Gayle George Olson - Life of "Oly"

As most of you now know, my father died peacefully at his home on Wednesday morning, about an hour before sunrise.

There will be a book signing and time to greet the family on Sunday, August 9, 2015 between 1:30-3:00 pm at Nelson Bauer Funeral Home. A celebration of his life will be on Monday, August 10, 2015 at 3:00 pm. Thank you for all the condolences, prayers, and words of support. We are very grateful.

Below is a copy of the obituary I wrote for him. I will post a link to the one on the official website when it is available. It is hard to condense such a big life in so many words, but I tried. Elena Olson King

Gayle “Oly” Olson

Gayle “Oly” Olson, died peacefully August 5, 2015, in his home on Morton Street in Holdrege, Nebraska. “Oly,” as his friends would later call him, was born at Brewster Hospital in Holdrege on July 21, 1933 and then brought home to the house his grandfather built, the same home on Morton Street where Oly died at the age of 82 years.

George O. and Anna “Louise” (Freed) raised Oly and his younger brother, Wayne, south of Sacramento, Nebraska. Oly developed his strong work ethic early on the farm, missing school at age six to drive a tractor while many of the farmhands in Phelps County served in World War II. Later, Camp Atlanta provided prisoners of war to work on his father's farm and he often recounted how his mother would pile their plates full of food since the guards would not allow them to eat inside the farmers' homes. At the grocery store at Sacramento (now The Speakeasy), Oly stocked goods on the shelves, earning the his first paid wages.

The Olson family eventually moved into the house on Morton Street. In fact, Oly remembered using the first bell at the old Holdrege High School as his alarm clock to wake up for classes in the morning. It was when he attended high school that Oly began his career as a truck driver; in the middle of the night several nights a week, he would drive around the county picking up milk cans from area farms. With his earnings, he bought his first motorcycle and his 1952 Hudson Hornet.

Oly enlisted in the U.S. Army on May 29, 1953 and trained to be a radio operator. His skill at Morse code and radio repair led to his deployment to Korea during the Korean War. After his discharge from active service in 1955, he continued in the National Guard until 1959, receiving an honorable discharge as a Master Sergeant. He remained best friends with some of his fellow servicemen for the duration of his life.

On August 6, 1953, Oly was united in marriage to Alyce Brown of Holdrege. To this union, four children were born: Kenneth, Julie, Michael, and Cheryl. The couple made their home north of Holdrege.

Oly later moved to Elm Creek, Nebraska, and drove truck for Ouradas. He met Claire (Martindale) Olson and they had one child together, Elena. Eventually, Claire joined Oly on the road and they earned the Nebraska Motor Carrier Association Drivers of the Month Award in July 1989. Before he hung up the keys to his truck, he had driven more than 13 million miles without an accident. After their retirement, Oly and Claire continued their journey together, traveling all over the country and spending winters in Picacho, Arizona.

Oly enjoyed playing pool with his son, Kenny, watching Tiger Woods play golf, listening to big band music and polka, and playing logic games like Sudoku, free cell, and completing crossword puzzles. He loved spending time with his grandsons and his granddaughter, long weekends with his friends, and traveling with Claire.

Oly was preceded in death by his son, Kenny, and his parents. He leaves to celebrate his life: his wife, Claire of Holdrege; daughter, Julie Olson, of Aurora, Colorado; daughter, Cheryl Lipan, and her husband, Jim, of Littleton, Colorado; son, Michael Olson, of Aurora, Colorado; daughter, Elena Olson King, and her husband, Micheal, of Holdrege; his daughter-in-law, Sheryl (Berry) Olson; six grandchildren: Brenton Olson, Michael Carstens, Angela Olson, Isaac Lipan, Matthew King, and Benjamin King; his brother, Wayne, and wife, Dorothy Olson; four nephews and nieces; and numerous cousins, relatives, and friends.