Doris LaVonne "Vonnie" Norum

Vonnie Norum (Doris Lavonne Ekholm Olson Norum) was born at home on Valentine's Day February 14,1923 to Dell and Mathilda (Tillie) Ekholm in Montevideo, MN. Soon after she was joined by her adored 'baby sis,' Wanita. Together with cousin, Beverly, the three enjoyed school activities, music, boys, and watching the bustling streets of Montevideo on a summer night from upstairs of the Ekholm Brothers Home Modernization store. They enjoyed going everywhere with their german shepherd dogs who were also best of friends. Pal would walk them to and from school, fetch packages from town, loved picnics in the park, and rode along in a wooden box on the running board all the way out west. Vonnie enjoyed horse and buggy rides visiting country cousins in Clarkfield.
After graduating from Montevideo High School, Vonnie headed to St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. There she and her date picked up a young man hitchhiking his way back to campus from his family farm in Godahl, MN. He caught her eye when he and other young men returned to campus from officer training school in their crisp dress uniforms, ready for duty. As communications officer, Lt JG Norman Olson was stationed on a subchaser in the brutal Aleutian Islands of Alaska. A collection of treasured letters tells the tale of the deepening romance, always ending with a corny joke. In his final letter after returning from the south Pacific he closed prophetically by saying, "Gosh you're gonna' make a sweet little old lady someday." Boy was he right!
Vonnie graduated from St. Olaf in 1945 and worked briefly as a social worker in a children's home in Como Park and with the elderly in Minneapolis. Vonnie and Norm were married at Salem Lutheran Church in Montevideo. While Norm taught school in Sacred Heart, their sweet little valentine baby, Laird Ekholm Olson, was born. When the University of Minnesota erected much needed housing at the time, Vonnie and Norm moved to University Village (rows and rows of quonset huts) where he completed his master's degree and studied for the CPA exam.
Norm's career sent them to Chicago where they bought their first home in Oak Park and son, Lance Norman Olson, was born. When Norm was transferred to St. Louis the family grew with Laurel, Linden, and Lizbeth coming along. All 5 L's were in alphabetical order from oldest to youngest which Norm thought was pretty funny. Norm was transferred back to
Chicago, leaving behind their turquoise house in Warson Woods and finding their dream home in the Chicago suburb of Inverness.
All along the way Vonnie made friends for life, always staying in touch with dear friends, writing, exchanging cards, and paying visits. She was a gracious and caring hostess, always cheerfully welcoming family and friends into her home. You were never going to leave hungry. No thank you was not an option. She seemed to magically prepare large family meals with perfectly set tables and will be remembered for making holiday gatherings so special with her Swedish meatballs, lefsa, spritz, and putting up with Norm's traditional dumb Sweed jokes as she scurried to and from the kitchen.
Vonnie enjoyed time with her church circle, hosting bridge club and cocktail parties, and playing the roles of cub scout den mother and girl scout leader. Summers were made for visiting family in Minnesota and spending time at the lake. She enjoyed travelling with the family to a warm beach in the spring, to Seattle to visit her sister, and seeing wonderful sites with Norm.
When Norm passed away in 1974 Vonnie still had the 2 youngest children to see through school and off to college. When she was ready Vonnie decided to live out their retirement dream of moving home to Minnesota and life on a lake. The perfect spot was near her children with room to enjoy the out of doors and a beach to swim. She found that on Jennings Bay of Lake Minnetonka. She joined St. John's Lutheran Church in Mound, took up the art of stained glass (which her grandfather Ekholm had done in St. Paul at the turn of the century), and participated in St. Olaf alumni events.
Spending time with Oles created a turn of events for Vonnie. She became reacquainted with another alum she and Norm had met in Chicago alumni events, Philip Norum. Phil was working as Alumni director and as any good hostess would, she invited him to the lake for a barbeque. Vonnie and Phil were married and she gained 3 more children to enfold into their family, Robb, Nina and Kristi. They enjoyed 25 years of fun at the lake with their growing family of grandchildren, volunteer work, their beloved OWLS (Older Wiser Lutheran Seniors), and travel. Oh how they loved to travel! They would drive from coast to coast to see grandchildren, visit friends, and spend spring on a beach. They traveled with St. Olaf alumni to Europe. They researched and visited their heritage in Norway.
Vonnie and Phil set up 'Santa's Workshop' in the basement of their home where he created all sorts of gifts for the grandchildren, and she practiced the Scandinavian art of rosemaling. When they needed to simplify, they moved down the bay to Seahorse Condominiums where they enjoyed a community of friends and activities and took grandchildren for boat rides.
After Phil's passing Vonnie remained in her home until a fall on her 90th birthday would have made it difficult to remain independent and socially active. Vonnie tilted into her walker and full speed ahead she moved down the way to another bay on the lake where many of her friends from Seahorse and St. Johns also migrated in time, Lake Minnetonka Shores Presbyterian Homes. Like the social director on a cruise, Vonnie made it her job to ensure that everyone went to dinner, had someone to sit with, and met one another. For more than 10 years she enjoyed taking part in activities, arts and crafts, bible study and more but nothing gave her more joy than to gather her family together and have her children and grandchildren stop by for a boat ride. Perhaps, her favorite thing was when son, Lance, would stop out nearly every day to take her for a boat ride, bring milkshakes or watch the game with her. Sadly, she lost Lance to cancer in 2015.
Vonnie celebrated her 100th birthday in 2023 surrounded by a loving group of family and dear friends. She was truly touched and grateful by the outpouring of affection. It gives her family comfort to know that she was loved by so many as Vonnie spent her life sharing the light of love with all. Even when Vonnie's hearing failed her you could feel her joy to be with you by her grip on your hand and her bright-eyed smile.
Vonnie left this world peacefully on March 12, 2024 after 101 years of a life well lived. She was proceeded in death by her parents, Dell and Tillie Ekholm, husbands Norman Olson and Philip Norum, sister Wanita, son Lance, stepson Robb, and daughter in law Cyndi.
Vonnie is survived by her children Dr. Laird Olson, Laurie Johnson (Steve), Linden Olson (Michele), Lizbeth Brown (Michael), daughter in law Ann Herzog Drewiske, stepdaughters Nina Norum (Ron) and Kristi Kresslein (Joe), grandchildren Erik Olson, Wes Olson, Luke Olson, Christopher Johnson, Daniel Johnson, Maggie Dylla, Robert Johnson, Lon Olson, Lander Olson, Marta Brown, Ellie Brown, Andrew Norum, Kaia Peterson, Leif Peterson, Marion Kresslein, Dana Kresslein, and Gretchen Kresslein and 15 great greatgrandchildren, and numerous beloved nieces and nephews and extended family and friends including honorary son, Bill Johnson
A memorial service is planned for 1:00 PM on Saturday April 27th in the chapel of Lake Minnetonka Shores Presbyterian Homes 4515 Shoreline Dr, Spring Park, MN 55384, with visitation starting at 12:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent in her memory to the Norman Olson Endowment with St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN