An Interview with Donna and Leroy Olson
If you have ever attended an event in Reeder, North Dakota, you should know that some aspect of that function has been touched by Donna and Leroy Olson, and/or their children, and/or their grandchildren. Maybe the lawn at the venue has been mowed by Leroy. Probably the knoephla soup or the scotcheroos are gifts from Donna’s kitchen. Service is their mantra. Reeder has been sustained by their efforts and those of their large extended family. Let’s take a peek at their lives from their very first steps to the present.
Beginnings
Leroy
Leroy Olson’s mother, Dena Rose Burchardt Olson, was born 1918, in Tripp, SD, fifty miles west of Sioux Falls. Her family moved to the Ellingson area in Perkins County to homestead. Dena had a penchant for fishing, a pastime that her first son would come to adopt. Leroy’s father was a good deal older than his mother. Alvin Emel Olson was born in 1890 in Montevideo, MN. When he was fifteen, he moved to South Dakota with his father to homestead. During World War I, Alvin was a private in the US Army, Company “I” with the 349th Infantry. To this day, Leroy proudly displays Alvin’s dog tags that hung near his heart during the frightening days of that conflict. Dena and Alvin married in Bison, SD, in 1939. They built a house, a sod house, near Ellingson, south of Reeder and started their family, which came to include six children: Barbara Olson (deceased), Mary Lou Holzkamm (Hettinger), Leroy, Betty Berg (Watertown), Sally McParland (deceased), and Ross (Hettinger). Alvin passed from this life in 1971 at age eighty, and Dena followed in 2003 at age eighty-five.
Leroy Alvin Olson was born on January 25, 1942, at the “Ma” Springer Home in Hettinger. He was baptized in the Evangelical United Brethren Church. He went by the nickname, “Bud.” Near their sod house was a marshy area full of frogs who serenaded Leroy and his family to sleep at night. One morning, when Leroy was three, he awoke as the frogs were particularly sonorous. Upon investigation, it was discovered that in the night, an entire corner of the sod had become waterlogged and had broken away. At that point in time, Leroy’s grandfather had passed away, and his grandmother was being moved to Hettinger, so Leroy, his siblings, and his parents moved into their farmhouse, which still stands to this day.
There was plenty to do on the farm, so Alvin put his only son at that time to work at an early age. No hands should be idle—not even little ones! At four years old, he was plopped onto the seat of a tractor. Alvin put the tractor in gear, and Leroy had his first driving experience while Alvin worked in the hay rack. Two years later, Alvin brought a truck from Alvin Hilden in Reeder, and Leroy was appointed to drive their ’41 Ford the twenty miles home. Leroy’s chores as a boy included milking cows, grinding feed with a mill grinder and moving it into the barn, and tending the chickens. Leroy longed to have a rifle of his own. To his delight, Carl Hanna gave him a bolt-action 22. From that point on, Leroy scoured the pastures hunting rabbits. So engaged was he in the hunt that he actually lost weight with all the walking. He shared an interest in fishing with his mother. He caught and ate much of his catch--bullheads, carp, and bluegills. He also caught and ate frogs (maybe relatives of those in the nearby marsh). After all this training in the practicalities of farm life, it was time to begin his formal education.
Donna
Glenn Hofland (1912-2000) was the first child of George and Bertha Teigen Hofland, born on their homestead four miles north and west of Reeder. He attended rural schools for eight years. Siblings included Silas, Kermit, Beulah, Clinton, and twins Verna and Vern, all of whom spent their lives in the Reeder area with the exception of Verna, who moved to Minnesota. Dorothy Bertha Violet Rose Hofland (1916-1999) relocated to the area with her family from Groton, South Dakota. Her siblings were Walter, Bertha, Emma (Askling), twins Melvin and Ervin (who as adults moved to MT and IL), Alfred, Sadie (Bartz Horvey), Marian (Honeyman), and Arnold. In high school, Dorothy helped Ruth Hanson take care of Duane and Gene and worked at the café in Reeder. She graduated from Reeder High School in 1933. Glenn and Dorothy were married in Bison in 1938 by a Lutheran minister. The couple worshipped at the German Lutheran Church in Reeder but switched to Our Savior’s Lutheran when the pastor wouldn’t give Glenn communion. The couple raised small grain and dairy cattle and hogs.
On June 21, 1942, Mrs. Mary Alice Conrad was summoned to the Hofland farm to offer assistance in bringing a new baby into this world. That unusual day with snowflakes falling, Donna’s appearance brought joy to Glenn and Dorothy. Anticipating her arrival was brother, Bradford “Brad.” As they grew, she and Brad became partners in crime. One day, they decided to run away from home with their little red wagon. They started down the driveway and ascended a knoll. Brad determined that he should leave a message of their intentions in the dirt with a stick. Just then, a bull bellowed in a tone of discouragement. Brad quickly scratched out the message, and home the runaways headed. Apparently, bovine are included in the adage that it takes a village to raise a child. Other siblings followed including Ronald (Reeder), Roberta “Bobbie” McCoy (Birmingham, AL), Neil (Bowman), and Arlan (Dickinson). All the children were baptized and confirmed at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Reeder.
Elementary School Days
Leroy
The first eight years of Leroy’s education were spent in Johnson #3, a rural school. He was classmates with David and Wayne Sack, Manley and Minetta Seiwert, Tommy Galbreth, Joe Materna, and Leroy’s sisters, Barbara and Mary Lou. Johnson School was three miles north of his home. To get to school, someone picked the children up, oft-times on a tractor. Numerous memories surfaced of those days at Johnson School. First, Leroy met a teacher whose style was perfectly in synch with Leroy’s passions. Gay Hatley possessed knowledge about carpentry and firearms. It was from him that Leroy learned how to use a hand saw. Mr. Hatley also taught Leory how to calculate the windage and elevation when shooting. However, Mr. Hatley’s zeal for firearms cut his career at Johnson School short when he was dismissed after two weeks for firing upon an antelope from the school house. A second memory was of Mr. Hatley’s replacement, an elderly woman whose mental faculties seemed to be decline. At recess, she directed the students not to play with “her turkeys” on the west side of the school. In reality, her turkeys were pheasants! Other teachers were Albert “Junior” Knutson, who filled in for six months, and Ann Weaver, who finished the year before marrying Kermit Johnson. Outside school, Leroy was a founding member of the Go Getters 4-H Club. His membership was short lived when his wily black Angus heifer got away at the Bison fair and went through the fence.
Donna
Elementary students delight in stories about posteriors, and Donna had a couple of them of her own to share. Elwyn Nichols drove the school “bus,” in actuality a car, for the children near the Hofland home. Donna was shocked to see that his bus had four doors. Their family car only had two doors. She remembers winters when the snow banks were so tall that they were like tunnels through which the bus passed. Her fellow passengers were Brad; the Conrads, Judy and Keith; and the Honeymans, Lynn, Marlys, and Sharon. Space was tight in that bus, so first-grade Donna had to sit on Judy Conrad’s lap. Years later Judy remembered that for a little girl, Donna had “the boniest butt”! In time, the girls could wear dress pants to high school, but in the elementary years, dresses and long brown socks were the requirement. Mable Knutson expressed her individuality by rolling her brown stockings down. Sonja Haugen had white socks, which were the envy of the other girls.
The principal at the time was Mr. Dooley. His practice was to stand behind students as they worked at the chalkboard. This close proximity and careful monitoring elicited fear in Donna. Apparently, Patrick Dooley, the principal’s son didn’t possess the same fear of his father that others did as Donna still carries a lump in her “bony butt” where Patrick stabbed her with his pencil. Other memories that Donna carries are playing in puddles in back of the school. She still has a small, wooden photo album given to her in second grade by her teacher, Miss Adeline Schunamen. The cover of this special album bears Donna’s name.
Donna had better luck than Leroy did in 4-H. She belonged to two clubs, the Peppy Pals club with the girls and the West End club with the boys. Lois Nester and Margaret Sack were the girls’ leaders, and from them, Donna learned the practical skills of sewing, baking, and cooking. In boys’ 4-H, she showed sheep, a steer, and dairy cows under the tutelage of Winston Markegard and Duane Nester. Those cattle won her heart and in turn, broke her heart when she had to sell them after the fairs. She recalls crying in the rain in Lemmon when she had to say goodbye to her steer. Donna received the 4-H Service Award and was on the livestock judging team at the Valley City Winter Show.
Like Leroy’s, the summers of Donna’s youth were spent fishing in the Cedar Creek and at Shadehill Dam. She enjoyed the company of her cousins, the Honeymans, and rode bike to their farm to meet and play with Sharon (Soehren).
High School
Leroy
The next stop for his education was Reeder High School. The transition from a rural school to a school in town offered Leroy a little time to sow some wild oats before settling into to the rigors of academia. Leroy boarded in several different homes in Reeder. Initially, he, Barbara, and May Lou stayed in their grandma’s two-room shack, which lacked indoor plumbing, requiring them to haul water from Gert Anderson’s home. Next, he stayed with Lyle Sack, and later, Mary Lou and Leroy stayed with Olive Tweet. When Leroy was a senior, Mrs. Tweet was in Montana, so Leroy stayed at her home by himself. He was a member of the Rocket football team until there were no other teams in the area to compete with their six-man squad. He kept statistics for the basketball team. His favorite class was shop. Once in a while, he went square dancing.
Donna
Donna was a Reeder Rocket cheerleader. At that time, the cheerleading squad wore skirts down to their ankles. She also played volleyball and softball in their field at school with the boys. In her freshman year, she threw a softball which landed squarely in the face of Marvin Soehren, breaking his nose. Donna’s favorite class was English. She also took Latin from Mr. JE Hogan, a small, single, white-haired man, who warned her to stay away from Leroy! Though her parents loved dancing, Donna was not allowed to attend public dances until she was a senior. She and Karen Byers were delegates to Girls’ State. With her characteristic energy, Donna waited tables at the Highway Café for Arlene Skogen, babysat for Tom and Carol Wagner and Jon and Lois Kenitzer, and when she was a senior, she kept the books at the Reeder Equity Elevator on weekends.
In high school, Donna worked in the school cafeteria washing dishes with Leroy’s sister, Mary Lou. Maybe she got some intelligence from this association. Leroy was an admittedly shy young man. However, his good looks piqued Donna’s interest despite Mr. Hogan’s admonitions. Almost like a story from the Good Book, they crossed paths at a well that contained wonderful water near Summerville, SD. The well was fenced in and locals came with containers to collect some. That day Leroy fetched his water, and so did Donna, who had been camping with the Honeymans at Shadehill. Then Donna returned to the well empty pail in hand with the intention not to get more water but to see Leroy again. Fear overtook him that day, so he stayed in the car with his water. Considerable progress was made in overcoming his shyness, for the next report was a first date to the Haynes Junior Play. At that play, Leroy followed his heart and reached for Donna’s hand. And so it began--the advent of love. Both Leroy and Donna graduated with Reeder High’s Class of 1960. Where has the time gone since those proms where they waltzed to music played from a record player at the American Legion Hall and in the Assembly Room at Reeder High?
Post-High School
Leroy
After graduation, Leroy attended Black Hills Teachers’ College in Spearfish, SD, for two sessions and then returned to his farming roots. He initially worked for Iver Wick, a shirttail relative, hauling square bales and wheat. Understanding the urgency of bringing in the crop, Leroy sat on the platform of the combine whose header was nonfunctional and fed the grain through with a stick. After the harvest was over, Edward Zahn recommended Leroy to Verne Wothe when Verne had back surgery. Leroy fed calves for both Verne and Darryl Anderson.
Donna
Donna watched her mother take care of her grandparents, and this modeling planted the seed of desire to be a nurse. After graduation, she and Betty Erickson enrolled at Bismarck Hospital School of Nursing. The first year, she walked from the school to Bismarck College to take academic classes. While there, she felt fortunate to take chemistry class from Raymond Frandsen, who had been one of her elementary school teachers. Two more years of her education were devoted to learning the skills required to be a nurse. Her sister Roberta followed Donna’s career path, studying at the same school.
Together
On the bright, sunny Sunday in September 1963, Leroy and Donna exchanged wedding vows at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Reeder with Pastor Jerome Lee officiating. Donna fashioned and sewed her own exquisite brocade wedding dress. Little Ross Larson, the ring bearer, carried the gold. Wee Pam Eslinger slung the flowers. Siblings, in-laws, and nursing school classmates, Brad and Bobbie Hofland, Fred Holzkamm, and Donna Mantel from Chicago, respectively, served as the attendants. The couple honeymooned in Medora, years before The Musical was the attraction there. They then made their first home in Reeder in an apartment over the Farmers Union Oil Company, where Leroy transitioned from work on the farm to the city life. Daughter Lisa was born while Leroy and Donna lived in this apartment.
Work
Leroy
Leroy took a position as a mechanic at the Farmers Union Oil Company in Reeder, changing spark plugs, tires, and mufflers, a short hop, skip, and jump down a flight of stairs. He credits his mechanical skills to his classmate, Joe Materna, with whom he overhauled an engine in high school. They initially rented their current home from Cliff Benson. After a year, they purchased the home in which they raised their family. More children followed. Neighbors received clues when a new child was expected as Leroy and Donna added on to their house three times to accommodate their growing family.
Other jobs included operating heavy equipment for Wagner Brothers, Inc., for seven years before taking a position at Knife River Coal Company in 1976. There his roles included working in the grease shop and mechanic shop in addition to operating a scraper dozer. In 1995, Leroy, Donna, Nicole, and dog Trixie transferred to Knife River Coal Company in Zap, ND.
Donna
Donna worked in all departments at the Bowman Hospital and later joined the staff at the Bowman Clinic. The demanding work, the long hours, and the North Dakota winter roads often made the commute difficult. Donna remembers a highway worker from Scranton following her home to ensure that she made it safely. She worked at the Hettinger Clinic until 1995, when they moved to Zap. Her granddaughter Christina from Clovis, CA, has just begun nursing school in Bottineau continuing the legacy of offering care to others. After a satisfying career followed by official retirement, Donna’s nursing skills didn’t fall by the wayside. They were put to use with the fire department on ambulance calls, and she provided support for community members with tasks ranging from putting in eye drops to taking blood pressure. Once a nurse, always a nurse.
The Olson family enjoyed the community of Zap for seven and a half years. Donna describes it as a nice community, small and caring like Reeder. Zap embraced the Olsons as their own. Donna continued quilting with the Lutheran ladies there. The people of Zap and the Greater North Dakota Association acknowledged Donna’s many years of selfless service by presenting her with the North Dakota Community Leadership Award in 2003.
In 2001 on Leroy’s retirement from Knife River, they returned to Reeder to enjoy a closer proximity to many dear relatives. Through the years, the Rose family assembled together every holiday taking turns at hosting get-togethers. Eventually, the gatherings were held in an area affectionately known as “Rose Cousin Corner.” Four Rose cousins, Donna, Phyllis Rose Enerson, Ivadelle Bartz Honeyman, and Sharon Honeyman Soehren, lived within one city block in Reeder. Each in-turn welcomed the family to their yards, continuing the decades-long tradition of gathering to share laughter, memories, and good food.
Giving & Retirement
Leroy
Leroy’s adult life has been characterized as being in service to his family and the Reeder community. He has been a Boy Scout leader and a firefighter and has served on the Rose Hill Cemetery board and on the Reeder City Council. He is a member of the Reeder Lions Club and of Our Savior’s Church. Furthermore, countless hours have been spent mowing grass at these various sites.
He enjoys diverse activities building on the interests he displayed as a young man on the farm. Leroy purchased his first snowmobile, an Arctic Cat, in 1969. He has a vast collection of fishing lures with which he has brought home Northern pike, walleye, bass, bullheads, trout, brim, sunfish, perch, carp, and paddlefish. He is an innovative and thrifty man, seeing potential where others cannot. For example, he bought the garage from the Mobile station from his father-in-law for $2.00 and converted it into a shop on his property. From his shop emerged such delights as an intensely steep slide for his grandchildren to enjoy in his backyard, and he creatively converted old North Dakota license plates into dust pans with handles. On his childhood farm, he found a smashed toy truck. Lovingly, Leroy pounded it back to life and painted it a vibrant red. Alvin Olson was said to have a wonderful singing voice, which he passed on to Leroy. Leroy added the bass part to the Happy Wanderers Barbershop Quartet, singing at various events and at funerals. The group was comprised initially of Leroy, Pastor Richard Beckman, Don Baker, and Leonard Jacobs. The quartet then became an octet with the addition of Derald Bugner, Alton Jacobs, and Raymond and Stanley Kaitfors.
Donna
When Donna’s mother was living, they were members together of the Sunshine Homemakers’ Club. For years, she was the leader of the Fellowship 4-H Club, and her girls were active and successful in the organization. In September of 1997, the club presented her with a plaque for her dedication to this organization. She has also been a member of the Reeder Alumni Association. Like Leroy, she has been on the fire department and on the cemetery board. Donna is a Melvin Jones Fellow with the Lions International Foundation for her dedicated humanitarian service. She quilts with a small group of women at her beloved church, putting into practice the things she learned many years ago in 4-H. She also loves to read. Donna and Leroy are regulars at the Prairie Pioneers Senior Center, meeting their friends for meals and socializing.
Family
Isn’t it a miracle how the first smile Donna and Leroy shared evolved into a marriage lasting for more than a handful of decades and nurtured five children, now all grown up and having a powerful impact on the world? Lisa lives in Clovis, CA. She is the mother of eight children, all of whom she has homeschooled. Darcy lives in Chamberlin, SD, and is a social worker at St. Joseph Indian School. Darin, Chamberlain, SD, was a linguist with the Air Force, stationed in Germany when the Berlin Wall fell. He has retired from Cellofoam. Carl works in the office and surveys for KLJ Construction in Fargo, ND. Nicole is teaching at Hettinger Public School. While Nicole graduated from Beulah High School, the four others, like their maternal grandmother and parents, are proud alumni of Reeder High School. Leroy and Donna have a new generation to love, which includes nineteen grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Let’s return to the well at Summerville with a quote by Tara Brach. “The love and understanding of a friend, like the purest water, refreshes the very source of our being.” Friends they are. Donna thinks that Leroy is a “pretty good guy.” She admires the way he has taken care of and supported his family and the myriad ways he has volunteered in the community. Leroy simply said that Donna is perfect. After sixty years, together, that is high praise. In fisherman’s terms, Donna was the catch of a lifetime (though a sixty-nine pound paddlefish comes in a close second).
