Elizabeth J. Olson

Elizabeth (Betty) Olson died peacefully on Tuesday, January 24, 2023; she was 94 years old. As Betty always did, she gathered her family again in love, one last time.
Betty was predeceased by her husband, Morris, her youngest daughter, Mary Connolly, son-in-law, Tom Connolly, all of her nine siblings, and many extended family members and dear friends.
She is survived by five of her children: Keith (Marlene), Ron (Linda), Renee (Bob) Bodine, Doug (Delma), and Rick (Kristy); she is further survived by 15 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren.
Betty was born in 1928 to Elizabeth (Boisjolie) and Francis Brunette in the Fargo N.D. area. Soon after graduating from high school, Betty Brunette married Morris (Mory) Olson, a then-recently and honorably discharged U.S. Marine Corps veteran of World War II. They raised their first four children in Horace, ND until 1953; Mory then accepted a permanent position with Grudem Brothers in St. Paul, MN.
Acting on colleague's recommendation, Mory and Betty moved the family to Chisago City, MN, where they would live out their lives and add two more children to the fold, making many dear friends while establishing their roots. After initially taking up residence "uptown", Betty and Mory raised their family in a large, turn-of-the-century home on six acres on Lofton Avenue. Subsequently they subdivided those six acres and developed the "Olson Addition", consisting of seven additional home sites, one for them and one intended for each of the children. They built their new home and it became the centerpiece of the new neighborhood, in which the Olson family expanded. After the children had grown and Morris passed away, Betty's kids and grandkids teamed together to build her latest home, in which she would reside until 2021, and from which she would hand out Tootsie Pops to her great-grandchildren and their friends.
Betty was a stay-at-home mom until all of the children were in their teens or out of "her nest". She then accepted a job with Honeywell and stayed there until her retirement. With Mory, Betty enjoyed fishing and hunting trips with family and friends, dancing, entertaining friends, local small town events, Sportsmen Club activities, and many trips to visit the numerous relatives left behind in the Fargo/Moorhead area. After Mory's death, Betty remained a woman of strong faith, and was very involved in several ministries of St. Bridget of Sweden Catholic Church, which she attended for 70-plus years. She volunteered as a Catechism instructor to parish youth, provided transportation for congregation members to and from church, offered her wares in the many bake sales, served on the funeral lunch and quilting committees, and offered her services wherever in the church she could help. Outside of church, Betty was also a Meals on Wheels delivery volunteer and an active contributor of her time to the Chisago Lakes School District.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to St. Bridget's Catholic Church, Family Pathways, or American Lung Association.