William G. Olson

William G. (Bill) Olson, of Altus, died Thursday, April 2, 2015, as the result of an accident on the farm where he was born 82 years ago. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Monday, April 6 at Kincannon Funeral Home with David Lovejoy officiating. Interment will follow services at the Victory Cemetery under the direction of Kincannon Funeral Home.

Bill was born Feb. 23, 1933, to William Oscar (Willie) and Blanche (Wheeless) Olson at their home west of Altus. Bill graduated from Victory High School in 1951 and from Altus Junior College in 1953. After one year at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served two years. The majority of his tour was in Germany. He met Shirley Troxel on a blind date and they were united in marriage on Sept. 8, 1956, in Weatherford. They cherished each other for 62 years (four years of courtship, mostly by mail, and 58 years of marriage.)

Bill was baptized into Christ and was a faithful member of the Tamarack Road Church of Christ.

In 1957, Bill obtained a Business Administration degree from Oklahoma City University, and continued his education there with additional studies in Accounting and Law. Education was very important to him and he continued to attend various seminars and schools until the time of his death. He sought to pass that desire for education on to his children and grandchildren.

Bill was an accountant at Altus Air Force Base for 27 years and, also, had a private accounting practice. He was engaged in residential and commercial real estate development, along with farming and ranching interests, until his death. He felt very deeply that he had a responsibility to improve the land for the next generation. He enjoyed operating his dirt-moving equipment while clearing the land, building ponds, and maintaining terraces. Early in his career, Bill helped to start the Jaycees in Altus. Their motto was "Altus Okla with a Future to Share" and Bill did his best to improve Altus by upgrading or replacing old buildings and building new ones. The west entrance into Altus has improved tremendously because of his efforts.

Bill liked to go four-wheeling with his family at the farm and on the trails in Colorado. The last trip to Colorado was in August 2014. He enjoyed seeing his twin granddaughters drive the two Studebaker pickups that he had restored in the annual Rock and Rumble Cruise in Altus.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents; and his granddaughter, Kristin Nelson.

He is survived by his wife, Shirley, of the home in Altus; a daughter, Jerri and her husband Mike Nelson of Fountain, Colo.; a son, Dean and his wife Jean Olson of Olustee; a grandson, Jonathan Nelson of Colorado Springs, Colo.; and four granddaughters, Jessica White and her husband Alex of Duke, Karen Houska and her husband Aaron of Duke, Amanda Olson and Sarah Olson of Olustee. He is also survived by three great-grandchildren, Ryan and Dani Jean White and Tucker Houska, all of Duke; and a host of other family and friends.

On-line tributes may be made at kincannonfuneralhome.com. Because Bill's only grandson is a former Marine who sustained head injuries during three tours in war zones, a fitting memorial to Bill would be the Wounded Warrior Project, 4899 Belfort Road, Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32256 or at woundedwarriorproject.org.

The family will greet friends Sunday afternoon from 3 to 5 p.m. at Kincannon Funeral Home. Additional parking for the service is available behind the funeral home, Best Western to the South or Western Sizzlin' to the North.

Family and friends unable to attend may log on to kincannonfuneralhome.com 30 minutes prior to the service, click on the "Live Services" tab to view the live webcast of the funeral. Online tributes may be made at kincannonfuneralhome.com