Duane Olson

The Funeral Service for Duane Olson of Swift Current and formerly of the Beaver Flatt area will take place on Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 3:00 pm from Trailview Alliance Church in Swift Current with Pastor Mike Smart and Pastor Gene Mau officiating. The service will be livestreamed and can be viewed here.

The service is being recorded and will be posted as soon as possible.

The Private Family Interment Service for Mr. Duane Olson will take place at a later date.

In memory of Duane Olson, donations made to the Stewart Valley Community Centre Project (c/o stingerstrong2022@gmail.com) would be appreciated by the family.

Larry Duane Bernhard Olson

June  10, 1939 – November 4, 2022

Once upon a time, long ago, a precious little boy was born on June 10, 1939 in Wadena, Saskatchewan.  His name at birth was Garth Johnston but for two years he lived in an orphanage in Regina, until Lars Kornelius and Bertha Olson adopted him.  They named him Larry Duane Bernhard Olson and they took him into their home and loved him as their own precious little boy. 

Fortunately for him, he lived in a caring Norwegian farming community that accepted and embraced him.  His formative years were spent riding horses with neighbor boys, playing softball and hockey and attending Hovdestad school and Nordland Church.  He later attended LCBI (Luther Collegiate Bible Institute) graduating from High school and taking a year of Bible school.

At age 21 he wanted an adventure so travelled by bus to Fergus Falls, Minnesota to the Lutheran Brethren Schools where he attended the Bible School.  It was here that he met his “princess” Elayne (Simonson) Olson. They both attended Morehead State College, him taking Industrial Arts and her taking Elementary Education.  It was love at first sight and even though it meant leaving her entire family (9 siblings, parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins) and friends she willing gave it all up to move one thousand miles from home (to the country of Canada) to marry (June 26, 1965) and start a life with her “Norwegian Prince.” 

They settled on the family farm seven miles east of Stewart Valley.  When her family travelled from Minnesota to see where she lived, they all thought she lived in “the middle of nowhere” but to her it was paradise because it was the home she made with her “Prince.”  They were blessed with two children (Naomi Joy, 1967 and Nathan Duane, 1969.)

Duane spent his life farming the land he loved, raising cattle, building a shop, a two-story English Tudor style house and a seed cleaning business. For a few years he had a floral business on the farm, harvesting local grasses (dock, triticale, etc). and dying them for sale into the floral market. He was a hockey coach, a school board member, a board member of Nordland Church, an usher at Trailview Alliance church and a counselor and then the Reeve of the RM of Excelsior.

Duane was an entrepreneur and always sat his desk dreaming up something new he could build or do.  He never stopped drawing and figuring.  One of his greatest joys was designing and building their dream home.  He also built tables, mirrors, head boards, shelves, bookcases, etc. out of wood or metal.  Anything Elayne could dream up he could build for her.

Duane and Elayne had 57 beautiful years of marriage.  Duane was always a kind, gentle man in every way, always caring for his family above all else.  Then he began showing signs of Lewy Body Dementia and Parkinsons, with personality changes, cognitive decline, inability to drive, loss of memory, hallucinations, aggressive behavior, etc.  November 16, 2021 he was admitted to the Meadows, House 7.  Elayne’s heart was broken over the changes in her “Norwegian Prince” however her love for him never waned.  He continued to adore her even though at times he did not know who she was.

His life was filled with the blessings of love, work that he enjoyed and most of all his faith and trust in God.  He leaves to mourn his loss:  his wife, Elayne, children Naomi (Neil) Penner, Nathan (Sharlene) Olson;  grandchildren, Josh (Holly) Penner, Mariah (Keefe) Spence, Noa (Brandon) Neifer and great grandson Sage Spence. 

Elayne’s extended family (over 100 people living in the USA) also mourn his loss along with Stewart Valley neighbors/friends/Olson relatives and numerous Seed Cleaning customers.  A very heartfelt thanks goes to Dr. Sam Bakare, the nurses, care aids, social workers, housekeeping, maintenance, and activities staff for their amazing care of Duane.  They truly loved and cared for him and that was so appreciated by the family.  Also to the many friends who prayed for him and visited him from the Nordland Church community, the Trailview Church and the residents of Valley Ridge Estates community for their support and friendship.

Blessed be the memory of Duane Olson, a life well lived and blessed by God himself!  Even though his birth parents gave him away, God in his mercy provided a beautiful, rewarding and fulfilling life for him.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Duane Olson, please visit our floral store.