Olson, Donna J. (1935-2018)

OLSON, KRAMER, TJADEN, TEGTMEYER, DESJARLAIS

Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 5/11/2018 at 15:48:47

Donna J. Olson
June 10, 1935 - March 6, 2018

Donna June Olson, age 82, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 6th, 2018, in a caring and loving community at Accura Health Care in Bancroft, Iowa.

Donna June Kramer was born to Cooney and Sena (Tjaden) Kramer in rural Woden, Iowa, on June 10, 1935. Growing up in rural Woden with her five brothers and sisters, she attended school at Bingham Township #6 and graduated from Woden High School in 1952. She, then, continued her education at Waldorf College in Forest City. On February 28, 1955, she married the love of her life, Richard Walter Olson, at the First Presbyterian Church in Woden, Iowa. Subsequently, they had three daughters Dian, Cynthia, and Susan. More recently, they celebrated their sixty-third wedding anniversary.

For most of her adult life, Donna worked caring for others as a Nurse’s aide at the Forest City Community Hospital. In addition, she became a First Aid and CPR instructor for the American Red Cross, and she served as a volunteer for the Forest City Ambulance Service and as an Emergency Medical Technician. During her more than ten years as a volunteer, she served as president of the Ambulance service for multiple terms. Then, she spent twenty years working in the cabinet shop at Winnebago Industries before retiring in 1995. After she and Richard joined Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Leland, she participated in the Ester Circle and served on the church council.

Donna loved spending time with friends, tending to her garden, and planting flowers. When not outside, she would be working in her kitchen baking her favorite desserts. She, also, enjoyed playing the piano and singing as well as playing cards. Indeed, she was particularly fond of beating her husband at cribbage.

After retiring from Winnebago, Donna lead a relaxing life, spending time and traveling with her husband Richard to visit her daughters, Dian, in Boston, and Susan, along with her husband, Mark, and granddaughters, Alyssa and McKenzie, in Denver. In addition, she and Richard were able to spend their winters in Mission, Texas, where she sang in the choir.

Donna is survived by Richard, her husband of sixty-three years; her daughters, Dian Olson, of Medford, Massachusetts, and Susan (Mark) Tegtmeyer, of Centennial, Colorado; her grandchildren, Alyssa and McKenzie, of Centennial, Colorado; her sister, Sylvia DesJarlais, of Sturgis, South Dakota, and a brother, Forrest Kramer, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Cynthia Ann; her parents, Sena and Cooney; her sister, RuthAnn, and her brothers, Charles and Donald.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M., Wednesday, March 14, 2018, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Leland, Iowa, with Lay Minister Rose Visser officiating. A time for visitation will be held for one hour before the funeral service at the church on Wednesday. Burial will follow at Forest Home Cemetery in Leland. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Our Savior’s Lutheran Church.

Cataldo Schott Funeral Home, Forest City, Iowa, 2017.

Winnebago Obituaries maintained by Cheryl Siebrass.
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