David Olson

David Olson, age 85, of Fertile, MN, and formerly of Minneapolis, MN, passed away on Wednesday, September 24th, at Fair Meadow Nursing Home in Fertile, MN. Memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 1st, at the Carlin Funeral Home in Erskine with the Rev. Pam Thorson officiating. Interment will be in Lima Cemetery, rural Erskine, MN. Family will greet friends for one hour prior to the service on Wednesday at the funeral home. Arrangements are with Carlin Family Funeral Service of Erskine and messages of condolence may be shared at www.carlinfuneral.com.

David Richard Olson was born on November 10, 1939 to Charley and Josephine Olson while they were living in the Winger area. In 1944 the family moved to a farm near Rindal, Minnesota. He attended a nearby country school before starting high school in Fertile where he graduated in 1957. Following graduation he went to college for two years at the Lutheran Bible Institute in Minneapolis. He had a stroke at age 21 and after a great deal of physical therapy he was able to start work as a clerk and later as store manager with Goodwill Industries in Minneapolis.

His next job was as a shipping clerk for Appliance Parts in Minneapolis until a second stroke in 1988 left him unable to continue that job. The majority of his life was spent in NE Minneapolis. He lived in an apartment for seniors and later was under their assisted living program until additional care was needed in 2009 and he went to Augustana Health Care Center in Minneapolis.

He relocated to Fair Meadow Nursing Home in Fertile in January of 2020 where he was a resident until his passing on September 24, 2025. While at Fair Meadow he enjoyed any music events that they had and would often “sing” to the various workers there. He almost always could be found with a cup of coffee in his hand. He has always enjoyed dining out and while living in NE Minneapolis would frequently dine out on weekends with his close friend Francis Gleason and his cousin Gladys Renna.

David was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Clifford, Kenneth, and Orville, and his sisters Joyce and Carol.

He is survived by his sisters Joan and Shirley, sister-in-law Joline Olson, brother-in-law Kevin Leverentz, as well as nieces, nephews and cousins.