Leah E. Olson, 58

Published 9:51 am Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Leah E. Olson, 58, of Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, died Monday, Sept. 22, 2014, at Mayo Clinic Hospital-Rochester, Saint Marys Campus. She was surrounded by her loving family.

Olson

Leah Esther Smith was born Dec. 27, 1955, in Ponsford, Minnesota, to Cubby Big Bear and Lucille Smith. She grew up in Austin and Minneapolis and graduated from the Rosebud Indian Reservation. She then attended Riverland Community College in Austin, where she received her teaching degree. On July 17, 1992, Leah married Henry S. Olson in Owatonna, Minnesota. A member of the Austin Baptist Chapel, Leah loved arts and crafts and time outdoors with her grandchildren. She also enjoyed cooking, attending auctions and garage sales, canning, gardening, and wearing no shoes. Her most enjoyable pastime was spending time with her family.

Leah is survived by her husband Henry Olson of Blooming Prairie; her children Zachariah (Tara Bisping) Olson, Dinah (Shavon) Hodges, and Zebulon (Kelli) Olson, all of Owatonna, Stephen (Amber) Brandt and Heather Olson, both of Blooming Prairie, Sarah (Nicholas) Kennedy of Elkhart, Iowa, Rebekah (Christopher) Eikmeier of Austin, and Amanda Olson of Marshall, Minnesota; many grandchildren; brothers, sisters; other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents Cubby Big Bear and Lucille Smith; her foster parents Elmer and Clara Quittschreiber; and her adopted parents Gunnard and LaVerna Brandt.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 26, 2014, at the Worlein Blooming Prairie Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be directed to the Olson Family in memory of Leah. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.worlein.com.