Obituary of Neil Olson

BIOGRAPHY OLSON ~ Neil Anthony Olson passed away in the Lloydminster Hospital in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan on Thursday, August 11, 2011 at the age of 60 years. Neil will be sadly missed by his wife Sherry of Lloydminster; brother Gordon Olson of Edmonton; sister Lorna and Sandy Sprinkle of Lloydminster; mother Betty Rollison of Lloydminster; mother-in-law Vera Lunt of Hillmond; two step brothers: Darv and Judy Rollison, Keith Rollison; two step sisters: Maxine Stewart and Valerie Tetz as well as several nieces and nephews. The memorial service was conducted from the McCaw Funeral Chapel, Lloydminster, Alberta on Monday, August 15, 2011 at 2:00 P.M. with Joyce Carson officiating. Special CD music was played. The interment will be held in the Albion Cemetery at a later date. Ashes will be scattered at Peck Lake, Saskatchewan and on Rattlesnake Ridge on the Running High Ranch in Montague County, Texas. McCaw Funeral Service Ltd., of Lloydminster, Alberta administered the funeral arrangements. EULOGY Good Afternoon, You would think writing a eulogy for someone as good and kind as Neil would be easy, but there is just so much and so many people Neil helped that you don't know where to start or stop and for that reason this is a bare bones eulogy. Neil Olson was born in Lloydminster on April 21, 1951 to Millard and Betty Olson. Neil was the youngest of three children, brother Gordon and sister Lorna. Neil worked at North Side Service for the Lawsons, tried surveying and then settled on an electrician as a career. He spent over 40 years as a dedicated and valued employee of Willard Kondro at Kondro Electric. Difficult or tricky electrical jobs, Neil was the go to guy. Neil was an avid fisherman. For salmon and halibut he would go to Langara and Prince Rupert. Pike, walleye and lake trout would see him traveling to northern Saskatchewan. He enjoyed trail rides by quads and sleds, especially in the Bronson Forest. Neil loved dogs and stray cats. First thing in the morning, Mitzi and Princess were off to see Neil for their morning treats and when Neil and Sherry drove into the cabin, Morley was trotting along behind, confident that cold roast beef or sliced up steak was in his immediate future. Ralph the cat ate better than many of the electricians at Kondro. Neil traveled a bit. He motored through the United States, toured Australia, went to Jamaica and took several trips to Texas with Sherry. Neil was my neighbor at Peck Lake. One Sunday morning I see Neil backing his truck up to the woodshed and begin sorting and loading wood so I go over to give him a hand. Spruce, poplar, so-so pine are being loaded. Neil, Sandy wood? No. Did you get a stove for your house? No. - one of the office girls at work does leather work and has a shop by Frenchman's Butte that is wood heated. I though I'd take her a load of wood. Pretty soon, there was a lot more wood headed to the Butte and the grade of the wood is getting very good. Nice dry jackpine, split just so. Then the office girl comes to the lake to help Neil gather wood - she was introduced as Sherry — the woman who became the love of Neil's life and his wife. Neil and Sherry were married in Texas on April 9, 2009 and for too short a time they enriched each other's life. We all knew Neil for his kindness, generosity and kind spirit. He was so good to his neighbors at Peck Lake, particularly my mother and the Colemans. He was patient (unless you were an apprentice asking a dumb question) and had a great sense of humor. He would tell the darndest things with a straight face. I'm sure that is why Sherry doesn't believe there are snow fleas. There are a lot of words that describe just how good a man Neil was, but let's just keep it simple and say that by being around Neil, his example inspired you to be a better person. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him. Sherry, Lorna and Gordon, thank you for letting me do this. CARD OF THANKS We would like to start by thanking all of the people who had touched Neil's life. Thank you to Zlatko Kostic, Raff Sayeed, the nursing staff on the 3rd floor, the hospital staff, kitchen staff and home care. Thank you all for taking the time to care for Neil they way you did. Thank you to the Chemo Girls ~ you gave my husband sweet dreams as he slept through his treatments. Thank you to everyone who visited and brought flowers and food to the house and the hospital. Thank you to everyone who sent cards and made donations in Neil's memory. To Don Mark for the tribute you gave, thank you. It described Neil just the way he was. To the Lake Crew, thank you for keeping up with everything out there. It meant so much to the both of us. Thank you to McCaw Funeral Service for your professionalism and compassion in our time of need. A very special thank you to everyone who never gave up on Neil ~ We always looked forward and stayed positive. Remember: Never ever let anyone tell you how you feel!! Sherry Betty Rollison Gordon Olson Lorna and Sandy Sprinkle Vera Lunt Donations in memory of Neil may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation or to the charity of the donors choice.