WRIGHT COUNTY REPORTER
Dows, Wright County, Iowa
Thursday, August 6, 1936

LARS OLESON RITES HELD MONDAY

Lived in Franklin County Since 1896

The funeral service for Lars Oleson was held Monday at the Dows Lutheran Church, which was filed to capacity with relatives and friends, very many not being able to get in had to remain outside.

The service was in charge of Rev. Duea, who based his message on Romans 14:7.9, "The great need of living and dying unto the Lord". He was assisted by Rev. Richards who offered prayer, and Rev. Wessel who read the obituary. Harry McComas, Wesley Damerow, Fay Peterson and N. C. Halvorson sang three numbers, "Sweet By and By", "Saved by Grace" and "Nearer My God to Thee".

Very beautiful flowers were given in memory by relatives and friends. He was laid to rest in Fairview Cemetery. The pallbearers were Will Schwieger, Roman Meyer, Harry McAllister, Harold Hackbarth, Otis Johnson, and Earl Carter.

The death of Lars L. Oleson of Dows, who passed away at the Hampton Hospital Saturday, August 1, after a brief illness, came as a shock to his relatives and friends.

Lars Oleson was born in Oakland township, September 5, 1874, the fourth child of Mr. and Mrs. Oleson. The early part of his life was spent at the home of his parents, but with his marriage to Mary Rasmussen, October 28, 1896, he moved to his own farm in Franklin County, northeast of Dows, where he spent the remainder of his years. To this union were born four children Lawrence, Buenetta, LuVerne and Melba.

For several weeks Mr. Oleson has been in poor health and was stricken Thursday with the illness which caused his death.

Mr. Oleson is survived by his wife; his four children, LuVerne, Lawrence, Mrs. H. Vanderlip and Melba, all of Dows; six granddaughters; five brothers, and five sisters.

No truer exposition of character is attainable than the reputation a man maintains in his community and among his friends. The every day friendliness and helping hand is long remembered after the man is laid to rest. Kindly counsel and straightforward dealings are an inspiration to all whom they reach. Lars Oleson stood for all these and more and it can truthfully be said that he lived to bless mankind. An exponent of a simple life whose first consideration was for is home and family and the things he could do to make for their happiness and contentment.
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Lars
L. Oleson, the owner of a well improved farm located at
Morgan
township, is a native son of Franklin county, his birth having
here occurred on
September 5, 1874. His parents, Ole L. and
Mary
(Hanson) Oleson, were natives of Wisconsin and Norwav,
respectively.
In their family were thirteen children: Nellie, the
wife
of William Donaldson, of Alden, Iowa; Marv. who married
J.
Jacobsen, of Dows; Ole, of North Dakota; Lars L., of this review;
Amanda,
the wife of S.' M. Davis, of Clarence, Iowa; Oscar, of
Morgan
township; Henry, of Wright county; Martha, the wife of
L.
Earnhardt, of Dows; Louis F., of Oakland township; Andrew
and
Caroline, of Popejoy; Matilda, the wife of L. Carpenter, of
Minnesota; and
Laura, deceased.
Lars
L. Oleson at the age of fourteen took up farming, having
then terminated
his school education. In 1899, when about twentvfour
years of age,
he acquired title to eighty acres of land on section
14,
Morgan township, and has since given his sole attention to its
cultivation.
His farm betrays by its prosperous appearance the
modern
methods employed by its owner. Mr. Oleson has now a
two-story
home conveniently appointed, and the other buildings
on
the land are equally modern. He also has erected a silo which
furnishes
him the desired amount of feed during the winter season.
On
October 28, 1897, Mr. Oleson wedded Miss Mary Rasmussen,
a
native of Monroe county, this state, and a daughter of Andrew
and
Sophia (Anderson) Rasmussen, natives of Denmark. The parents
came
to Franklin county when Mrs. Oleson was but two years
of
age. Both have passed away. Their children were: Clara, the
wife
of W. Caster, of GifYord, Iowa; Hannah, who married F.
Anderson,
of Morgan township; Peter, deceased; Mary, the wife
of the subject of
this review; and Anna, who married Oscar Oleson,
HISTORY OF
FRANKLIN COUNTY 295
of
Morgan township. Mr. and Mrs. Oleson have three children:
Lawrence W.,
born May in, 1898; Bernetta, born July in, 1903;
and Laverne, born
January 28, 1912. The parents are members of
the
Lutheran church and interested in its work and its allied societies.
Both
are popular in the neighborhood and have many friends. Mr.
Oleson
is a republican and has ever upheld the candidates of his
party.
For one year he served as treasurer of the local telephone
company, showing
himself to be an able business man. He takes an
interest
in all affairs of a public character affecting the welfare of
the
township and is a public-spirited citizen. Personally Mr. Oleson
is
well liked, not only for what he has achieved, but for those
qualities
of character which have made possible his success.