Donovan K. Olson

Donovan K. Olson, 86, a resident of Fergus Falls, died Tuesday, February 24, 2015, at the Broen Home in Fergus Falls under Hospice care.

He was born on July 20, 1928, at the Wrights Hospital in Fergus Falls to Albert and Magdalene (Sletten) Olson, the oldest of three children. He was baptized and confirmed at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Barrett by Reverend Ivan Sandberg. He attended the Barrett grade and High School. He worked on the family dairy farm delivering milk to the residents in Barrett. Later he went to work driving semi for David Newman hauling livestock to South St. Paul.

On September 2, 1951, he was united in marriage to Helen M. Yeo at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. They spent their first year in Miles City, Montana where he worked for the Miles City Processing Plant. Returning to Fergus Falls, he was employed at Fergus Rendering, owned his own fleet of trucks and also owned Don’s Car Wash and Olson Oil with his son, Steve.

In his younger years he enjoyed elk hunting in Montana with his brother-in-law and friends. After retirement he enjoyed going to auction sales, craft shows, with the Christmas globes he made, woodworking, and spending time at their cottage on West Battle Lake. He also liked watching the Twins and enjoyed a trip to Target Field with the whole family. He and Helen made five trips to Alaska over the years to visit Lorrie and her family who lived there. They also visited some western and eastern states.

Donovan helped deliver meals on wheels, was a good scrabble player and an avid walker at the mall for nearly 20 years. He was a member of the Elks Club and Bethlehem Lutheran Church for 60 years. He especially enjoyed the time with his grandkids. He was a loving husband, father and grandpa, and will be dearly missed.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by Helen, his wife of 63 years, of Fergus Falls; five children, Steven of Pilot Point, Texas, Bradley of Fergus Falls, Lorrie (Doug) Stenerson of Green Valley, Arizona, Becky (Steve) Bono of Roanoke, Texas, and Julie (Steph) Weiand of Waterloo, Iowa; seven grandchildren, Jessie, Becca, Darcy, Donnie, Karen, Sam and Morgan; one great-grandson, Reece; a brother, Charles (Eileen) Olson of Barrett; sister, Joan Stock of Fargo, ND. He is also survived by nieces and nephews.

Memorials are preferred to Hospice or Bethlehem Lutheran Church.

Visitation: 3-5 p.m. Sunday, March 1, 2015, at Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls. Visitation will resume one hour prior to the service at the church
Service: 1 p.m. Monday, March 2, 2015, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls
Clergy: Reverends Tom Peterson and Kate Bruns
Burial: Oak Grove Cemetery, Fergus Falls
Funeral Home: Olson Funeral Home, Fergus Falls