Olson, Phyllis Hazel (Sumner) Gierhart 1922 - 2014

OLSON, SUMNER, BLEECHA, GIERHART, BALKENHOL, HILDEBRANT, OLSEN, BERG, VAN DE PUTTE, ST JOHN, ENGEL

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 11/29/2014 at 16:17:19

Phyllis H. Olson, age 92, of Decorah, died peacefully Friday, November 21, 2014 at Aase Haugen Senior Services in Decorah.

Memorial Services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Friday, November 28, 2014 at Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah with Rev. Jim Dale officiating. Inurnment will be in Phelps Cemetery in Decorah.

Visitation will begin at 11:00 a.m. Friday, two hours before the service, at Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah.

Phyllis Hazel Sumner was born July 23, 1922 in Page, North Dakota, the daughter of Loren and Veronica (Bleecha) Sumner. In the early 1930s she moved to California to live with an uncle.

Her family moved to Decorah in 1938, she attended Decorah High School. She married Clair W. Gierhart in 1942 in California.

She and Clair moved to Chicago in 1951. After Clair died in 1952, she and her two eldest children returned to Decorah. She worked at the Smith Memorial Hospital in Decorah as a Medical Technician.

Phyllis was united in marriage with Vernon L. Olson on September 24, 1956 at the Methodist Church Parsonage in Decorah, IA.

In August of 1978, she and her husband Vernon moved to Monterrey Park, CA, and managed a big apartment complex for the HUD program. They returned to Decorah in 1980.

Phyllis was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. She also worked at JCPenny. She was an excellent bridge player. In the 1980s, she was an avid golfer and member of Silvercrest Golf and Country Club, and her greatest achievement was a Hole in 1. She was a loyal fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes Men’s Basketball Team.

Phyllis was preceded in death by her parents; her two husbands, Clair W. Gierhart (August 10, 1952) and Vernon L. Olson (August 7, 2006); her brother Wayne Sumner; three sisters Laurene Balkenhol, Mildred Hildebrant, and Lucille Olsen; daughter-in-law Glenda Olson; stepson Gary Olson; and stepdaughter Sharon Berg.

Phyllis is survived by her dog Sasha; one daughter Loveta (Charles) van de Putte of Austin, Texas; two sons, Clair S. (Candace) Gierhart of Mayville, WI and Kirsten (Kathy) Olson of Decorah; four granddaughters: Renee Gierhart of Darien, WI, Melissa van de Putte of Austin, TX, Erika St. John of Abingdon, MD and Melanie (Brian) Engel of Dripping Springs, TX; and 7 great-grandchildren: Justin, Kiersten, Claire, John, James, Jack and Joseph.

Source: Fjelstul Funeral Home database

Phelps Cemetery
 

Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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