Evelyn Harriet Olsen

Evelyn Harriet Olsen, the daughter of Clarence and Margaret (Georgeson) Nelson, was born March 23, 1922, at her parents’ home in Shelby County, near Fiscus, Iowa and died March 26, 2013 at the Audubon County Memorial Hospital in Audubon, Iowa at the age of 91 years and 3 days. Evelyn was baptized at the Merrill’s Grove Baptist Church. She attended rural school, Polk #7 in Shelby County and then helped her parents on the farm. On June 15, 1943, she was united in marriage to Marion LeRoy Olsen at Merrill’s Grove Baptist Church. Two children: Gary and Kay were born to this union. They farmed Marion’s family farm in Shelby County until 1949, then farmed in Audubon County until they retired in 1988. In 1995, they moved from the farm into their present home in Audubon. They enjoyed traveling across the country visiting family and friends. Marion died August 15, 1999. Evelyn has continued to enjoy her home. Evelyn was a long time member of the Merrill’s Grove Baptist Church where she played the piano, taught Sunday school, and sang in the choir. In 1987, she became a member of the First Baptist Church in Elk Horn, Iowa. Music was a big part of Evelyn’s life. She always had large vegetable and flower gardens. She enjoyed sewing and quilting, making quilts for each of her grandchildren for birth, high school graduation, and marriage. She made each great grandchild a quilt at birth. She also enjoyed taking pictures of her family and many friends. She loved to cook and everyone loved eating her cooking. She always had a cat and enjoyed watching and feeding the birds. Preceding her in death were her husband Marion L. Olsen; her parents; her brother Laverne Nelson; her sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law: Ruby and Otis Wittrup; Gladys and Aage Andersen; Goldie and Glen Deyo; Pearl and Gunner Ehn; Vera Mae and George Thompson; and June and Paul Anderson. Survivors include her children: Gary M. Olsen of Audubon, Iowa and special friend Debbie Graham of Mt. Ayr, Iowa; Kay and husband Jeff Hansen of Yorkville, Illinois; her grandchildren: Robert and wife Tracey Olsen of Milford, Iowa; Douglas and wife Nichole Olsen of Audubon; Cory and wife Rachel Hansen of Sugar Grove, Illinois; Kevin and wife Rachel Hansen of Oswego, Illinois; Kelli and husband Richard DeGroat of Sugar Grove; her 17 great grandchildren: Connor and Jackson Ave, Grace and Gage Olsen all of Milford; Claire, Marcus, and Aaron Olsen all of Audubon; Grace, Ethan, Luke, and Ella Hansen all of Sugar Grove; Kate, Emma, Ava, and Jack Hansen all of Oswego; Noah and Naomi DeGroat both of Sugar Grove; her brother Herbert and wife Marjorie Nelson of Atlantic, Iowa; her sister-in-law Mary Nelson of Irwin, Iowa; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Cemetery:
Interment will be in the Merrill’s Grove Cemetery near Fiscus, Iowa.

Visitation:
The family will meet friends Thursday evening at 5:30 P.M. at the Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon, Iowa.

Service:
Funeral Services will be conducted by Pastor Paul M. Reynolds on Friday, March 29, 2013, at 10:30 A.M. at the First Baptist Church in Elk Horn, Iowa.