Donald J. Olson

FOREST CITY -- Donald J. Olson, age 89 of Forest City, died Tuesday, March 6, 2007 at Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City.



Funeral service will be Monday, March 12, 2007 at 10:30 AM at First Baptist Church in Forest City with Pastor Doug Snyder officiating. Burial will be at Oakland Cemetery in Forest City. Visitation will be from 3 to 6 PM Sunday, March 11 at the funeral home and an hour prior to service at the church.



In lieu of flowers,the family requests memorials be directed to the First Baptist Church.



Born July 3, 1917, in Forest City, IA, Donald John was the son of John A. and Ellen Matilda Drugg Olson. He was raised in Forest City, and graduated from Forest City High School in 1935. After graduation, Don attended Waldorf College and later worked in his fatherís furniture store. Donald purchased the furniture store with his brother Lloyd in 1940.





On March 3, 1942, Donald began his service with the Army Air Corps. During World War II, he served as a communications supply technician for a radio signal corps, having been stationed in India and China. In 1946, Sergeant Olson received his honorable discharge and returned to Iowa, where he enrolled in a cabinet making school in Des Moines. He then became employed by Maynard Eames Construction in Forest City.





On November 28, 1947, he married Alpha Jean Olson in Forest City. The couple moved to Hampton, IA, where Don was employed at the Hampton Furniture Store. In 1953, he purchased the Coast-to-Coast Hardware Store in Belmond, of which he operated for 20 years. He sold the business in 1973 and worked part time for the Fullerton Lumber Company and Meyer Brothers Construction in Belmond. He later built speculation homes, delivered new Winnebago motor homes to dealers around the country and drove a school bus for the Belmond School District.





On May 10, 1974, Alpha Olson preceded her husband in death. Don moved back to his hometown of Forest City in 1978. On February 17, 1979, he married Eva Amelsberg.





Don was a charter member of the Belmond Bible Church (now known as the Evangelical Free Church) and was a member of the First Baptist Church in Forest City. In earlier years he found great success as a pitcher in the Belmond Church Softball League. He enjoyed woodworking, golfing, playing checkers and card games. He especially loved spending time with his family.





Survivors include his Wife Eva of Forest City, IA; three daughters, Anita (Jim) Davids of Urbandale, IA, Jennifer (Steve) Brown of Ft. Dodge, IA, and Wendy Schulte of Brooklyn Park, MN; two sons, Kevin (Robin) Olson of Coon Rapids, MN, and Tim (Sally) Olson of Mt. Pleasant, IA; a step-son Jim (Lorraine) Amelsberg of Forest City, IA; a step-daughter Julie (Alan) Steiff of Brainerd, MN; eight grandchildren, four step-grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and three step-great-grandchildren. Also surviving is a sister Esther Trail of Roselle, IL, along with numerous nieces, nephews and other family members and friends.





Don was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife Alpha, one sister Dorothy Westerberg and a brother Lloyd Olson.