Ronald Martin Olson

Ronald Martin Olson passed away peacefully on January 10, 2019 at Elim Care Center in Milaca.  A celebration of life service will take place at Milaca Evangelical Free Church on Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 11AM with Rev. Tom Sahlstrom officiating. Interment will follow at Forest Hill Cemetery.  Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.  In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Milaca Elim Care Center or Milaca Free Church.

Ron was born on July 12, 1935 in rural Foreston to Oscar and Evelyn (Grandy) Olson on his grandparents’ farm.  He graduated from Milaca High School in 1953.  He was married to Paulene Auker at Estes Brook Evangelical Free Church on June 1, 1957.  He joined the Army National Guard in July 1957 and was honorably discharged June 1963. He was always proud of the tank training he did at Fort Ripley. He was also very proud of the time he spent working at Eggen's Direct Service as a gas station attendant and driving school bus for the Milaca Public Schools. He started his insurance business in 1962 and continued that business through 1979. He held various maintenance positions from then to his retirement.  After retirement, he and Paulene started with SOWER Ministry. They traveled in their RV for 4 years ministering to various Christian organizations throughout the US by helping them maintain their facilities. They came back to Milaca in 2004 to be back with family and "old" church friends again.

His real passion was to minister at the church that he attended most of his life. He held most every position in the church from janitorial to Sunday school teacher to Sunday school superintendent. All for the sake of helping young and old develop a closer relationship with their Savior.

He is survived by wife of 61½ years, Paulene;  children, Carol (Christopher) Moody, Dean (Cathy) Olson and Colleen (fiance Mark Terhune) Strawn;  grandsons, Dustin (Jessica) Strawn, Dylan (Shiloh) Strawn, Jason (Christy) Moody, Jacob Moody, Samuel (Bethany) Olson, Peter (fiance Quinn Bos) Olson; great-granddaughters, Kaylyn, Aila, Lucy and Ellie Strawn;  great-grandsons, Jacob and Tyler Olson;  siblings, Gordon (Lou) Olson, Marie Watson, Marilyn (Larry) Lindell and Roger (Denise) Olson;  also by many cousins, nieces and nephews. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, Oscar and Evelyn Olson and one infant brother.