Johnny Oliver Olson

Johnny (Johnnie) Oliver Olson was born May 14, 1921 in Cartwright, North Dakota, the son of John and Constance (Melland) Olson. He grew up on his parent’s farm, the third of seven children. He attended Estes School and Sidney High School in Sidney, Montana.

After serving in the US Navy during World War II, he married Gertrude Crawford in 1949, had three daughters and settled in various locations around the Puget Sound area, later living in Yakima, Underwood and Vancouver. Over the years Johnny worked as an independent commercial fisherman; worked in Alaska canneries; worked as a dairy farmer, a service man for Cascade Natural Gas, retiring with Columbia Wards Fisheries in Seattle. He and his wife retired in Underwood, where he built a home with a beautiful view of the Columbia Gorge and Mount Hood.

Johnny was a member of the Lutheran Church, but also attended the Church of Christ with his wife, Gertie. Johnny passed away at his home in Vancouver, WA on May 15, 2012, a day after his 91st birthday.

Johnny is survived by his three daughters Johnna (Larry) Carpenter, Mary (Greg) Vinecore and Sandra (Don) Dowling; grandchildren: Chad (Kirsten Susee) Smith, Casey (Christina) Smith, Matthew (Stacy) Dowling, Jacob (Jasmine) Dowling; Zachary (Kelli) Dowling, Brooke Olson, Mary Brower (Rebel) Worm, and special to the family Jane Brower LeBlanc and Mindy Jo Vinecore Morris; nine great-grandchildren; brothers, Ole (Myrna) Olson, Roy (Lois) Olson and Clarence Olson.

Johnny was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Gertrude, brothers Joseph and Lawrence Olson, and sister Connie Bentz.

The family will be having a Memorial Reception with Naval Honors beginning at 12:30 pm, Thursday, May 31, 2012 at Evergreen Funeral Home, 4504 Broadway in Everett, Washington.