Maurine Alma Olson, 88, of Kenyon, who died Sunday, December 29, 2024, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis after a brief illness. Funeral services will be held on Monday, January 6, 2025, at 11 AM at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Kenyon with a visitation starting one hour prior to the service. Interment will be in the Kenyon Cemetery in Kenyon.
She was born December 8, 1936, in Bertha in Todd County, to Maurice Julian Eiken and Alma (Haase) Eiken. Maurine was baptized and confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Eagle Bend, MN and was a member of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Clarissa. She attended various rural Todd County schools before graduating from Clarissa High School in 1953, and then attending and graduating college from Concordia College in Moorehead, in 1957.
Maurine married Roger Allan Olson on June 8, 1957, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Bertha. Her passion for teaching lead her to work as an English teacher and a speech coach at North Branch Public Schools, Butterfield-Odin School, and was a teacher and vocal music director at Gary Public Schools. She then taught at West Concord and Triton schools for over 25 years. Following her retirement Maurine substitute taught at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Faribault and area schools. As a teacher she was instrumental in establishing quarter classes and reading programs and help start an AFS program. Maurine was and advisor and state award winner to Students Active in Education, and honorary member of West Concord FFA. She was active for over 35 years serving as a speech and theater judge at all levels of the competition from districts to the state level. She was active in Speech Association of Minnesota, and a committee member and honoree of MSHSL.
Faith was a big part of Maurine’s life. She held many positions over the years as an organist, Sunday School Teacher, officer of various church committees, First Lutheran Church Women President, Church Council President, and with the youth in many different capacities. She was also involved in local and state 4-H, intern at the Office of the Secretary of Defense, at the Pentagon in Washington D.C., served on the Kenyon Library Board for 9 years, Class Agent for the 1957 Concordia College Alumni for 20 years, officer of the Round Table Woman’s Club, Book Group, Literary Guild, Kenyon Senior Living Auxiliary, and the Sons of Norway.
Maurine enjoyed reading, traveling, the family cabin on Big Elbow Lake but mostly, spending time with family and friends.
She is survived by her four sons, David (Amy) Olson, Mark Olson, Paul (Patty Orton) Olson, and John Olson; grandchildren, Ryan (Karlee), Michaela (Jason) Spoden, Lucas (Ava Pinske), Elijah, Evan, Cameron (Jesse), Collier, Gyhre, Kyle, and Orion Olson (Samuel Roosen); great-grandchildren, Henry, Jack, Charlie, Nicholas, Aubrey, Reagan, Jackson, Ryker, Vincent, Isabella, Albert, Bella, Jasmine, and Adrian; brother, John Eiken; nephews, Todd (Julie) Eiken, Shawn (Dina) Eiken, Daron (Dani) Olson; nieces, Tracy Eiken, Kathy (Mike) Goldberg; honorary son, Claus Iverson (AFS student 1980-81 from Denmark); special pen pal since 1951, Ellen Haugen, (from Norway).
She was preceded in death by her husband, Roger Olson (2013); parents, Maurice and Alma Eiken; infant brother, Jerome Maurice Eiken (1935); daughter-in-law, Stacy Olson (2007); sisters-in-law, Marion Wilder (2004), Arla Olson (2009), Nanette Eiken (2017); brother-in-law, Earl Olson (2015).
Memorials are preferred to the Kenyon Library.
