Leonard R. Olson

Lake City, SD

1935, 2757, Narrows (Blue Bell) SP-3,

(February 4, 1916 - April 9, 2010)

Britton, SD: Leonard R. Olson, 94, a longtime Lake City area farmer, died Friday, April 9, 2010 at Marshall County Healthcare Center in Britton.

His funeral will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 14, 2010, at the First Presbyterian Church of Britton. Burial will be in the Zion Cemetery, rural Hillhead under the direction of the Price Funeral Chapel, Britton. Visitation will be one hour preceding the funeral.

Twin boys Leonard and Leslie (the youngest of nine children) were born to Halvor and Cora (Reynolds) Olson on February 4, 1916, one half mile north of Lake City, SD. Leonard grew up on the family farm and went to school in Lake City for 11 years. He graduated from Britton High School in 1933. That December he went to work at Brudos Ranch. In 1935 he went to the Civilian Conservation Corps for one year before returning to the Brudos Ranch.

On October 17, 1936, he married his high school sweetheart, Helen Coburn. They had three children. They moved to Groton, SD and worked on a farm until 1938. In 1939, they lived on a farm nine miles east of Lake City. They moved to a farm southeast of Hillhead in 1940 and remained there until buying the Otto Swanson farm four miles north of Lake City in 1945. They farmed there until retiring in 1980. They remained on the farm until moving to Britton in 2000. Over the years, Leonard enjoyed traveling with Helen. They made nine trips to California, several trips to Montana and one to Texas.

Leonard served for 10 years on the school board for the Dumarce School District. He worked for ASCS measuring land. He was elected a Marshall County Commissioner in 1976 and served on several boards including NESDEC, Glacial Lakes Association and the Senior Citizen Nutrition Center. He operated the scale at the sale barn for almost 20 years. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Britton and served as Deacon, Trustee and Usher. He was a member of IOOF and served as the Grandmaster of South Dakota in 1985-86. For many years he was a member of the Fun After Fifty Club.

Helen passed away on June 27, 2008, and Leonard continued to make his home in Britton.

Survivors include a daughter, Jean Hottmann of Beaumont, TX; a son, Dale (Carol) Olson of Aberdeen; nine grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; a sister Nellie Godwin of Texas; a sister-in-law Mae Olson of Britton; and a daughter-in-law Mary Olson of Aberdeen.

Preceding him in death were his parents, his loving wife, Helen; his son, Dean Olson; four sisters and three brothers.

Do you have additional information about Leonard Olson

We would like to included it. Please write or email us at History "at" SouthDakotaCCC "dot" org.