Glenn Philip Olson

1941 - 2026

Glenn Philip Olson

July 21, 1941 - February 26, 2026

Glenn Philip Olson of Sioux City passed away February 26, 2026, at Westwood Specialty Care in Sioux City, Iowa.

Visitation will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, 2026, with prayer service at 7 p.m. at Kober Funeral Home in Elk Point, S.D. Services will be held 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, rural Elk Point, S.D.

Glenn Olson was born July 22, 1941, at Dakota Hospital in Vermillion, S.D., to Gust and Olga (Dahlum) Olson. He was baptized at Roseni Lutheran Church, rural Beresford, S.D. He was confirmed May 29, 1955, at St. Peter Lutheran Church, rural Burbank, S.D.

Glenn grew up on the family farm in the Prairie Center Township, Clay County, S.D. He attended all eight elementary school grades at Prairie Center School in Clay County. He graduated from Vermillion High School in 1959. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in journalism and political science from the University of South Dakota at Vermillion in 1963. During his senior year, he was elected to membership in Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

Glenn was employed by The Sioux City Journal as an intern during the summer of 1962 and then began a full-time career at the newspaper in June 1963. He served in the U.S. Army from March 1964 until March 1966. He received basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and then was assigned to the US Army John F Kennedy Center for Special Warfare at Fort Bragg, N.C. There he served first with the 13th Psychological Warfare Battalion and later as a chaplain's assistant assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group.

After being discharged from the Army, Glenn returned to his work at The Journal where he served in several positions, including reporter, deskman, city editor and community editor until retiring in September of 2009. He served as president of The Sioux City Local of The Newspaper Guild from 1992 until 2006.

On June 14, 1975, he married Patricia Ann Ofstehage at St. Paul Lutheran Church, rural Elk Point. They lived in Vermillion for six years and for three years on Glenn's parents' farm before moving to Sioux City in September of 1984. Glenn and Pat are the parents of two sons, Gregory and Douglas. Patricia passed away on June 27, 2024, at the home where the family had lived for nearly 40 years.

Glenn was a member of St. Peter Lutheran Church and was serving as president of the congregation when the church was closed in 1988. He then joined St. Paul Lutheran Church, rural Elk Point, and served that congregation as deacon and trustee. Glenn and Pat were honored to serve as co-chairs of the committee that planned and hosted the 150th anniversary of St. Paul Church in July 2013.

Glenn served on the boards of directors of Bethesda Home for the Aged at Beresford, S.D., and the Sunrise Retirement Community in Sioux City. He was a member of Monahan-Nelson Post 64, American Legion.

Together with his family, Glenn enjoyed attending 14 consecutive annual EAA Airventure Air Shows at Oshkosh, Wisc. Glenn and Pat rode two 1929 Ford Tri-motor passenger airplanes when they visited Sioux Gateway Airport.

Glenn is survived by his sons, Gregory (Alisa) and Douglas; step granddaughter, Anna Corderman; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Bernard and Glenda Ofstehage of Vermillion, S.D., and John and Marlene (Ofstehage) Wilson of Charlotte, N.C.; cousin, Maurine Hult of Sioux Falls, S.D.; nephews, Steven (Stacey) Ofstehage of Santa Fe, N.M., James (Heather) Ofstehage of Prior Lake, Minn., Peter (Dawna) Ofstehage of Kansas City, Kan., Andrew (Amanda) Ofstehage of Pittsboro, N.C.; his late nephew Daniel's wife, Sarah Ofstehage, of Watertown, S.D.; and niece, Ellen Ofstehage of Vermillion, S.D.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Olson; his parents, Gust and Olga Olson; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Philip and Mildred Ofstehage; nephew, Pastor Daniel Ofstehage; aunts and uncles, Marie and John Kraakmo and Arthur and Alvesta Dahlum; and cousins, Tony (Opal) Kraakmo, Klara (Luverne) Fickbohm, Owen (LaDell) Kraakmo, and Anna Greta (Rolf) Fahlstrom.

Memorials may be directed to St. Paul Lutheran Church, Elk Point, S.D. or charity of choice.

Arrangements are entrusted to Kober Funeral Home in Elk Point, S.D. Condolences may be posted online to www.koberfuneralhome.com.