Obituary/Allan Dale Olson (December 30, 1933-August 7, 2025) Joan Jeanette Olson (February 17, 1935-July 11, 2025)

Allan and Joan (Souder) Olson, married for nearly 69 years, passed away after long illnesses at nursing facilities located in Ada, Minnesota and Holmen, Wisconsin.

Allan and Joan Olson were born and raised in Grand Forks, North Dakota and Halma, Minnesota, respectively. Joan moved to Grand Forks after her graduation from Karlstad High School in Minnesota and attended and completed the Aaker’s Business College Program. Joan met Allan through a mutual friend. On August 19, 1956, Allan and Joan were married, shortly after Allan completed his B.A. Degree (History) and his teaching credential at the University of North Dakota.  

After one year of teaching in Pisek, North Dakota, they moved to Southern California in August 1957. Their daughters, Nancy and Rhonda, were born in Upland in 1958 and 1959, respectively. In 1960, they moved to rural Lake Elsinore Valley in Riverside County. Allan served as a teacher and principal for more than 30 years in Wildomar, Machado, and Lake Elsinore schools, earning his M.A. in Education from California State University-Long Beach.  

Joan was employed by Bank of America for 25 years in nearby Sun City. She loved the financial field and started as a teller and was promoted to an Officer, Note Officer, and eventually Loan Officer. She became one of the first female Loan Officers in that area of Southern California.  

Shortly after retirement, they moved to San Diego County for ten years and decided to relocate to Halma in Northern Minnesota.  

Their adventurous spirits and love of history and travel guided them across 49 of 50 States, most of Canada, Mexico, parts of Central and South America, and Europe.  Together with their daughter, Nancy, and son-in-law, Wayne, they especially cherished trips to Alaska, Maritime Canada, Scandinavia (including their ancestral hometowns of Bergen, Norway and Malmö, Sweden), and the Panama Canal.

Allan and Joan are survived by their daughter, Nancy Olson-Martin and son-in-law, Wayne Martin of Onalaska, Wisconsin; Joan’s sister, Doris (late Wesley Hazelton) of Lake Bronson, Minnesota; nieces, Carol (Haug) Andoljsek, Michele Olson, Janelle Olson, and Donna Olson; and nephews Gary Olson, Bill Haug, Larry Olson, Rick Hawks, Mark Olson, Scott Olson, Steve Hawks, and Craig Olson.  They are also survived by numerous great and great-great nieces and nephews.

Allan and Joan were preceded in death by daughter, Rhonda Olson; parents, Axel and Minnie (Simmons) Olson and George and Ethel (Bronson) Souder; Allan’s sisters, Luverne (Otto Haug) and Geraldine “Gerry” (George Hawks); Allan’s brothers, Orin (Marion Dahl), Wallace “Wally” (Margaret Breyer), Gaylan (Phyllis Fundingsland), and Joan’s brothers, Dale and Donald; nephew, George Hazelton and nieces, Susan and Bonne Olson. 

A private funeral and Internment will be held in the spring of 2026.  An announcement of the time and place will be published in the Grand Forks Herald and the Karlstad North Star News.

In Lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Kittson County Historical Museum (Attention: Cindy Adams), 332 Main Street, Lake Bronson, Minnesota 56734.