Richard A. Olson, 78
Richard A. Olson, 78, of Lancaster, Minn., passed away peacefully at the Hallock nursing home on Thursday, April 24, 2025, with his wife, Carla, by his side.
Richard Allen Olson was born to Peter and Charlotte Olson on Nov. 30, 1946. He was baptized and confirmed in the Presbyterian faith.
Richard attended Hallock High School, where he finished grade nine and went on to work for Soberaski Construction. He was drafted from 1967 to 1973 into the Army Corps of Engineers and served in Vietnam, building access roads and underground shelters. After his time serving in Vietnam, he continued to work as a heavy equipment operator with Weleski Construction and then back to Soberaski Construction throughout the rest of his working years.
While digging ditches and water and sewer utilities all around the northwest area of Minnesota and North Dakota, he became very well known to many. He was referred to as “Ole” at every job he worked at. One of his pride and joy water and utility projects was putting in all of the water and sewer lines for the Kings Walk Golf Course on Arnold Palmer Signature Golf Course in Grand Forks, N.D. He was pretty proud of that project when it was all finished. He was also the main operator who helped put the water and sewer lines into the Kittson Healthcare Lower Level when that was built.
On Sept. 11, 1973, he married Carla Christopherson. The couple went on to have three children, Dana, Waylin and Rikee. Richard also had two children, Tracey and Troy, from a previous marriage.
Richard’s family would like to thank the Kittson Healthcare Center and Nursing home doctors, nurses and staff for the great care he received throughout his stay at the nursing facility. He had a lot of favorites there.
Surviving family members include: his wife, Carla; daughter, Tracey; sons, Troy, Dana (Mary), Waylin (Krista); daughter, Rikee (Jeremy); five granddaughters, three grandsons and great-grandchildren; siblings, Darryl, Sherryl, Harley, Mike and Bob; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by: his parents, Peter and Charlotte; father-in-law, Charles; mother-in-law, Pauline; and siblings, Sonny, Donny, Peter and Jimmy.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at 11 a.m. in the Lancaster Sion Lutheran Church. Visitation will be held in the church for an hour before the service. He will be laid to rest respectfully at the Fort Snelling Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minn.
Austin Funeral Chapel, Hallock, is in charge of the arrangements. www. austinfuneralchapel.com.
