Martha Clara Olsen's Obituary
Martha Clara Olsen (nee Meissner), 101 years of age, with her strong faith, peacefully passed away at 2:00 a.m. on July 18, 2017. Martha was born on December 4, 1915 in the Town of Raymond, Wisconsin.
Martha outlived her parents: Gustave and Martha Meissner (nee Baker), her brothers: Simon, Glenn, Roy and sisters: Donnette Geissner, Esther Buschke and Mildred Yurkievich. In her immediate Olsen family, she was preceded in death by her middle son, Todd Ellis Olsen, who was killed in a car accident in 1959; and her husband Rodney Howard Olsen, who died from heart disease in 1969.
She is survived by her eldest son: Ronald Howard Olsen (Anne) of Laramie, WY: (grandchildren: Todd Olsen (Great Granddaughters: Carmen Olsen, Kaili Olsen (Gr-Great Granddaughters: Kiara Chavez and Olivia Cox); Ronda (Drew) Warnke (Great Granddaughters: Naci Warnke, Aria (Rick) Barker (Gr-Great Granddaughters Madeline and Eleanor Barker); and youngest son Rodney James Olsen (Jean) of Fort Collins, CO: (Grandchildren: Christopher (Daphne Bureau) Olsen, (Great Granddaughter, Olivia Olsen), Chadwick (Michelle Wilke) Olsen (Great Granddaughters: Lydia , Charlotte and Eliza Wilke-Olsen; and Petra (Heidi Servi) Olsen, (Great Grandsons: Emmett and Jacob Servi-Olsen).
Martha had a long full life. As a girl, she helped with her parent's cabbage and vegetable farm in rural Racine County, WI. As a young woman she was wife and mother in the Olsen family, first on Green Street in the city of Racine, WI and later on Stuart Road in rural Racine County. Here Martha was an active mother with her three boys, and she remained very active in bowling, played some golf, was a supporting mother in Cub Scouting and Scouting, as a den mother and was the family chauffer. She found time to be a charter member of an area Sewing Club, volunteer working many projects for the support and building of the Mount Pleasant Memorial Park in Franksville, WI. She worked and volunteered with her husband and family in the building of the Bartlett Youth Foundation on the corner of Stuart Road and Spring Street in the mid-50's. She was a faithful member of Grace Chapel Lutheran Church, Racine, WI. When her boys entered Racine Lutheran High School she was an active member of the Ladies Guild, and she was there to assist the opening of the Thrift Shop which has been a strong financial supplement to LHS. She continued to volunteer and support the Thrift Shop for many years following her boys attendance. After her husband passed in 1969 she had to step in and run the family farm and "Recreare" Campground near Tomahawk, WI. When she sold the farm and campground and retired, she moved to an apartment in Franksville WI for several years, then to a condo Mount Pleasant (Racine), WI.
During her years in Franksville and Mount Pleasant, she became involved in quilting. Martha does have a quilt on display at the quilting museum in Golden, CO. Martha has always loved to visit antique stores with her sister Mildred; but most of all she enjoyed playing cards with family and friends, basically, Pinochle and Sheepshead. She was an accomplished fishing gramma and taught her son and grandchildren to use her favorite bait "the Pinkie". In her final years she moved to Colorado to be near her sons.
A Memorial Service for Martha will be held at Wilson Funeral Home (1212 Lathrop Avenue, Racine, WI) on Friday, August 4, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. A time of visitation will be held at the funeral home on Friday from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service. Online condolences may be made at www.wilsonfuneralhomeinc.com.
In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial donations to Racine Lutheran High School, Racine, WI, and/or Redeemer Lutheran Church, Fort Collins, CO.
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