Florence Olson

Florence A. Olson, 89, Grand Forks, North Dakota, died Monday, February 11, 2008, in Villa St. Vincent Nursing Home, Crookston, Minnesota. Florence Audrey Hobson was born May 14, 1918, in Ardmore, South Dakota, the daughter of Grover and Petra Hobson. The Hobsons moved to North Dakota when Florence was a baby ? living in Fargo, Strasburg and Carrington. After graduating high school, Florence moved to Devils Lake, where she met Nyer Olson. The two fell in love and married at United Lutheran Church in Grand Forks on September 7, 1941. During their life together, the couple moved 13 times due to Nyer's work as a retail store manager. The moves found them living in towns in South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and North Dakota. One of Florence's favorite places among these towns was Shenandoah, Iowa, where her daughter Lynda was born. Florence and her family finally settled in Grand Forks when Nyer accepted a management position with Sears. In 1964, Florence took a job as a teller at Grand Forks Federal Savings and Loan. She worked at the bank for eighteen years, advancing to the position of Loan Officer and Vice President of Marketing. She was the first female vice president in the history of the bank. Florence was dedicated to her family. She loved seeing them gathered around her dinner table. She was famous for her pot roasts, potato salads, fried potato dumplings and angel food cakes. During dinner, Florence's passion for politics and current events was easily apparent. Debates were lively and encouraged as Florence (or "Grammie" as she was known to her grandchildren) was admittedly opinionated ? but also open-minded, she insisted! During retirement, Florence and Nyer enjoyed extensive travel, often journeying with Nyer's siblings. Favorite trips included visits to Hawaii, Norway, Russia (before Glasnost!) and Australia. Florence and Nyer also enjoyed golf, reading the latest thrillers, and walking together. The lengthy daily walks the couple would take, holding hands, made them neighborhood celebrities. Florence and Nyer became members of United Lutheran Church upon their move to Grand Forks. They were members for over forty years. Florence will be dearly missed by her surviving family, a daughter, Lynda (Keith) Berger, Grand Forks; grandchildren, Tera (Justin Data) Rutten, Bismarck; Patrick (Amy Erickson) Rutten, Bloomington, Minnesota; Tracie (Brad) Anderson, Fargo; Robbie (Kim) Berger, Onalasaka, Wisconsin; great-grandchildren, Jackson Nyer Data, Olivia Florence Data, Ryan, Kyle and Tyler Berger. Florence was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Nyer, who died in 2006. The couple were happily married for 65 years.