Melvin Arthur OLSON

OLSON, THOMPSON, HILL, ELEY, STEVENS, VANDEVEN, CHELESVIG

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/6/2007 at 09:33:02

Mason City Globe Gazette
02/12/1997

BELMOND -- Melvin Arthur Olson, 94, died Monday (Feb. 10, 1997) at the Belmond Health Care Center. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Olaf Lutheran Church, with Pastor Lowell Halvorson officiating. Burial will be in St. Olaf Church Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. today at the Tenold Funeral Home, and one hour prior to services at the church.

Melvin Arthur Olson, the son of Andrew and Betsey (Thompson) Olson, was born Feb. 4, 1903, in Wright County. He graduated from Waldorf High School and attended Waldorf College. He was united in marriage to Carrie Hill on May 22, 1929, at Belmond. To this union, two children were born, Clifford and Jean Ann. On Sept. 10, 1942, he was united in marriage to Avanelle Eley at Bethany, Mo. They lived on the family farm southeast of Kanawha until 1978, when they retired and moved to Belmond. They enjoyed 35 years wintering in Arizona. Melvin was a life time member of St. Olaf Lutheran Church in rural Belmond. He loved and supported his church and Norwegian Heritage. At the time of his death, he was the oldest confirmed member of St. Olaf Church.

Melvin is survived by his son, Clifford and his wife, Joyce, of Kanawha; daughter, Jean Ann Stevens and her husband, Rollie, of Dallas, Texas; grandchildren, Kyle (Stevens) Vandeven and her husband, John, of Dallas, Texas; Jeffrey Stevens and his wife, Stanna, of Arlington, Texas; Kimberly Stevens of Dallas, Texas; stepgrandchildren, Jeffery Chelesvig, Bradley Chelesvig and Kimberly Chelesvig, all of Des Moines; two great-grandchildren, Andrea and Samantha Stevens of Arlington, Texas; and two nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Carrie; second wife, Avanelle; and sister, Hazel.