Obituary of Yvonne M. Olson

Yvonne Olson, 87, of Princeton, passed away on Thursday, March 7, 2019 at Abbott-Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. Yvonne was born in Ellsworth, Wisconsin, to Alice Hanson on March 25, 1931. At 17 years of age, she quit high school to move to Minneapolis with her dear friend Ruthie (Anderson-Michael) and worked at the Pillsbury Mills (Flour  Company). Yvonne later worked at the Elim Home in Princeton with her friend Vi Anderson. Vi brought Yvonne to the Karmel Wyanett youth group where she met Harley. When Harley returned from his Army service in the Korean War in August of ’52, they were married (October 4, 1952) at the Karmel Covenant Church in Princeton, Minnesota.

Harley & Yvonne lived briefly with Paul and Arlene Selin after their     wedding, and soon thereafter bought a home in south Minneapolis near 54th/Nokomis. Yvonne learned to drive in south Minneapolis while sneaking over to visit Arlene, driving on back streets without a driver’s license. They moved back to the Karmel community in 1957 and settled on the “Oldenkamp” farm. Over the years she held jobs at Fingerhut-Princeton, Griswold Manufacturing, and Sundberg’s Nursing Home in Cambridge, Minnesota. Yvonne was very musically gifted, having taken piano and   violin lessons as a child. She never left her love of music, and played largely by ear, able to sit down at the keys and play most any song she had heard.

Yvonne was a gifted cook and baker, always baking pies, bread, cookies, Christmas cookies, cinnamon rolls, and more!  Roast beef, mashed potatoes-gravy, and a vegetable were standard fare for Sunday dinner.

Yvonne was always involved at Karmel, teaching Sunday school, playing the piano, and was   active in the women’s ministry groups. She also taught “Release Time” classes in Princeton back when the school system would release the kids once/week for an hour of Christian Education at the local churches in town. Yvonne was active in visitation, and welcomed many visitors into the   Karmel church community.  If she saw a new couple at church on Sunday, she couldn’t wait to invite them over for dinner.

Yvonne was preceded in death by her mother Alice Hanson; her stepdad Henry Hanson; father Robert Iverson, brother Bobby Iverson and son-in-law Gary Melin.

She is survived by her husband Harley Olson, son Greg (Deb) Olson, daughter Denice Melin, daughter JaNahn (Andy) Barnhouse, daughter Tammy Olson, son Phil (Janell) Olson, 11 grandchildren Sarah (Geoff) Johnson, Zach Melin, Alex (Ashley) Melin, Anna Melin, Matthew Melin, Aaron Barnhouse, Charlie Barnhouse, Sam Olson, Molly (Schyler) Abuhl, Jared Olson, and Seth Olson, three great-grandchildren Keegan, Haley and Mackenzie Johnson, brothers Hank (Dee) Hanson, Duane Hanson, and sister-in-law Rachel (Paris) Fadden.

 A visitation and memorial service will be held from 10:00am-noon, and at 12 p.m. respectively on Saturday, March 16, 2019 at Karmel Covenant Church. Honorary Pallbearers will be Lee Olson, George DuVall, James Olson, Chuck Olson, Ken Olson and Carl Anderson. Interment will be in the Karmel Covenant Cemetery at a later date.