Oklee - Orris Olson, 91, died Tuesday, February 22, 2000 at Oakland Park Nursing Home in Thief River Falls.
Funeral services were held on Saturday, February 26 at 2 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Oklee with Rev. Robert Paulson officiating. Elizabeth Munt was the organist, and Grace Hammer and Donna Fossum were the soloists. Casketbearers were Orris' grandsons, Mitchell Marquis, Arlen Marquis, Gene Marquis, David Marquis, Donald Mossestad, Keith Leckron, Mike Leckron and Chad Olson. Burial was in Zion Cemetery in Oklee with the Petterson Funeral Home of Oklee in charge of the arrangements.
Orris Olson was born on July 2, 1908 in Star township of Pennington county, the son of Guttorm and Olga (Bernsten) Olson. He was baptized and confirmed at Ekelund Lutheran Church, rural Goodridge, and attended country school.
On February 17, 1931, he married Mollie Iverson in Thief River Falls, and the couple lived and farmed in the Goodridge area. There, Orris was active in the community, serving on the township board, as a school board meeting for many years, on the church council and on the F.H.A. Advisory Council. In 1974, the couple retired and moved to Oklee. Mollie died on April 8, 1981.
On July 1, 1983, Orris married Helen Torkelson in Thief River Falls. They continued to live in Oklee until he entered the Oakland Park Nursing Home in Thief River Falls in February of 1998. Helen died on June 6, 1999.
He enjoyed music, visiting with friends and playing cards.
Orris is survived by one son, Gerald (Marilyn) Olson of Reno, NV; three daughters, Marian (Dick) Marquis of Oklee, Ramona (Don) Mossestad of El Sobrante, CA and Leone (Verl) Leckron of Grand Island, NE; 15 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; two brothers, Gilman (Shirley) Olson of Seattle, WA and Archie (Donna) of Blaine; and three sisters, Clara (Adolph) Larson of Ulen, Alice (Irvin) Iverson of Thief River Falls and Evelyn (Norman) Larson of Moorhead.
He was preceded in death by his wives; parents; two brothers, Gustav and Bennie; one sister, Hannah Larson; and one great-grandson, Seth. A00003B2000MR01