Julia was born August 18, 1910 at Alden where her father John Lien and
mother Anne owned and operated the Alden store and post office. Julia was
the third of thirteen children born into that family. She is survived by
two siblings - a brother Walter of Albany, Oregon and a sister Edith of
Columbia Falls, Montana.
Julia graduated from Regent High School in 1928 and attended Dickinson
Normal School. On August 9, 1935 she married Willard Olson the same day
they both graduated from DNS with Life-time Teaching Certificates. They
taught school in Hettinger and Bowman Counties for several years.
In 1939 Willard and Julia moved to a government farm in the Red River Valley
where their daughter Ann Doreen as born. In 1941 they moved to Minneapolis,
Minnesota. In 1942 they returned to Regent to help on the Olson family farm
where in 1943 their second daughter Audrey was born.
For the next several years Julia kept busy with the children and her
gardening, poultry and animals. In 1953 she returned to teaching at the
Alden School. In 1956 she began teaching in the Regent School and continued
there until her retirement from teaching in 1962.
Everyone who knew Julia knew of her love for family and friends and her
constant gracious hospitality. Although she raised chickens supposedly for
practical reasons, her real reason was to have the neighbors stop for a cup
of coffee when they picked up a carton or two of eggs.
After several years of tender love and care from Marcia Hagbom and others,
Willard and Julia moved from the farm in September of 1996 to a retirement
home in Bismarck. They remained fairly independent and healthy until March
of 1997 when Julia had surgery. Although she regained some of her health,
her need for care had increased and in October of 1997, they moved to
Connell Washington. There they were near Ann’s home in Othello, Washington,
and had the care of a registered nurse in a private home. Even though her
dementia was advanced, Julia always responded to Taylor and Tory, the
children in the home.
The twinkle in her eye never faded and she became even more loving and
appreciative in the last few years.
Although Julia passed into eternity May 5, 1998 her loving and gracious
spirit will always be with us.