Helen Olson

Age 95 of Cape Girardeau, MO, passed away peacefully on Nov. 13, 2023, in Prescott, WI. Helen was born to Hugh and Helen McMahon and grew up in a large Irish Catholic family in Fort Dodge, IA, the youngest of 7 children. She first attended grade school in a one-room schoolhouse in rural Fort Dodge and Sacred Heart Grade School. During WWII, her 5 brothers all joined the military, her sister joined the Convent and her parents joined the civilian defense support of the war effort, moving to Grand Island, NE. Helen graduated from St. Mary's High School in Grand Island in 1945 and Clark College, Dubuque, IA in 1949. She spent her college summers working as a copy editor and reporter for the Fort Dodge Messenger. She met her future husband, Dean Olson, at The Messenger and they married in 1950 and had four children. With her degree in English, Journalism and Education, she taught high school English at Gilmore City, IA, Ottumwa, IA and Robbinsdale, MN. She also worked at the Lake Mills Graphic and the Ottumwa Courier. She was the faculty advisor for the schools' newspapers and yearbooks. Helen loved books, writing, and being surrounded by family. She enjoyed crossword puzzles, word searches, crosstics, and sudoku. She was an enthusiastic card player and an excellent poker player. She loved cats, dogs, elephants, dining out and movies. She was preceded in death by her parents, siblings Charles, Richard, Don, Jack, Mary and Jim, her grandson, Nicholas Anderson. and son, Richard Olson. She is survived by her daughters Mary Anderson, Barbara Englund (David) and Linda Tilsen (Scott), grandchildren Patrick Tilsen (Lindsey Colyer), Sam Tilsen (Kimberly), Valerie Carey (Sean) and Erica Klevay (Robert), great-grandchildren Cade and Lilah Tilsen, Joanie and Jeanette Klevay, many nieces and nephews. Helen will be interred, along with her son, Richard, at Corpus Christi Cemetery, Fort Dodge, IA, on June 1, 2024, at 1 pm. Arranged by Laufersweiler-Sievers Funeral Home.