David Dennis Olson

David was preceded in death by his parents Gustav Stanley Olson and Elfrieda Olson (Koll), sister Carole Hund, and son Gary Olson.

He married Emily Olson (Olah) on July 14th, 1951, and had 71 years of a long and happy marriage.

He is survived by his wife Emily, son David S. Olson and wife Betsy Olson (Plagens) of Traverse City, Michigan, son Paul W. Olson and wife Corrine Christman-Olson of Williamsburg, Michigan, and six grandchildren, Nick (Chelsea) Olson, Liz Olson, Sarah (Adam) Clark, Erik (Danielle) Olson, Scot Olson, Mike (Cassie) Olson.

David is also survived by five great grand-children: Aiden Clark, Hadley Clark, Emerson Clark, Indie Olson, and Alder Olson.

David received a BSF from the University of Michigan (U of M) in 1950. He served in the US Air Force from 1950 until discharge in 1953 at Luke Air Force Base, Glendale, Arizona.

He was hired by the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, as a forester in Umpqua National Forest in 1953.

His first son David was born in Roseburg, Oregon in 1953. The family left Roseburg to return to Michigan where David D. accepted a job with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in Lansing. His son Gary was born in 1955 in East Lansing.

His next move was to West Branch, Michigan with the DNR, where his son Paul was born in 1958. The family then moved to Fife Lake, where the children grew up from 1960-64 in a big house in the middle of the woods, a natural playground for the boys and dogs. From 1964-76 David worked as a forester in Mio, Michigan for the Cooperative Extension Service through Michigan State University (MSU) for Crawford and Oscoda counties; as part of this work, he received his Masters in Resource Development from MSU in 1970, despite being the second of now four U of M grads. He received numerous awards in the Michigan forestry world and was a member of the Natural Resources Commission.

David and Emily then moved to Marquette, Michigan where she completed her career as an English teacher, and he completed his work with the Cooperative Extension Service. They then retired and lived in Big Bay, Michigan, Gulf Shores, Alabama, and ultimately in Traverse City, Michigan to be close to their family.

He was passionate about fishing and the great outdoors. He loved to travel all over the world with Emily, making friends easily wherever they visited; and his sons have wonderful memories of the many camping trips they took out West to National Parks. He instilled in his sons a strong work ethic. His Swedish stubbornness was well-known to family and friends (“you can always tell a Swede, but you can’t tell them anything”). He deeply loved Emily and his family.

His family would like to thank Orchard Creek Supportive Care and Hospice of Michigan for taking such good care of David at the end of his life. Any contributions in his memory can be donated to Hospice of Michigan.

There will be a private ceremony for family at his grave site in Eastport where his son Gary is also at rest.

David and his family are being cared for by the Reynolds Jonkhoff Funeral Home, Traverse City.