My Parents

Skudesnes Evangelical Lutheran Church, Loreburn,Sk. -My Home Congregation where my parents, Olson grandparents and one set of great-grandparents are buried.


Here is a picture of our family taken in the summer of 1989 at a Joel Olson family reunion at LCBI, Outlook. Back row left to right. Tim Kennedy, Ray Ursin, Everald Olson, Vance Olson, Daryl Olson holding Kenny, Duane Olson, Arlin Olson
Second Row: Marlys Kennedy holding Christie, Holly Olson, Julie Ursin, Holly Olson, Sarah Olson, Sherryl Olson, Ruth Olson
Front Row: Karla Olson, Kirstin Olson, Karen Olson, Everly Olson, Florence Olson holding Timmy Olson, David Olson holding Zachary Ursin, Lois Olson, Chelsea Olson,Krystal Olson, Ben Olson.


Here is a picture of my parents David and Florence Olson along with Arlin and Ruth. This picture was taken at Arlin and Ruth's commissioning service in the 1980's at Skudesnes Lutheran Church.

David Philip Olson - Dec. 4,1927 -Oct.20, 1989

David Philip Olson was the first born son of Joel and Olida. He was born at the Tjøsvold farm just outside Strongfield. David lived north of Broderick, the first couple years of his life. I have a picture of him when he was about 1 year old, 1928 sitting inside a sod barn that grandpa Joel was building. David took his schooling at Hawarden and Mountain Ash Schools. He took his final year of school [grade 11] at S.L.B.I. in Outlook. David then worked in Saskatoon at Richardson's, a company that made road construction equipment. He met Florence Nilson while she was teaching school at Wildon school Northwest of Loreburn. They were married in 1952 at Florence's home church, Bethany Lutheran, Parkbeg, Saskatchewan. Dad's best man was Malcolm Olson, his cousin from Tiger Hills, Saskatchewan. Groomsman was Obert Nilson and mom's bridesmaids were Audrey Downs, Evelyn Nilson and Ione Olson. There were two flowergirls, Carol Loseth and ?. After they were married, dad rented land from Gerhard and Herald Kvinge, 8 miles East of Hawarden. They lived on what was called the Stauffer place. Water was hauled from artesian wells in the area. The farm didn't have electricity. In the early years of their marriage, light was provided by naphtha lanterns and heat was provided by a Coal and Wood furnace in the Basement. In the late fifties a windcharger was installed. So we had electric lights. It was a 32 volt system with large glass batteries stored in the basement. In 1959 the farm got electricity from Sask. Power. In 1964 the family moved to the Victor Mann farm on Highway 19 just outside of Hawarden. Dad bought the yard including 40 acres. At this time Dad was not only farming but also operating earthmoving equipment with his cousin Eilif Anderson. They leveled many acres of land for farmers in the Broderick and Outlook areas who were preparing their land for irrigation. They also dug many dug outs. In 1968, at the invitation of Curtis Satre, the family moved to Chelan, Saskatchewan to farm the Satre and Nilson land. Dad bought one quarter there from the Anderson family. Dad farmed the land for three years. It was very poor land, Satre's was rocky and Nilson's was sand. In 1971, Dad moved back to Strongfield to the Archibald farm. He bought the home half section from his uncle Norman Archibald and rented another half section from Mrs. Gross who lived in Vancouver. He also farmed grandpa Joel's section of land for a few years at Hawarden. In 1974 dad built a new house on the farm. In 1988, Dad and Mom bought the Strongfield Post Office and Café which they operated. They moved to town and lived in the back of the Cafe. On October 20th, in the early morning about 5AM Dad passed away in his sleep, unexpectedly and very suddenly. The funeral was held the following Wednesday,Oct. 25th at Skudesnes Lutheran Church, where Dad was buried. Pastor Ken Wilsdon preached, the quartet of Allen Hunter, Roy Olson, Philip Johnson and John Kirkpatrick from Bethlehem Lutheran, Hawarden, sang.

FLORENCE NINA OLSON [nee Nilson] 1931-2003

Florence Nina Nilson was the third daughter of Andrew and Josephine Nilson, the second youngest in a family of eight. She was born at the family home near Parkbeg, Saskatchewan on December 20th, 1931 and baptized and confirmed at Bethany Lutheran Church, north of Parkbeg. She attended school at a country school named ‘Holyrood' school and Parkbeg and took her last two years of High School at SLBI in Outlook. During her time away at High School in Outlook, her father Andrew passed away suddenly. After High School she moved to Moose Jaw and lived with her mom and sister Evelyn where she took 2 years of what was then called Normal School and became a school teacher. She taught school at Wildon School near Loreburn and it was while there that she met David. On July 24, 1953, they were married at Bethany Lutheran Church, near Parkbeg. Their first home was the Stauffer farm 8 miles straight east of Hawarden which they rented from the Kvinge brothers. While farming east of Hawarden, 5 sons and one daughter were born to them: Daryl, Everald, Arlin, Vance, Marlys and Duane. During this time the family was actively involved at Skudesnes Lutheran Church. In the winter when the roads were sometimes blocked for long periods of time we did Sunday School at home and Grandpa Olson would sometimes have church at his house for the family. In 1964, Dad and Mom bought the Victor Mann farm on the highway outside Hawarden and moved there. During this time another daughter Julie was born. In 1968, at the invitation of Pastor Curtis Satre, the family moved to Chelan, Saskatchewan to farm the Satre's and Nilson's land. Dad and Mom bought one quarter and they lived there for three years. During those three years we were involved in Chelan Lutheran Church where mom took her turn teaching Sunday School and playing the old pump organ for church. We used to joke that our family had increased the attendance at Chelan Lutheran by one third. In the summer of 1971, the family moved back to the Archibald farm at Strongfield and it was this year that Holly was born. Dad and mom bought the half section from dad's uncle Norman Archibald and rented another half section. He also farmed grandpa Joel's section of land at Hawarden for a few years since Grandpa and Grandma Olson had retired to Strongfield. In 1974 dad and mom built a new house on the farm west of Strongfield where they continued to farm until Dad passed away in 1989. About a year later mom moved to Camrose, Alberta. There she worked as mission home hostess and bookkeeper for the World Mission Prayer League, a Lutheran Mission Society. Mom very much enjoyed her work with World Mission Prayer League. There she became re-acquainted with many old friends from SLBI days in Outlook and made many new friends. She resided in Camrose right up until 2001. In December 2001, mom was hospitalized, with four blocked arteries. In Jan. 2002 she had quadruple bypass surgery. Three days later she partially lost her sight. In May 2002, she moved to an apartment in Regina to be close to family living there. On February 21, 2003, she was diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas and on March 14, 6:25AM, she passed away peacefully at the Regina General Hospital. Our mother, Florence loved to laugh. When ever she came to visit any of her children and grandchildren there was usually lots of stories and lots of laughter. Mom had a living faith in the Lord Jesus and was actively involved in the church all her life. Bedtime devotions, singing and prayer were a regular routine when we as children were younger. Mom loved to play the piano and sing. She enjoyed talking theology and we remember her and grandpa Olson spending many a Sunday afternoon in heavy discussion. Mom enjoyed travelling to visit her kids and grand kids. Even in her last year she talked about going to Central Asia to see Arlin and Ruth and family and to England to see Vance and Sarah. We give thanks to God for a wonderful Christian mother and grandmother who blessed our lives with so much love and good memories.