Glenn A. Olson

Glenn A. Olson, 86 of Devils Lake, ND passed away on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at his home in the loving care of his family and Hospice of the Red River Valley.

Funeral Services for Glenn will be held on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Devils Lake with Reverend JoHanna Buchholz officiating. The burial will be in the Devils Lake Cemetery with a time of fellowship to follow in the church dining hall.

Glenn Alfton Olson was born June 8, 1938, to Alfton and Luella (Johnson) Olson in Devils Lake, ND. He graduated from Central High School in 1956. He then attended college at Wahpeton School of Science for one year.

He began employment in the summer of 1957 with the Iowa-Illinois Telephone Company in Devils Lake. In 1959, on April 1st, Glenn started employment with Otter Tail Power Company as a lineman. As he moved through the ranks, and moved to several places in North Dakota, he retired as Division Marketing Supervisor in Devils Lake on March 31, 1998. After retirement from Otter Tail, he decided to try his hand at farming for several years.

Glenn was active in the many communities he lived in as a volunteer fireman and volunteer policeman. He was a Boy Scout leader in Devils Lake, taking the scouts on several camping trips. In Rugby he was instrumental in starting a hockey program. While living in Carrington, he was a school board member and also building inspector.

Glenn has been a member of several service clubs and served for several years on the South Minnewaukan Township Board. But most importantly of all he has done, is being an active member of his church.

Glenn loved hunting (especially goose and deer) and taught his sons and grandsons the art of hunting. Those were very special times. As a family, they loved to go camping and Grandpa Glenn spent many hours on the ATV with his grandson going over the “bump, bumps.”

Glenn was united in marriage to Rita Wilhelmi-Hager on December 7, 1957, at Devils Lake. Together they raised four children, Deborah, Todd, Linda, and Kirk. Wherever Glenn’s job would take them, they went as a family and made a home filled with love, laughter, and faith in the promises of God.

Glenn is survived by his wife of 67 years, Rita; children Deborah Cole, Todd (Sheila) Olson, Linda (Mark) Merck and Kirk (Billie) Olson; grandson Andrew Cole; step granddaughter Stephanie (Biraj) Basnet; step grandson Kevin Medeiros; great grandchildren Evi Medeiros, Rex Medeiros, Sonnetta Basnet and Meadow Basnet; sister Lola Schlieve; brother Marlo Olson; sisters-in-law Jo Olson and Bonnie Padilla; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Duane Olson and Earl Olson, grandsons Zachary Cole and Benjamin Merck, daughter-in-law Joan Gratton Olson and son-in-law Jerome Cole.

Memorials may be directed to Hospice of the Red River Valley or North Dakota Make A Wish Foundation in memory of Glenn.