Howard A. Olson

Howard A. Olson,93, of Viroqua died Wednesday, August 14, 2013 at Vernon Memorial Hospital. Howie was born in Milwaukee on October 20, 1919. He and his family worked at Mrs.Olsons Bakery, a business started by his grandmother, Francis Huber Olson, shortly after the death of her husband, Peder Olson. Howie graduated from St. Patricks Elementary School and South Division High School. Then it was off to Whitewater State Teachers College where he was an all- conference center on the championship football team. He was also on the boxing team, joined Phi Chi Epsilon Fraternity and was elected the most popular boy on campus. At Whitewater, he met and fell in love with his future wife Eleanor Martin of Darlington WI. Somehow he found time to graduate in 1942. Howie accepted a teaching position in Viroqua, WI in the fall of 1942, but World War II interrupted those plans when he was drafted into the army in November and sent to Camp Crowder Missouri. In March of 1943 he married Eleanor. In 1945 with the war over, Howie, Eleanor and Jim retuned to Viroqua. Their family grew with the births of Mary and John. In his early years of teaching, Howie coached baseball, boxing and was a long-time assistant football coach. The 1953 Championship highlighted Howies tenure as a baseball coach. Other activities included creating the school newspaper and giving dance lessons with Eleanor to kids planning to go to prom. During these early years, he helped organize the Viroqua Education Association and earned his masters degree in Guidance and Counseling from Marquette University. As his career evolved, he moved from the classroom to becoming Viroqua Highs first full-time guidance counselor. As guidance counselor he created the Viroqua Scholarship fund. In 1984 after forty two years of teaching Howie retired. Shortly thereafter, he was honored by being inducted into the Wall of Excellence at Viroqua High School. In retirement he and Eleanor took joy in the marriages of their three grandchildren and the births of their five great-grandchildren. They loved to follow the Milwaukee Brewers and went to many games in Arizona and Milwaukee. Spring training was spent in Tempe with son John and daughter-in-law Peg. Howie also worked part-time for Jim and SueAnn at the Alpine Inn and later as rental car manager at Jim Olson Ford- Mercury. Following Eleanors death in 2004, Howie found comfort in Viroqua Hospice and during this time he began to write Haiku poetry which had been one of Eleanors interests. He was a proud and devoted member of St. Marys Catholic Church from its earliest years as a tiny mission church to the present time. Howie spent his last three years at Maplewood Terrace forming friendships with residents and staff. Howie was preceded in death by his wife Eleanor, his parents Olive (Bellman) and Joseph Olson, three brothers- Joe, Bill and Allen and one sister Frances. He is survived by son Jim Olson (SueAnn), daughter Mary Bockhorst (Paul) and son John Olson (Peg), three grandchildren- Paul Bockhorst (Adi) Joe Bockhorst (Tammy), Katy Martens (Will) and five great- grandchildren- Zoe, Oskar, Miles, Eleanor, and Isla, a brother-in-law and sister- in- law Robert and Rita Martin and dear friend Al Craig. Howie loved life, family, friends, St. Marys, Viroqua, teaching, and baseball. He died too soon at ninety-three years of age. Suggested memorials to Vernon Memorial Hospice House, Maplewood Terrace or Viroqua Area Schools Scholarship Fund in memory of Howard Olson. Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, September 5, 2013 at St. Mary's Catholic Church. Monsignor Frances Abuah Quansah will officiate. Friends may call on Wednesday Sept. 4th from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Vosseteig-Larson Funeral Home, 123 W Decker ( Highway 56), in Viroqua. Online condolences may also be offered at www.HowardOlson.org.