Rosemary Olson, 1927-2022
Obituaries-Mobridge / Posted Feb 1, 2022 | 9:26 AM / 681 views
Beloved Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Homemaker. Rosemary died on Jan 26 at St. Gabriel’s Nursing Home. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 9:30 AM, Saturday, February 5, 2022 at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Bismarck. Burial will be Monday at 2 PM, MT, at Black Hills National Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Visitation will be Friday at 4 PM at the church with a prayer service at 6 PM. Services will be live-streamed at www.corpuschristibismarck.com.
Rosemary was born in Glendive, MT, in 1927 on the Russell dairy farm of Cordelia and Granville Russell. She was the sole survivor of her generation of extended family, including 4 siblings, sisters Marie, Genevieve, Elizabeth, and brother, Arthur (Bud). Her mother’s family (Bouchard) lived in the Sidney/Savage, MT, area after migrating to Montana from Quebec Canada during the Homestead years. They were a close-knit family and she loved spending time with them during her early years. Her father’s family (Russell) lived in the east, and she traveled by train (father was an Engineer) to Chicago to spend time with them making many fun memories.
She attended grade school at Sacred Heart Catholic School and delivered milk with her sisters on their way to school. She graduated from Dawson HS where she was active in Glee Club, Drill Team and Choir. In 1945, following HS, she went to work for Mountain Bell Telephone as an operator and later as a salesclerk.
She met Howard Olson in 1946 and they were married in 1947. They lived and started their family in Sidney, MT. In 1951 Howard was called back into the Army for the Korean War, after previously serving in WWII. They continued to grow their family with a total of six 6 children. Rosemary was a devoted homemaker, having sewn all clothing for the family, and many quilts. She was an excellent cook and was involved in all the children’s activities. The family moved to Forsyth, MT, in 1957, and to Mobridge, SD, in 1968, for Howard’s career with MDU.
When writing her own life story, Rosemary (at age 8) told of the trauma witnessing her brother being dragged to death by the family horse, Sailor. She stated she couldn’t speak of it for many years, because she blamed herself somehow for his demise. This tragic event became a defining life story for her. These and other experiences developed Rosemary’s compassionate heart for anyone who was hurting, and she was known for faithfully reaching out to others who may be experiencing a difficult time.
Favorite memories include fun times with many family and friends, including ice skating and sledding in the winter, waterskiing and fishing on Lake Oahe in the summer, as well as golfing, playing bridge & other games. Rosemary was active with family, whether sending birthday and anniversary cards for every member of the family or writing emails and forwarding stories to family members well into her 90s. She had a strong foundation of faith, having been a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Mobridge for 43 years and Corpus Christi Catholic Church for 11 years. She prayed the rosary every day.
Her beloved husband of 50 years, Howard died in 1997. She lived in Mobridge, SD, until 2011 when she moved into Touchmark in Bismarck to be closer to family. She loved the 11 years at Touchmark, stating “Life is good here and I am well taken care of. We keep busy with many activities and programs.” The family thanks Touchmark, Hospice of Red River Valley and St. Gabriel’s staff for their excellent care of Rosemary.
She is survived by her 5 living children: Claudia (Jerome) Dietrich, Mandan, ND; Dave (Diana) Olson, Mitchell, SD; Mark (Stephanie) Olson, Cheyenne, WY; Ron (Carol) Olson, Sheridan, WY; Colette (Jerry) Domschine, Stratford, CT; son-in-law, Monte McCormick, Wild Rose, WI, 25 grandchildren, over 30 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Howard, daughter, Debra McCormick, passed in 2013, sisters and brother.