Ralph Olson

Ralph William Olson was born March 1, 1929.  He died August 6, 2022, having reached the age of 93 years, 5 months, and 5 days.

Ralph was born to Martin and Martha (Maltzahn) Olson, the youngest of seven children.  It was snowing the day Ralph was born, so his brother, Gerald, and father hitched up a team of horses with a sleighbox to pick up the doctor, who couldn’t access the road leading to their farm on the north shore of Lake Wakanda in rural Kandiyohi County.   Ralph’s mother said Ralph was the only good thing to happen in 1929, the year the Depression began.  Ralph’s family was kicked off the farm when he was five years old.

Music was very important to Ralph and his family.  Beginning when he was six, Ralph sang on the radio with his sisters, Margaret and Jean, “The Olson Trio,” every Sunday during service for ten years.  Thereafter, Ralph participated in church choirs.

Ralph joined the Kandi-yo-hi-lo barbershop chorus (later known as The West Central Connection) in 1961 and sang tenor in a number of quartets.  He sang lead in The Fresh Approach quartet which won a division award for novice quartet.  By special invitation, The West Central Connection traveled to Columbus, Ohio, to compete on the international stage.

At 14 years old, Ralph began working after school at Red & White’s grocery store, candling eggs, stocking shelves, and sacking potatoes.  Despite not having a driver’s license, he delivered groceries, sitting atop a peach crate in order to reach the pedals.  His service to his fellowmen actually began then, as he brought special boxes his boss filled with scarce items to the mothers who had lost a son in the war.

In 1950, Ralph enlisted in the Army and sent to Fort Rucker, Alabama.  He was a Sergeant First Class in Company C, and then promoted to Master Sergeant. Ralph was relocated to Fort Belvor, Virginia, and attended leadership school and combat construction foreman school.  He was released from service in 1952 but continued to serve for five years as Master Sergeant with the National Guard in Willmar.

Ralph married his high school classmate, Evelyn Grace Aronson, on April 13, 1951, at Fort Rucker.  Their eldest child, Terrence, was born in Enterprise, Alabama.  Son Robin, and daughters Cathy and Caroline were born in Willmar.

Ralph began work at Peterson’s Shoes in 1949 and returned after his Army service.  He bought the business in 1984 and sold it to his son, Robin, in 1999.  He returned to work in 2007 but put down his shoe horn for good in 2014 due to health issues.

Ralph was proud of the work he did in 1982 for DRAC, a city government initiative that entailed redoing the utilities of 13 square blocks of the central business district of downtown Willmar.  Ralph was very proud of Willmar and being a business owner.

Ralph is survived by his wife, Evelyn, and children: Terry (Meg), of Richardson, TX, Robin, of Willmar, Cathy, of Willmar, and Caroline (Lou Cucco) of Orlando, FL; grandchildren Christopher and Jackson Muldrow, and Joshua Husby; his sister-in-law, Irene Gaarder and son, Michael, of Pacifica, Washington; niece Pamela Orozco of Casper, WY; several nieces and nephews, and many friends.

Ralph was preceded in death by his parents, siblings and their spouses, Leon (Eleanor), Floyd (Greta), Gerald (Delores), Donald (Darlene), Margaret (Richard) and Jean (Donald) as well as his brothers-in-law Gary Gaarder and Ed (Evelyn) Aronson; daughter-in-law Joan Lucas Olson, son-in-law Bill Bannon; nephew Alan Olson, and niece Mari Rothman.

Ralph was a longtime member of Calvary Lutheran Church.  It was his wish to not have a funeral but a private family committal service with military honors.

Blessed be his memory.

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