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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Robert F. "Oly" Olson of Broadwell, who
4passed away on January 9, 2013; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Robert Olson was born on June 8, 1930, in Lincoln;
6his parents were Alfred and Mildred (Amberg) Olson; he married
7Norma (Shorty) Jean Van Fossen on December 12, 1957; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Robert Olson was raised in Broadwell and attended
9Elkhart Community High School; he subsequently attended the
10University of Illinois through his junior year; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Robert Olson was a veteran of the Korean War,
12having served in the United States Army Corps of Engineers from
131951 to 1953; after obtained his basic training at Ft. Riley,
14Kansas, he was stationed in Alaska; and
 
15    WHEREAS, After his stint in the Army, Robert Olson worked
16as a carpenter and operated a service station in Elkhart; after
17college, he managed an office for the USDA in Belleville; in
181960, an opportunity to return to farming in Logan County
19presented itself and he began his career in "the best job" he
20could ever want; he established a Farm Management Service and
21managed farms for absentee landowners; he was also one of the

 

 

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1founders of the Elkhart Community Bank and served on the Board
2of Directors for the Elkhart and Illini Banks; and
 
3    WHEREAS, In 1986, Robert Olson was appointed to fill a
4vacancy as Representative in the Illinois General Assembly;
5following his appointment, he served in the General Assembly
6with distinction for 9 years until his retirement in 1994; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Robert Olson enjoyed working at his homestead in
8Broadwell, gardening, reading, history, traveling the United
9States, and collecting antiques; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Robert Olson was a member of Immanuel Lutheran
11Church, Elkhart Legion Post 616, Lincoln Elks 914, and the 40 &
128 Club; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Robert Olson is survived by his wife; his
14children, Robert (Dee) Olson, Nancy (Kevin) Courtwright, Susan
15(Bryan) Johnston, James (Ann) Olson, and Sandra Tiffany; his
16grandchildren, Madeline Olson, Kasey and Kylie (Fricke)
17Courtwright, Jason and Leslie (Pfeifer) Johnston, Abby, Jake,
18and Betsy Olson, and Elaine, Sam, Will, and Adrienne Tiffany;
19his great-grandchildren, Lexi Chambers, Kallie Courtwright,
20and Nolan Pfeifer; his sister, Mary Ann (Verne) Garrison; and
21his brother, David (Lois) Olson; therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL
2ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
3his family and friends, the passing of Robert F. "Oly" Olson;
4and be it further
 
5    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
6presented to the family of Robert F. "Oly" Olson as an
7expression of our sympathy.