Carroll R. Olson
January 26, 1933 - December 8, 2015

The family will greet friends from 4 to 7 p.m., Friday at the funeral home. A memorial service for Carroll and Wilma will be held at a later date.

January 26, 1933 saw snow in the air in the Huxley & Ames, IA area as Tom and Clara (Ronning) Olson welcomed their second son, Carroll Ronnie at Mary Greeley Hospital, Ames. Carroll had an older brother, Tom who also welcomed him, along with his Uncle, Nels. Carroll spent his formative years in Huxley, until his family moved to Tacoma, WA where his father worked at a school during WW II. His brother, Tom, a combat engineer, was fighting the Germans, under Gen. Patton in the European Theater. Memories of this time shaped him as he grew to be an adult. After the war, the Olson's moved back to Emmetsburg, IA where Carroll graduated with the E'burg Class of '51. It was during this time, he met the love of his life - the lady who would take his breath away for the next 62 years - Wilma Osborn. Wilma was a Cheerleader at Cylinder High, and while she drew the eyes of many a teenage boy, she only had eyes for Carroll.

Carroll joined the Air Force, as part of the 55th Wing SAC, Offutt, AFB after graduating from high school. On July 16, 1953, two months after Wilma graduated from Cylinder, Carroll married his sweetheart at St. John's Lutheran Church, Depew, IA. The weather in Iowa on the evening of that July 16th was 85 - and the church was 100 degrees - yet, because his bride thought he was so handsome in his Air Force dress blues (100% wool), he wore them proudly! After saying, 'I do', the new 'Mr. & Mrs. Olson' left for Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, TX where Airman 1st Class Olson assumed his duties as an aircraft mechanic. The Air Force moved them from Wichita Falls, to Amarillo and then to Topeka, KS where they welcomed their first daughter, Debra Ann on May 18, 1955. In 1957, Staff Sgt & Mrs. Olson made the decision to leave the Air Force and return to Iowa to farm the Olson family farm outside Ottoson, IA. The house was modernized to welcome Debbie and her sister, Diane Kristie, who joined the family on August 4, 1957. A special birthday surprise occurred on January 26, 1959 when daughter number three joined the family - Denise Lynn. After the birth of his third daughter, Dad was heard to remark, he was going to get a dog - that way he could have his male! As many farmers of that era, Dad sold Tomco seed corn, as well as Archer Oil. Proud of his tomatoes, he was always on the quest of the biggest, tastiest and juiciest varieties and was always ready to try the newest hybrids. The first time he planted Beefsteaks, he proclaimed them 'really big, but not much taste'.

Growing up as an Olson, meant summer vacations. As family we visited friends they had made while in the Air Force, as well as family throughout the U.S. We traveled by car and pick-up camper - always ready for the open road. Dad farmed until 1973, when the decision was made to sell the farm. Prior to that, he started to drive school bus for the West Bend Community School District - eventually becoming Bus Superintendent. The summer of 1973, the family moved to West Bend, where Dad continued his work with the School. In 1975, he joined the Palo Alto County Sheriff's Department, serving as a Deputy for Sheriff Joe Girres. He served Palo Alto County proudly in this role for over six years. Upon leaving the Sheriff's Office, Dad began the next chapter of his employment, which would lead him to work at various local convenience stores, including Four Sons/ Kum & Go in Emmetsburg and the Graettinger Country Store for the next 20 years.

He lived to proudly walk all three of his daughters down the aisle, greet three grandsons and four granddaughters, as well as three great-granddaughters and two great-grandsons. He was preceded in death by his parents, Tom and Clara, his Uncle Nels, wife, Wilma (Nov. 6, 2015), sister-in-law, Rosemary Olson, mother and father-in law, Ethel and Earl (Shorty) Osborn and brother-in-law, Jon Osborn.
He is survived by his brother Tom, Aurora, CO; daughters and sons-in-law, Deb & Gordon Sellers, Hawarden, IA and their children and grandchildren, James & Brenda Sellers, Elk Point, SD and daughters Emma & Anna, Thomas & Sarah Sellers, Hawarden; Diane Clasing and her significant other, Bobbie Steger, Emmetsburg, and her children and grandchildren, Kris & Dustin Palmer, Ames, IA and son Devin, Kari & Andy Pelkner, Omaha, NE and children Camden and Elodie and Kourtney Clasing, Ames; Denise & Tim Micklos, Jackson, MN and their children, Megan and her fiancé, Casey Heser, Jackson, MN and Joe Micklos, Jackson, MN. Brother-in-law Bruce Osborn, Cylinder, sister-in-law Sherri (Osborn) Bredehoeft and her husband, John, Emmetsburg; Nephew Tom Olson & his wife Bonnie, Santa Fe, NM, Niece Kris Falde, Aurora, CO. and Niece Sigrid Olson, Albuquerque, NM, Anne Osborn and her family, Manson, IA, and Adam and Kristine Osborn and family, Cylinder, IA.

He was a member of Bethany Lutheran Church, Emmetsburg, IA and VFW Post 2295, Emmetsburg, IA.

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