Mr. Arthur F. "Art" Olson's Obituary
September 28, 1919 - June 26, 2012
Arthur F. Olson, 92 of Pearland and Friendswood, TX, went on to be with his dear friend, Jesus and his beloved Garnett on June 26, 2012.
Art was born last of nine children to Manfrid Olson and Thilda Marie Hallberg, in Rankin, Illinois, and graduated from high school there. He worked on the railroad until he joined the US Army in 1940. Arthur married Garnett Paster on July, 28 1943.
Art shipped out to fight for our country in France and Germany, landing on Normandy Beach 10 days after D-Day. He served as 1st. Lieutenant in the 75th Infantry Division, leading a heavy machine gun platoon. Olson was awarded a Purple heart, and other medals?????
After WWII, Art trained as a machinist, and was thankful to land a job for 25 cents per hour in the machine shop at Western Gear Corp. in Houston. He worked there 24 years, moving up to Purchasing Agent. After leaving Western Gear, Olson worked for, and retired from, Pump Arts in Houston.
Art and Garnett loved children and had five of their own. Art enjoyed taking his boys and girls fishing and crabbing, and often took the kids' friends along, teaching them all many skills. His interest in youth and in the outdoors carried over to his being instrumental in founding and physically building Frontier Camp, a Christian Youth Camp and serving for years on its Board of Directors.
His wife, Garnett, went to Heaven in July, 2000. In 2004 Art moved to Village on the Park in Friendswood, developing many dear friends there over the years. He resided there until recently.
Besides all of his church friends and "Skipbobuddies" at Village on the Park, Art Olson is survived by his five children: Jon and Carolen Bergeron, of Whitney, TX; David and Lenda Ziegler, of Amarillo, TX; Frank and Lynn Olson, of Lake City, Colorado; Mark Olson or Pearland, and Gerald and Sheila Olson of Manvel. He is also survived by twenty grandchildren and twenty-five great-grandchildren."GrandPa Olson" was very proud that, including spouses, his growing family numbers sixty-six people.
A Celebration of Arthur's Life will be held at 10:00 AM Saturday June 30, 2012 in The Chapel of SouthPark Funeral Home, with interment to follow at SouthPark Cemetery. Friends are asked to gather from 5-8 PM Friday at SouthPark Funeral Home.
Condolences may be sent to the Olson family in care of SOUTH PARK FUNERAL HOME, 1310 North Main St. (FM 35) Pearland, TX 77581. Phone 281-485-2711.
In lieu of remembrances, the family is requesting that donations be made to Frontier Camp, Grapeland, TX, and Sandy Point Bible Church, Sandy Point, TX.
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