Obit: Olson, Chester Palmer (1915 - 2005)

Contact:  Crystal Wendt

Surnames: Olson, Ostreng, Fuller, Neuhaus, Mitchell, Lee, Brown, Haas, Judkins

----Sources: Marshfield News Herald (Marshfield, Wood County, Wis.) Tue, Aug 16, 2005

Olson, Chester Palmer (28 May 1915 - 14 Aug. 2005)

EAU CLAIRE - Chester Palmer Olson, age 90, passed away in his sleep on Sunday morning, Aug. 14, 2005, after a long battle with vascular disease. Chester (C. P.) was a lifelong resident of Wisconsin. Born on May 28, 1915, to Ole and Anna (Ostreng) Olson of Ontario, Wis., as the seventh of nine children, the family moved to the Black River bottoms north of Holmen in 1918. Chester was educated in a one-room school house in New Amsterdam and attended junior and senior high in Holmen. He graduated from La Crosse State College with a teaching degree and took a position as teacher and band director at Unity.

While at Unity, he met Nina I. Fuller, and they were wed on June 15, 1940, in Independence, Wis. Chester served in the United States Navy during World War II stationed on LST-919 as a Chief Petty Officer. After his discharge, Chester taught at Viola, Phillips and Madison before moving to Eau Claire in 1956. Chester taught junior high science at the Campus School and then Physical Science at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire until his retirement in 1984.

He is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Nina; his parents, Ole and Anna; brothers, Glenn Olson and wife (Pauline), Alton Olson, Orvis Olson and wife (Mildred), and Arnold Olson; sisters Ellen Olson, Lila Neuhaus and husband Paul, and Myrtle Mitchell and husband (Loren).

Chester loved to hunt and fish with his family and fellow teachers. He was an avid bicyclist and continued to bike 10 miles a day up until his 84th birthday. His life's vocation was, above all, teaching. He carried this talent over to his involvement with the Boy Scouts of America where he was the Scoutmaster of Troop 34 at Lake Street Methodist Church for over 20 years. He attended numerous National Jamborees and was a member of the Order of the Arrow. He was presented with the Silver Beaver and the Cross and Flame Award and other numerous recognitions.

He is survived by a son, Kirk Olson (Linda) of Eau Claire, a daughter, Karen Lee (Ken) of Eau Claire; a brother, Jesse Olson of Holmen; a brother-in-law, Wayne Fuller (Dorothy) of Janesville; sisters-in-law Dorothy Rose Fuller of Wisconsin Rapids and Gladys Olson of Eau Claire; granddaughters Julie K. (Olson) and husband Adam Brown of Oshkosh, Tara K. (Lee) Haas and husband Joe of Hastings, Minn., and Lindsay A. Lee of Eau Claire; grandsons Ben K. Olson of Madison, Damien T. Judkins of Eau Claire, and Ben G. Olson of Eau Claire. Chester is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18, 2005, at the Fuller-Speckien Funeral Home, 3209 Rudolph Road in Eau Claire, and 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., prior to the service, Friday at Lake Street United Methodist Church.

Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Lake Street Methodist Church located at the intersection of Lake Street and Fourth Avenue in Eau Claire. A lunch served immediately afterwards. Interment will be at the Green Mounds in the town of Holland at 3:30 that afternoon located north of Holmen on Highway 53.

The family has asked that memorials be sent to the UW-Eau Claire Foundation and/or the Boy Scouts of America.

Chester will be remembered for all of the students and scouts that he mentored over the last 65 years and for the love and guidance that he provided to all of his family and friends. He will be missed.

Friends may offer their condolences online at http:fullerspeckien.com. Fuller Speckien Funeral Home in Eau Claire is assisting the family with the arrangements.