Harold Olson
January 18, 1926 ~ September 26, 2020
Harold Richard Olson, 94, of Fargo, North Dakota, passed away on September 26, 2020 at Bethany Homes in Fargo, ND, after receiving injuries from a fall.
Harold was born in East Grand Forks, Minnesota to Nellie Marie Bydal and Peter Olson on January 18, 1926. Harold’s father, Peter had immigrated from Galve, Sweden in 1911 and married Nellie, who was Norwegian, and they set up residence on the family farm.
Riding high on the combine, milking cows, and feeding chickens were just some of the chores that Harold and his sister Gladys were responsible for during their early years. He attended a 2 room school through 8th grade and then worked full time on the farm.
In June of 1944, at 18 years old, Harold joined the Navy. During WW II, he served as a gunner on a ship in the Asia Pacific arena. After returning from the war, he drove construction trucks and was a truck driver for the sugar beet company.
He loved to fish in Lake of the Woods, Minnesota and caught many a Walleye and Northern pike. He also enjoyed hunting with friends near Gatzke, Minnesota and watching Western movies on TV. His closest friend, Clarence, said he was a strong democrat, a fun guy to hang out with, liked dill pickles, Lefse, and deer meat and had a great memory until the end.
No funeral services will be held at this time. The family will hold a memorial service after the Pandemic has ended.
Harold is survived by his sister, Gladys (Olson) Orlando, her 3 children, and many Hotvedt and Ringstad nieces and nephews and their children.
Memorial donations may be given in Harold’s name to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 762, 202 Broadway, Fargo, ND 58102. Their website is: Fargovfw762.org. Harold’s family wishes to thank everyone at ETHOS Hospice and Bethany Homes in Fargo for all their care and support of Harold.
View current weather.
Memories Timeline
Guestbook
Sign the Guestbook, Light a Candle
It is with great sadness that our family say goodbye to my mom’s brother and our uncle. I wish time didn’t pass by so fast as there is never enough time to say hello let alone goodbye! “Life and Death are but changing states of both.”
I’ve always regretted living so far away from my Uncle and really enjoyed his letters and cards. He was especially interested in hearing about how our son Ross and his now wife Nicole were doing when they moved to Singapore for a couple of years. He had talked about being in Singapore during the war. He wrote this funny story in a Happy New Years card in 2016: “FOR MY BIRTHDAY FREE DRINK AT OUR V.F.W. CLUB. I SAID TO THE COMICAL BARMAID, THAT INSTEAD OF MY USUAL GLASS OF BEER I DECIDED TO CELEBRATE LAST MON THE 18TH BY ENJOYING A SINGAPORE SLING. SHE SAID OK NOW IF YOU CAN WAIT A SECOND, I’LL COME AROUND THE BAR AND SLING YOU OUT IN THE ALLEY. THEN SHE GAVE ME THE BIG GLASS OF BEER FOR MAKING IT UP TO THE BIG 90 & STILL KICKING.” Charlie and I hope my Uncle is having a Singapore Sling up in heaven with family and friends.
I am so happy that I got to see Uncle Harold a couple years
Ago in Fargo where I landed and my brother Bud picked me
Up..talked of old times when I got to visit summers on the
Farm..favorite memories with he & Gladys. Also appreciated
His photo memory of relatives & their birthdates.
Gladys Orlando
We had a great childhood living on a farm eight miles from EGF. We walked over two miles to school every day to a one room school house and had wonderful teachers! We also had great neighbors and school friends. Harold was lucky to spend many of the past years with old school friends. He will be missed by all our family.
It was a great experience knowing Harold throughout most of my years! Always interesting and would love to visit with him up at the hunting and also when at the VFW. My dad and Harold were great friends and enjoyed many trips up to their hunting place. Harold was very smart, He enjoyed talking about politics, hunting stories, And his time in service and working on the farm. The last few years I would call him at least 3 times a year after my dad passed. Just to check in. He loved to visit on the phone. Last year or so not so much. Although he always knew me and would ask about my mom and son Ryan! I will miss seeing him!! Sympathies to Harolds family. A man of the earth. Kim Hoff Wolff (Lyle daughter .Rest in Peace Harold.
I will always remember my uncle Harold for his kindness, friendly disposition and his great memory for details of our family history. He was a brother of my mother, Arloa (Hotvedt) Peterson.
When I was growing up, Herald often stopped by our house to visit or bring us fish or venison that he had hunted. I will never forget the day when I was approximately 14 or 15 years old and Herald stopped by. I was home alone and he put a gunny sack on the kitchen counter and said “here, Kristi, cook this up for supper”. I thought it was a sack of potatoes and as I approached the potatoes, the bag MOVED!!! Inside was an alive chicken!! Needless to say, I called my dad at work and later the 2 of them took the chicken out to the garage to “prepare” it for eating.
We exchanged Christmas cards over the years and I was surprised to learn that even in his later years, Harold was following our daughter’s basketball career through reading the Fargo Forum. He was a caring man who always showed interest in his entire extended family.