Margaret Viola Williamson, 86, Austin

Published 10:41 am Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Margaret Viola (Olstad) Williamson, 86, of Austin, Minn., died peacefully on Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, at St. Mark’s Kenwood Heritage Assisted Living after a lengthy illness.

Margaret V. Williamson

Marge was born Jan. 29, 1927, in Blooming Prairie, Minn., to Olaf and Lula (Bagg) Olstad. She graduated from Blooming Prairie High School, class of 1945 and the Minnesota Beauty College in Minneapolis in 1946. Marge married Kenneth G. Williamson on April 11, 1947. The couple celebrated 54 years of marriage before his death in 2002. They raised six children in Austin: five daughters and one son.

Marge owned and operated Marge’s Beauty Shop in the basement of her Austin home for 40 years and formed many lifelong friendships with her clients. She was an avid bowler and bowled for many years along with sponsoring many bowling teams. At one time, her team consisted of herself and her daughters and they placed first in the league. Marge was a member of the Austin Women Bowlers Hall of Fame. She loved to play cards, scratch lottery tickets and play bingo along with going on trips to Diamond Jo Casino. She enjoyed weekend camping and fishing trips with her family when the children were young. She and Ken enjoyed many summers going to the lake in Wisconsin to relax and fish.

Those left to cherish her memory are her children, Mary (Wayne) Peterson, Austin, Cathy (Robert) Lee, Austin, Dennis (Karen) Williamson, Winona, Minn., Debra (Jerry) Horejsi, Dodge Center, Minn., LuAnn (Doug) Reimers, Austin, Merry (Mike) Petersen, Austin. She will be missed by 15 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren. She also leaves behind her brother, Donald Olstad, Mankato, Minn.; brother-in-law, Kenneth Nihart, Austin; sisters-in-law, Edna Olstad, Sioux Falls, S.D., Sylvia Swenson, Blooming Prairie, Minn., Lourene Williamson, Blooming Prairie, Syrlene Williamson, Austin, Lorraine “Tootsie” Turvold, Belvidere, Ill.; many nieces, nephews and other loving relatives and friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Kenneth; an infant granddaughter; three brothers; two sisters.

The family wishes to thank the staff at St. Mark’s, Kenwood Heritage Assisted Living, for the loving care they gave Marge before she left this world for a better place. She is now at peace and hasn’t any more pain and suffering.

A celebration of Marge’s life will be held at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at Grace Lutheran Church with the Rev. Jeff Forbes officiating. Friends may call one hour before the service at the church on Thursday. Interment will be in Red Oak Grove Cemetery. Arrangements by Mayer Funeral Home. Condolences may be left at www.mayerfh.com.