George William Olsan (1897-1967)

OLSAN, SKOGERBOE, HUGHES, STOUT, SWATOSH

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 1/22/2013 at 17:43:33

From unknown newspaper December 1967

GEORGE WILLIAM OLSAN

George William Olsan ws born in Omaha, Neb., on June 26, 1897 to Frank and Marie Olsan. At the age of one year his parents moved to Ames, where George attended school. He was a student at Iowa State College when he enlisted in the Army during World War I. He earned the rank of corporal before he was honorably discharged.

In 1933 he was married to Irene Skogerboe, Story City. They has four children: Mrs. Sarah Hughes of Denver, Colo.; Paul of Clinton; Russell of Iowa City; and Alice, Mrs. Alice Stout of Des Moines.

Mr. Olsan a floricuturist all of his life, was city florist in charge of the municipal greenhouses in Des Moines for 22 years. During his employment with the Des Moines Parks Department he also took time to teach garden workshop classes for five years through the adult education program. At the city greenhouse he showed thousands of students the growing plants; hosted an annual chrysanthemum show; and took pride in the flower plantings for Des Moines parks and cemeteries.

In 1963 he and his wife moved to Story City where they bought a greenhouse and continued his work.

He is survived by his wife, Irene; five children; six grandchildren; two sisters, Mrs. Lydia Swatosh of Ruthven and Erma Olsan of Ames, and three brothers, Lumar of Springfield, Ill., William and Charles both of Ames. He was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers, Lada, Mike and Frank.

Funeral services were held from St. Petri Lutheran Church on Thursday, Dec 28 with the Rev. Thuben O. Aga officiating. Pallbearers were Kenneth Lybarger, Arnold Johnson, Roy Gaard, Luther Matson, Homer Olson and Henry Thorsbakken. Burial was in the Story City Cemetery.