Celebration of Life
Vision of Glory Lutheran Church-
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Email Details
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13200 Highway 55
Plymouth, MN 55441 -
Visitation 1 hour prior to service at church
David Keith Olson
November 9, 1948 — June 24, 2021
David Keith Olson
David Olson, age 72, of Plymouth, Minnesota died peacefully at home on June 24, 2021, after a courageous four-year battle with cancer. Dave was born in Bottineau, North Dakota. His parents, Ingwall and Mae Olson, raised their family of 4 children in the small town of Souris, ND. Dave grew up working in the John Deere Implement shop where his father was foreman, and there he learned to fix absolutely anything. He also dearly loved roaming the hills of his grandparents’ farm in the nearby Turtle Mountains.
Dave left his beloved small town on the prairie to study at North Dakota State University, where he obtained a B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1970. He remained a devoted supporter of NDSU throughout his life. Upon graduating, he was drafted into the Army, serving for two years in Germany during the Vietnam War. He returned to NDSU for graduate school, where he met his future wife, Lisa Peterson. They married in July 1976 and made their home in Fargo for 11 years. In 1984 they moved to Plymouth, MN, where they would remain for 37 years. They were blessed with the birth of two sons, Peter in 1987 and Tim in 1990.
His long career began in 1973 with Ulteig Engineers in Fargo, initially as a project engineer and later as Vice President of Electrical Utility Engineering. After 11 years at Ulteig, Dave & Lisa moved to Plymouth, MN and he began his tenure with Northern States Power/Xcel Energy. Highlights include his work at the Monticello Nuclear Plant as an Engineering Superintendent, and then many years in Substation Engineering in the Minneapolis office where he was a Manager and Substation Lead Engineer. He was planning to retire when he was persuaded to stay on part-time for 5 more years to coordinate the building of transmission lines for an 800-mile, multi-state project known as CAPX2020. He finally retired at 68 after a 44-year career.
Dave was curious, gracious, and kind. Paramount to him were the roles of devoted husband, father, and brother, and his principled life served as an example to all. There was no “dropping kids off” at activities; Dave participated in every way, from coach to board member to Assistant Scoutmaster.
His steadfast quiet faith in Christ was a witness to everyone he met and manifest in everything he did. Having kindled his faith at a North Dakota bible camp, he spent 20 years serving on the board of Lake Wapogasset Bible Camp, paving the way for innumerable youth to have the same experiences. When he retired, he added the role of Red Cross Disaster Action Team (DAT) Responder, in further service to his community.
His passion for all of God’s creation was evident in his love of the outdoors. He brought his sons camping before they could crawl and patiently taught them to pitch a tent, build a fire, roast marshmallows, and leave the campsite better than they found it. The family camped in and explored state and national parks across the US and Canada, including Yellowstone, Glacier and Banff. He and Lisa also traveled extensively, visiting 23 countries and 40 states during their marriage.
As his own boys grew, Dave mentored countless youth through Boy Scouts of America. His contributions guided dozens of Eagle Scouts, including both sons. In 2017, the North Star Council bestowed upon him one of Scouting’s highest honors, the Silver Beaver Award for distinguished service to youth and community.
Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Lisa; sons, Peter (Mary) Olson, Tim (Becca) Olson; granddaughters, Elizabeth and Lynnea Olson; sisters, Nadine (Robert) Little and Elizabeth Olson. Preceded in death by his brother, Jerry Olson; and parents, Ingwall and Mae Olson. A Celebration of Life will be held at Vision of Glory Lutheran Church in Plymouth, MN on Saturday, July 10, 2021, on what would have been Dave & Lisa’s 45th wedding anniversary. Visitation begins at 10 a.m., followed by the service at 11:00. We hope to livestream the service here: https://youtu.be/zt4ah0THfYA . Guestbook and further information on https://www.gearty-delmore.com. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the charity of your choice or doing a service project in Dave’s memory.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of David Keith Olson, please visit our flower store.
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