Edward Olson

Obituary for Edward Charles Olson   May 13, 1924  -  August 2, 2019, age 95

Ed Olson was born in Little Falls, Minnesota. Growing up on a farm, he also learned the logging and barn building business from his father. He graduated high school in 1942, and served in the U. S. Army from 1944 to 1946. He married Lois Warnberg on November 30, 1946. He graduated from Dunwoody Technical Institute as an electrician in 1948.

He worked for IBM for 32 years, in Minneapolis, MN; Omaha, NE; Wappingers Falls, NY; and Kansas City, MO.; He started in 1948 as an installer and retired as a manager. He earned a BA degree from UMKC in 1977. He taught at Haskell Indian Nations University from 1978 to 1980, and 1983 to 1985.  Ed and Lois served as Evangelical Covenant missionaries for two years (1981-1983) in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) where he taught high school science in French. Ed had many hobbies, including water skiing, genealogy, practical missions support, and anything mechanical or electrical.

He was a member of Grace Community Church in Minneapolis, Omaha Heights C&MA Church, Poughkeepsie (NY) C&MA Church, and Hillcrest Covenant Church in Prairie Village, KS. At Hillcrest he served as Head of the High School Task Force, as a Deacon, and as chair of the Missions Committee. Part of his legacy is the Missions Information Wall near the church front door.

He is predeceased by his parents, Fred and Esther (Johnson) Olson, a sister Elaine (Olson) Kennedy, and two brothers, Robert Olson and Richard Olson. He is survived by two sisters:  Viola (Olson) Paul of Conroe, TX and Beverly (Olson) Ellefson of Minneapolis, MN; his wife Lois (Warnberg) Olson; one sister-in-law Charlotte Olson <Richard> and five children: Mary (Olson) Downum <Wesley>, Annette Olson, Rodney Olson <Donna>, Charles Olson <Sheryl>, and Theresa Derr.  Grandchildren: Kathleen Downum, Karen (Downum) Chapin, Abigail (Olson) Leonard <Daniel>, Sara Olson, Edward D. Olson, Daniel Olson <Judith>, and Dawn (Olson) Berlanga <Manelik>. Great grandchildren: Hannah, Samuel, Lydia, Sarah, Isabel, Gabriel, and Zoe. And 28 living nieces and nephews.

Memorial gifts may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (act.alz.org), the Hillcrest Covenant Missions Fund (hillcrestcov.org), or to the Lyme Association of Kansas City (lymefight.info).