Obituary for Geraldine Lee Olson
Geraldine L. Olson, 80, of Le Mars, Iowa, passed away on Monday, January 2, 2023, at her home. A Celebration of Life Service will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 20, 2023, at Trinity Lutheran Church, rural Hinton, Iowa. Rev. Dr. Klaus Raab will officiate. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the church on Saturday.
Geraldine Lee Olson gave a hearty shout when she entered this world on December 29, 1942, in Sturgis, SD. I imagine Chester and Mable Olson were mighty proud parents then as well as when they greeted her again on January 2, 2023 - you know God keeps his promises.
God has a sense of humor, so he gifted Gerrie with three boys in three years. Some would call it a miracle while others would say what the heck - David and his wife Kati and kids Shawn (wife Whitney), Ethan, Addison, and Cam; Dirk and his wife Amy and kids Kinsey (husband Matt), Keegan (wife Trista) and Kade; and Darren and his wife Carmen and kids Davis and Tara (husband Joshua) along with six great grandchildren: Gentry, Colter, Wilder Grace, Cross, Chloe, and Oliver. She really enjoyed cooking dinner for her grandkids over the past years – she would sit and listen to them regale about all sorts of things - how she loved her grandkids. Grandkids are awesome.
Gerrie's sister Joy still lives in Sturgis, along with her niece, Cindy (husband Don), nephews Ron (wife Tinya), and Doug (wife Diane) who live in Alaska. Gerrie always wanted a girl, and Cindy came about as close as you could to a daughter to her. They had such a special relationship.
Gerrie was an educated woman, having graduated from what she called the Nunnery at Sacred Heart School of Nursing in Yankton, SD where she received her degree as a Registered Nurse (RN) - she sometimes affectionally referred to it as a “Registered Nut” - mom always had a great sense of humor - good thing too because some of the things her boys would do might push a less good natured woman over the edge.
Mom never met a stranger - she was a mom to many. Her door was always open. Literally, I don’t think mom knew she had a lock, and her kitchen was always fully stocked. She knew that food was a gateway to the heart, it nurtured the soul….plus it was pretty good.
We literally brought all our friends over and she would cook and laugh while listening to our stories of grandeur. Mom was there for everyone. She was encouraging, thoughtful, and embraced creativity in us. Some would later refer to our creativity as something less dignified- thank God that mom saw the good in everyone and everything.
Mom never missed an opportunity to see her boys or grandkids perform - sports, choir, racing, dance. More than likely, you’d hear her shouting encouraging words from the stands, because you could literally hear her on the field. That was a gift she gave to all of us, her time. She was a selfless woman and a giver in so many ways. You could always count on mom to be there no matter the circumstance. She stood there right along with you.
She was an artist in every sense of that word. She was an expert seamstress, crochetier, needle pointer, quilter extraordinaire, crafter - she really had the knack for that stuff and gifted so many with her creations. Mom always had a bundle of yarn within arm’s reach for when the crocheting bug got her - and if you are lucky enough to have one of her crocheted blankets then you know you’ll never get cold.
Towards the end mom would say ‘it is what it is’ regarding her health. That was hard to stomach by me, but it encapsulated her strong will. Mom loved her crossword puzzles for as long as I can remember. We spoke recently and she gave me a clue to a 9- letter word starting with an H. It was humdinger – how appropriate.
We talked about what heaven might be like - I’m sure none of us came close to describing its perfectness. Mom thought she’d be greeted by her mom and dad and those that went before her. She was especially excited to see her mom and dad again. The first thing she wanted to do when she got there was to take a deep breath of the sweet air - it’s all about the simple things in life, especially when you go without something for so long.
We will talk about you often mom and know you’ll be there to greet us when the time comes. God Bless.
Mom only had a few requests when the time came. The first was to have a celebration of life, which we will do at Trinity Lutheran Church at a time to be determined. The second is that her boys sing a song at her celebration. So, if you are up for a good time, like listening to and telling stories, or can’t afford tickets to your favorite concert then come on down. I am sure it will be entertaining as we celebrate the story of mom’s/grandma’s life.
Jesus paid the ultimate price for her and you. God Bless you mom - we will see you again soon.
Geraldine Lee Olson gave a hearty shout when she entered this world on December 29, 1942, in Sturgis, SD. I imagine Chester and Mable Olson were mighty proud parents then as well as when they greeted her again on January 2, 2023 - you know God keeps his promises.
God has a sense of humor, so he gifted Gerrie with three boys in three years. Some would call it a miracle while others would say what the heck - David and his wife Kati and kids Shawn (wife Whitney), Ethan, Addison, and Cam; Dirk and his wife Amy and kids Kinsey (husband Matt), Keegan (wife Trista) and Kade; and Darren and his wife Carmen and kids Davis and Tara (husband Joshua) along with six great grandchildren: Gentry, Colter, Wilder Grace, Cross, Chloe, and Oliver. She really enjoyed cooking dinner for her grandkids over the past years – she would sit and listen to them regale about all sorts of things - how she loved her grandkids. Grandkids are awesome.
Gerrie's sister Joy still lives in Sturgis, along with her niece, Cindy (husband Don), nephews Ron (wife Tinya), and Doug (wife Diane) who live in Alaska. Gerrie always wanted a girl, and Cindy came about as close as you could to a daughter to her. They had such a special relationship.
Gerrie was an educated woman, having graduated from what she called the Nunnery at Sacred Heart School of Nursing in Yankton, SD where she received her degree as a Registered Nurse (RN) - she sometimes affectionally referred to it as a “Registered Nut” - mom always had a great sense of humor - good thing too because some of the things her boys would do might push a less good natured woman over the edge.
Mom never met a stranger - she was a mom to many. Her door was always open. Literally, I don’t think mom knew she had a lock, and her kitchen was always fully stocked. She knew that food was a gateway to the heart, it nurtured the soul….plus it was pretty good.
We literally brought all our friends over and she would cook and laugh while listening to our stories of grandeur. Mom was there for everyone. She was encouraging, thoughtful, and embraced creativity in us. Some would later refer to our creativity as something less dignified- thank God that mom saw the good in everyone and everything.
Mom never missed an opportunity to see her boys or grandkids perform - sports, choir, racing, dance. More than likely, you’d hear her shouting encouraging words from the stands, because you could literally hear her on the field. That was a gift she gave to all of us, her time. She was a selfless woman and a giver in so many ways. You could always count on mom to be there no matter the circumstance. She stood there right along with you.
She was an artist in every sense of that word. She was an expert seamstress, crochetier, needle pointer, quilter extraordinaire, crafter - she really had the knack for that stuff and gifted so many with her creations. Mom always had a bundle of yarn within arm’s reach for when the crocheting bug got her - and if you are lucky enough to have one of her crocheted blankets then you know you’ll never get cold.
Towards the end mom would say ‘it is what it is’ regarding her health. That was hard to stomach by me, but it encapsulated her strong will. Mom loved her crossword puzzles for as long as I can remember. We spoke recently and she gave me a clue to a 9- letter word starting with an H. It was humdinger – how appropriate.
We talked about what heaven might be like - I’m sure none of us came close to describing its perfectness. Mom thought she’d be greeted by her mom and dad and those that went before her. She was especially excited to see her mom and dad again. The first thing she wanted to do when she got there was to take a deep breath of the sweet air - it’s all about the simple things in life, especially when you go without something for so long.
We will talk about you often mom and know you’ll be there to greet us when the time comes. God Bless.
Mom only had a few requests when the time came. The first was to have a celebration of life, which we will do at Trinity Lutheran Church at a time to be determined. The second is that her boys sing a song at her celebration. So, if you are up for a good time, like listening to and telling stories, or can’t afford tickets to your favorite concert then come on down. I am sure it will be entertaining as we celebrate the story of mom’s/grandma’s life.
Jesus paid the ultimate price for her and you. God Bless you mom - we will see you again soon.