsworth school board.

Mr. Olsen was a deacon of Trinity Lutheran church, a member of the Waldorf college board of regents at Forest City, served as a board member of the Riverside Bible camp and was on the board of directors of the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Science in Des Moines, a member of the Order of Knoll, honorary society, of the board of governors of the ISU Foundation, a former member of the ISU Memorial Union, former member of the ISU Athletic Council, a member of the National Cyclone club, former national president of Theta Delta Chi, and of the Alpha Zeta agriculture honorary fraternity.

The family suggests that memorials may be made to the Riverside Bible Camp or the Story City Memorial Hospital.