Keith Olson

Keith Olson, 72, of Centerville, Iowa, passed away on Sunday, November 9, 2025, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Iowa City.
A private family burial with military honors will be held at Pleasant Township Cemetery, south of Grinnell.
Condolences may be offered to Keith's family on the Smith Funeral Home and Crematory website at www.smithfh.com.
Keith LaVerne Olson was born on June 1, 1953, in Grinnell, Iowa, to Carl LaVerne Olson and Evelyn Audrey (Johnson) Olson. He was raised and educated in Grinnell. He honorably served in the United States Army and was stationed in Germany. After returning home, he earned an engineering degree from DMACC in Des Moines and worked as a telecommunications engineer.
Keith was blessed with a daughter, Amanda, and found great joy in his role as a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He cherished visits from his family to his acreage near Centerville, where he embraced a simple life surrounded by nature. Whether hunting, fishing, or tending the land, Keith found peace in the outdoors.
He had a love for western movies, rodeos in Wyoming, and the occasional shopping spree on QVC. Known for his ornery spirit, stubborn streak, and quick wit, Keith was a jokester at heart. He enjoyed processing deer and smoking meat with his buddies and baking zucchini bread-often sharing these passions with those he loved. He will be remembered for his deep love of the simple life, his rugged independence, and the laughter he brought to those around him.
Keith is survived by his daughter, Amanda Olivier of Waucoma, Iowa; his granddaughters, Jessica (Joel) Erritt of Des Moines, Iowa and their children, Evelyn and Gabriel, and Kiah (Dustin Christinson) Olivier of Grinnell and their child, Romeigh; his sister, Jo Beaderstadt of Des Moines; and his brother, Kevin Olson. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister Janet Peck.