Kenneth E. Olson

Ken's Memorial Service Video Link
It is with great sadness that we share that the CEO of the Olson family, Kenneth (Ken) E. Olson, peacefully passed away on January 7, 2026.

Ken was born Bear Creek in 1936, the son of Clarence and Marie (Wilke) Olson. He attended Bear Creek Schools with his brother Ron and the two of them were known to have lit up the basketball court and Ken held the record for most points scored in a high school game for many years. After high school he attended UW-Stevens Point where he studied accounting and finance. Ken was a pitcher for the Pointers and had tried out with the Braves! After completion of college, he was off to join the Marines. Serving his country is something he took great pride in.

Upon returning home he began what would be the start of his career in helping others in the field of finance which was a perfect fit for him. He had a wonderful demeanor with everyone he met. He was a loan officer, Vice-President of Operations, President and CEO of what was Home Saving and Loan in Appleton where he met his beloved wife of 41 years, Janet (Halloin) Olson. Ken and Jan relocated upon Dad's "first retirement" to Pickerel WI after they found their forever home on the lake. Retirement was not a word in Ken's vocabulary however and he became involved in the community taking active roles in the Pickerel Pearson Lions Club, the Pickerel Pearson Business Association, and The Lake Association and the Stop Crandon Mine campaign. In addition, he started his own business, North Central Finance Services. It wasn't all about work for him though, he had found the balance and enjoyed the things that mattered most to him, his family. He taught his daughters all about his favorite sports teams: the Packers, Brewers, Bucks and Badgers and games days were frequently spent with them watching together or with phone calls to or from them evaluating the game. Ken was an avid golfer, walking those 18 holes until he was 80. He enjoyed fishing on "his" lake and teaching his grandsons the finer techniques of the sport to reeling in the "big ones" with lifelong friends on the Canadian waters. Fish tales were bountiful as were the laughs.

Ken is survived by his daughters, Shari Olson and Colette Olson; grandchildren, Jordan Olson (Erica), Jacob Tanoos, Peter (Abigail) Tanoos and Alec Tanoos; great-grandchildren, Jordan Jr., Asher, Angelina, Ben and Crew and his stepchildren, Chad (Leigh) Gauger and their son, Maxwell and Gwyn (James) Hovey and their children, Nolan and Samare. Kenneth is also survived by the mother of his daughters, Donna Olson and goddaughter Wanda Pleshek.

In addition to his parents, Ken was preceded in death by his brother, Ronald Olson and godson Randall Neumann.

The Memorial Service for Ken will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 16, 2026, at Cline & Hanson Funeral Home in New London. Visitation will take place from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the service.

The family would also like to thank all the nursing staff at St. Joe's Residence in New London and Compassus Hospice of Green Bay. You all went the extra mile for our dad, and we will forever be grateful.