Elsie Olson

Elsie Alice Olson, age 91, passed away peacefully on Friday, February 27, 2026 at the Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont, MN.

Elsie was born in Delhi, Iowa on April 29, 1934 to Lynn and Alice (Holdridge) Pulver. She moved to Swea City, Iowa in 1943 with her family and was later married to Richard Hesvik in 1950. Together they lived on the Hesvik family farm north of Swea City where they raised their four children, Debbie, Rick, Connie, and Bonnie. Elsie kept busy helping out in the field, raising goats, lambs, and chickens, and sewing clothes for her children. She planted a large garden each year in addition to starting her own tomato plants and various other seedlings in her greenhouse located on the farm. They later divorced in 1971 and Elsie moved to Blue Earth, Minnesota along with her two younger daughters, Connie and Bonnie, who were still in high school. Elsie worked at Telex and then First National Bank where she became a licensed insurance agent. She opened her own office in 1990 becoming an agent for Farmers Insurance. She married Roger Olson in 1973 and continued to reside in Blue Earth. Roger passed away in January of 2007.

In 2021, Elsie moved to Goldfinch Estates in Fairmont, Minnesota. She continued to enjoy sewing, crocheting, knitting, tending to her many plants and she was especially proud of her orchids. She was a member of Hope United Methodist Church, Blue Earth, MN.

Elsie is survived by her three daughters, Debbie (Craig) Smith, Excelsior Springs, Missouri, Connie (Paul) Stevens, Armstrong, Iowa, and Bonnie (Bruce) Ankeny, Blue Earth, Minnesota; two sisters, Linda Maul, and Twi (Ernie) Griffiths; brothers-in-law, Fred Seylar, Larry Vetsch, Claire (Diane) Olson and sister-in-law Bonnie (Larry) Fowler; seven grandchildren; seventeen great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Roger, son Rick, and sister, Judy Seylar.

A private family burial will be held at a later date. The family kindly requests that memorials be made to Hope United Methodist Church, PO Box 125, Blue Earth, Minnesota 56013.