Mary "Lou" Olsen, 72, passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2011, circled by her family and friends, after a hard, but short battle with cancer.
Lou was born the third of three children to Morse and Dorothy Campbell in Lexington, Ill. Lou's father was drafted into the U.S. Army in the fall of 1944, and was killed in France on Jan. 3, 1945. Dorothy married Merle Hoffman, and he was a large influence in Lou's life. The family moved to Bloomington, Ill., where Lou attended grade school and high school. After graduation, she attended personnel training school in Omaha, Neb., resulting in employment with Western Union of Los Angeles.
While working in Los Angeles, one of her roommates, Mary Lynn Olsen, introduced Lou to her cousin John from Montana, who was serving in the Marine Corps at El Toro. This vivacious, exotically beautiful, ravishing woman swept the young Marine off his feet immediately and kept him that way for the next 54 years. To this union were born Renae Marie and Morse Dwayne.
Over the next 20 years they lived in multiple locations; when John retired from the Marine Corps, they moved to Bloomington, Ill., where they lived for two years, then they moved to Kalispell to be near John's father.
Lou was active in the VFW Auxiliary, and she was a charter member of the Marine Corps League Auxiliary where she served as president, as well as treasurer for many years, in the only Marine Corps League in the state of Montana. Lou was also a member of the Ladies of the Moose in Kalispell. She coordinated funeral luncheons and she loved to decorate for special occasions, dinners, dances, conventions and weddings for members of the lodge for many years. Lou was very involved in the Toys for Tots program from 1988 until 2007. She took the names of the families, made up boxes for the toys, made sure all the families were notified for pick-up, organized the massive buying trips, and made sure everything went right. Somewhere along the line, Lou became known as the "Chief Elf." Her attention to detail and dedication made the local program a great success. She gave up the responsibilities with reluctance. Many children in the Flathead benefited from her hard work and dedication.
"Lou" had a love of life and fantastic sense of humor, and her quick wit was ever present, even to the end.
She was preceded in death by her parents, a sister, and her stepfather.
Lou is survived by her husband, John, and a daughter, Renae, both at the family home in Kalispell; son, Morse, and wife Gina; grandson, John, of California; grandson, Brian, stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas; brother, Jack Campbell, and his wife, Sharon, of Illinois; numerous nieces and nephews, sisters- and brothers-in-law; and many friends.
Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 5, at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home. A celebration of Lou's life will be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 6, at the First Church of the Nazarene on Whitefish Stage Road. Interment will follow at C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery.
The family request donations in Lou's name be made to the Toys for Tots program, Moose Heart, or a charity of choice
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Lou was born the third of three children to Morse and Dorothy Campbell in Lexington, Ill. Lou's father was drafted into the U.S. Army in the fall of 1944, and was killed in France on Jan. 3, 1945. Dorothy married Merle Hoffman, and he was a large influence in Lou's life. The family moved to Bloomington, Ill., where Lou attended grade school and high school. After graduation, she attended personnel training school in Omaha, Neb., resulting in employment with Western Union of Los Angeles.
While working in Los Angeles, one of her roommates, Mary Lynn Olsen, introduced Lou to her cousin John from Montana, who was serving in the Marine Corps at El Toro. This vivacious, exotically beautiful, ravishing woman swept the young Marine off his feet immediately and kept him that way for the next 54 years. To this union were born Renae Marie and Morse Dwayne.
Over the next 20 years they lived in multiple locations; when John retired from the Marine Corps, they moved to Bloomington, Ill., where they lived for two years, then they moved to Kalispell to be near John's father.
Lou was active in the VFW Auxiliary, and she was a charter member of the Marine Corps League Auxiliary where she served as president, as well as treasurer for many years, in the only Marine Corps League in the state of Montana. Lou was also a member of the Ladies of the Moose in Kalispell. She coordinated funeral luncheons and she loved to decorate for special occasions, dinners, dances, conventions and weddings for members of the lodge for many years. Lou was very involved in the Toys for Tots program from 1988 until 2007. She took the names of the families, made up boxes for the toys, made sure all the families were notified for pick-up, organized the massive buying trips, and made sure everything went right. Somewhere along the line, Lou became known as the "Chief Elf." Her attention to detail and dedication made the local program a great success. She gave up the responsibilities with reluctance. Many children in the Flathead benefited from her hard work and dedication.
"Lou" had a love of life and fantastic sense of humor, and her quick wit was ever present, even to the end.
She was preceded in death by her parents, a sister, and her stepfather.
Lou is survived by her husband, John, and a daughter, Renae, both at the family home in Kalispell; son, Morse, and wife Gina; grandson, John, of California; grandson, Brian, stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas; brother, Jack Campbell, and his wife, Sharon, of Illinois; numerous nieces and nephews, sisters- and brothers-in-law; and many friends.
Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 5, at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home. A celebration of Lou's life will be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 6, at the First Church of the Nazarene on Whitefish Stage Road. Interment will follow at C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery.
The family request donations in Lou's name be made to the Toys for Tots program, Moose Heart, or a charity of choice