LOUIS GEORGE HANS OLSON

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LOUIS GEORGE HANS OLSON September 18, 1930 - July 15, 2010 On Thursday, July 15, 2010, at Stonewall Hospital, with Mom at his side Dad slipped quietly out of a frail and failing body and walked, tall and free from pain, into the beauty of heaven and the loving arms of his Lord and Saviour Jesus. Dad was predeceased by his parents, Albin and Jean Olson, his daughter Lynn, his brother John. Rejoicing and grateful for the beautiful eternity before him, but missing him dearly are his devoted and selfless wife, Liliane, daughter Karen (Michel) Vandermeulen of Winnipeg, sons Mark (Denise) and David (Rhonda) of Stonewall, grandchildren Cassandra, Michael and Adam, sister Florence (Gord) of Stony Mountain, sister Donalda (Gene) of Miami, nieces April and Jennifer Prokopchuk of Winnipeg, brother Oscar (Marie) of Grand Rapids, nieces Karen and Pamela of Winnipeg, niece Amber of Arborg and nephew Colin of Winnipeg; as well as sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, and many, many friends - all loved by Dad. Dad was born and raised in Teulon, and, as normal in every small town community, knew everyone and built friendships that endured through the years. Along the road, he met a young, stunningly beautiful Inwood girl and his life was forever changed. On September 22, 1956 he married the great love and light of his life, Liliane Hogue, and for nearly 54 years they faced all life's turns - joy and sorrow, success and disappointment - hand in hand together. At a young age, Dad needed to leave school to work with his Dad at house painting - a skill he became so professional at that it served him well through his life. But he was always rightly proud of the fact that he later completed all the requirements to achieve his G.E.D. Never one to sit idle, Dad filled many working roles and, whatever was in his hand to do, he did with all his best - house painter, bank clerk, parts manager, hobby farmer. On December 12, 1967 he began his career with the Stony Mountain Correctional Institute where, for 23 years, he touched and impacted countless lives until his retirement March 31, 1989. Very gifted at math, numbers just spoke to Dad and many homework assignments were completed with his helpful explanations, though we did test his patience with our fooling around. That same gift also made him a super-fast counting machine at cribbage hands, which he loved to play. As a young man, Dad loved to play baseball -a fearless back catcher - and all his life he enjoyed watching a good baseball game - even during his final days the TV over his hospital bed was on a Goldeye's game. He also enjoyed hunting and fishing and enjoyed sharing great stories about those adventures, the ones that got away and the time spent with friends and family in the wilderness. Our great gratitude and thanks to the staff at Stonewall Hospital for their care during Dad's last days, and to the many home care workers whose patience, help and care made it possible for Mom and Dad to stay together that long. To Mom... our hero... for all these years of quiet, selfless, dedicated loving care, determined and refusing to give up or give in, even to your own hurt. You spoke those vows and you meant them. We have seen through you that love is not just a noun - it's a verb - action, work, sacrifice, laying down your life to pick up Dad's and help him walk through it with all that you could give and all that you could do. Thank you. A funeral service to honour Dad's life will be held on Friday, July 23, 2010, at 2:00 p.m., at Christ the King Catholic Church, 315 - 2nd Street East, Stonewall. Viewing will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Interment will be at the Stonewall Cemetery, and a luncheon will follow at the church. In lieu of flowers, donations in Dad's memory may be made to the Parkinson Society Manitoba, 7 - 414 Westmount Drive, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2J 1P2, or by phone using Visa or MasterCard by calling 786-2637 or toll free at 1-866-999-5558, or to a charity of your choice. MacKenzie Funeral Home, Stonewall, in care of arrangements.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jul 20, 2010