Albin "Ole" Olson (1993)

OLSON, TORKE, MCCURDY, LULL, SKINNER, VOGT, ROBINSON

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler (email)
Date: 4/26/2006 at 14:07:58

McKee Funeral Homes - Earlham/Dexter

Albin "Ole" Olson
February 28, 1901 - July 25, 1993

Albin "Ole" Olson, son of Hans and Clara Torke Olson, was born February 28, 1901 at Rice Lake, Wisconsin and passed away July 25, 1993 at Bethesda Care Center in Winterset, Iowa where he had been admitted only two days prior.

Ole was baptized in Barron, Wisconsin and confirmed into the Yellow Medicine Lutheran Church in Hanley Falls, Minnesota at the age of 16. He joined the Church of Christ after he moved to Earlham and remained a faithful member all the rest of his life.

Ole lived in Wisconsin until about four years old, then he went with his family to a farm near Revillo, Minnesota. Since his father worked for the railroad they moved often. He went to school part time and began helping as a section hand making five cents an hour. These moves took him from Revillo, Minnesota to Richmond, South Dakota, Mott, North Dakota, Hanley Falls and Morton, Minnesota. Eventually the family moved to Sheffield, Iowa and then Ole came to Earlham and began working at the Marquardt Quarry in 1922. He worked for Cap Davis on a farm until 1930 when he started running the maintainer for Madison County and continued this position, that he thoroughly enjoyed, until he retired in 1965.

Ole was also proud of his years as a volunteer fireman, serving a half-century in Earlham. He told of using a hose cart at first and remembered the thrill of the first fire truck in 1939. He started ambulance driving in 1935 and helped out at the funeral home for many years, working for Pat Welch, Roy Evans, Gail Leeper, Erik McKee and Gene Coughlin.

Martha McCurdy, his wife of many years, died November 23, 1972. Ole then married Stella Lull on April 5, 1975. She passed away January 9, 1992.

He was preceded in death by his wives, Martha and Stella, his parents, three sisters and one brother.

His survivors include his stepdaughter, Dorothy Skinner of Newton, Iowa; two step granddaughters, Margaret Vogt and Helen Robinson; five step grandchildren, Robert, Julie, Charles, Aaron and Valeria; four step great grandchildren, Heather, Christopher, Robin and Ashley; four brothers, Ole Olson, Ortonville, Minnesota, Herman Olson, Watertown, South Dakota, Elmer Olson, Elk River, Minnesota and Edwin Olson, Golden, Colorado.

Ole loved children and many of them yet today will remember how he always had chewing gum for them, given with lots of kindness. He was a true and trusted friend and the members of the Church of Christ and the whole city of Earlham were his family.

Burial was in the West Yellow Medicine Lutheran Cemetery, Hanley Falls, Minnesota on Thursday, July 29, 1993.
__________________________________________________________________

Earlham Library Obituaries, July 1993
Earlham, Iowa

Albin “Ole” Olson, Earlham

Funeral services for Albin “Ole” Olson, 92, were held July 28 at the Church of Christ in Earlham with the Rev. Ted Morelock officiating. Mrs. Olson died July 25, 1993 at Bethesda Care Center in Winterset. Burial was at West Yellow Medicine Lutheran Cemetery in Hanley Falls, Minn.

He was born February 28.1901 at Rice Lake, Wisc. to Hans and Clara (Torke) Olson. He married Martha McCurdy, his wife of many years before she died in 1972. He married Stella Lull in 1975. He was a maintainer operator for Madison county for many years, retiring in 1965. He was a volunteer fireman in Earlham for a half century as well as an ambulance driver and assistant at the funeral home.

He was preceded in death by his two wives, three sisters, and one brother.

Surviving relatives are his stepdaughter, Dorothy Skinner of Newton; two step granddaughters, Margaret Vogt and Helen Robinson; five step grandchildren, Robert, Julie, Charles, Aaron, and Valerie; four step great-grandchildren; four brothers, Ole Olson of Ortonville, Minn., Herman Olson of Watertown, S.D., Elmer Olson of Elk River, Minn. and Edwin Olson of Golden, Colo.