Alice Sylvia Olsen

Alice Sylvia Olsen passed away Aug. 7, 2008, at the age of 92 in Soap Lake. Bom in Fargo, N.D., Dec. 27, 1915, to an emigrant father from Norway and emigrant mother from Poland, she was adopted from a children’s receiving home by Danish emigrants Andrew and Anne Lund at age 6 months.

Her early years were spent on a homestead farm near McCabe, Mont. She moved to Sidney, Mont., with her parents while in her teens. On March 31, 1933, Alice married George Olsen at Pella Lutheran Church in Sidney and they lived on a farm north of Sidney until the spring of 1941. With Alice’s urging, the family, including three children, left Sidney in their 1939 Ford towing a trailer with all their worldly goods going west. After several stops along the way, they landed in Cut Bank, Mont., and were there until husband George was called into WWII military service early in 1944. The family, now four children, all moved back to Sidney and awaited the husband’s and father’s return in January 1946.

In the mid 50s, employment took them to Miles City, Mont. The family had now grown to six children with three still at home. Then in the later 60s, employment with Montgomery Ward took the family to Longview, Wash. There Alice remained until after the turn of the century. At that time she moved to Moses Lake, with her son Terry overseeing thebuilding of a new home for her and staying on to provide comfort and care.

Alice enjoyed her home and garden, working outside of her home only when called for by the needs of her family. She is survived by five children: Duane (Cam), Delhart (Rowena), Diane Shaff (Larry), Marcia Swanson (John) and Terry; grandchildren Arlene, Deana, Calvin, Mary-Margret, Karen, Ron, Teresa, David and Paul; 19 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson.

She was preceded in death by her infant twin sister on March 7, 1916, her parents, husband George, great-grandson Nathan and daughter Darleen. Interment will be at Willamette National Cemetery near Portland, Ore., where husband George was laid to rest in 1981.