Obit: Olson, Byron "Barney" (1911 - 2007)

Contact:  Shari Hahn
Email: steppinwest@elknet.net

Surnames: OLSON TUTTLE LUKOWICZ KRIVITZ GANZ HAMANN ZERTLER PESKO RAMKER MITTEN GORDON KNICKERBOCKER LIEDERS HOERNKE SALLACH POKALLUS FELDBRUEGGE VENROOY REIL TOTZKE

----Sources: MARSHFIELD NEWS-HERALD (Marshfield Wood County, Wis.) 06/01/2007

Olson, Byron 'Barney' (6 June 1911 - 30 May 2007)

COLBY -- Byron F. "Barney" Olson died Wednesday, May 30, 2007, at his home.

Funeral services will be at 11:30 a.m. Monday, June 4, 2007, at Community Funeral Home, Colby. Burial will be in Colby Memorial Cemetery. Monsignor John Malik will officiate. Pallbearers will be Gregg Ganz, Ian Zertler, Shane Zertler, Brock Hoernke, Kurt Krivitz and Scott Ramker.

Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, June 3, 2007, and from 10:30 a.m. until service time Monday, both at Community Funeral Home.

Byron was born June 6, 1911, in the town of Hull, Marathon County, to Fred A. and Sarah (Tuttle) Olson. He graduated from Colby, Wis. High School in spite of the fact that Principal Bender chased him down the street with a rubber hose. Byron and Ruby Lukowicz were married June 10, 1931. She preceded him in death in 1998. Byron and his dad, Fred, and brother, Laurence, started the Cherokee Garage in 1926. They sold Chrysler cars and did general repair. In 1942, they built the new Cherokee Garage and started selling farm equipment. A few years later, Byron bought the business from his brother, and in 1960, his son, Roger, came home and went into business with him. Byron sold the business to his son in the late 1970s. He still worked with his son in the business and continued to fix equipment until he was 85.

Byron enjoyed fishing in Canada, deer hunting, card playing and dancing. He was an avid walker and seldom missed a day in his later years with a pit stop at Lamont's Service Station.

Byron is survived by his children, Phyllis (Olson) Krivitz of Colby and Roger B. (Jean) Olson of Colby; his grandchildren, Gary Ganz, Guy Ganz, Gregg Ganz, Gayle (Ganz) Hamann, Laurie Krivitz, Kathy Krivitz, Kurt Krivitz, Tracie (Olson) Zertler, Dawn (Olson) Pesko, Carrie (Olson) Ramker, Amber (Olson) Mitten and Tina (Olson) Gordon; his great-grandchildren, Brandon Krivitz, Claire Krivitz, John Knickerbocker, Rachel Knickerbocker, Brianna Ganz, Nicholas Ganz, Jorgen Hamann, Margaret Hamann, Melissa Ganz, Tiffany Ganz, Johanna Ganz, Jessica (Ramker) Lieders, Scott Ramker, Alexandra Pesko, Dmitry Pesko, Ian Zertler, Shane Zertler, Brock Hoernke, Tamira (Hoernke) Sallach, Carisa Mitten, Tiana Mitten, Leo Olson-Gordon and Linus Olson-Gordon; and four great-great-grandchildren, Rilynn Lieders, Brekyn Lieders, Brynn Lieders and Sienna Sallach.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Ruby; and one daughter Gloriette Ganz; one son-in-law, Jorgen "Shorty" Ganz. He survived all six of his siblings, Winafred Pokallus, Grace Feldbruegge, Alva VenRooy, Edith Reil, Dorothy Totzke and Laurence Olson.