Helen Gladys Marie Olson

Helen Gladys Marie Olson passed away peacefully at the Barrett Care Center on June 23, 2024, at the age of 100. 

She was born on February 2, 1924, to Nathaniel and Ellen Van Horn on a farm near Hoffman, MN. She graduated from Barrett High School in 1942, and worked for two years at Honeywell in Minneapolis. She married the love of her life, Carl, in 1944, and lived much of the rest of her life on the farm in Sanford Township. They were married for 67 years until Carl’s death in 2011. Helen was a loving wife and mother, and also worked for a number of years in the Elbow Lake schools as a paraprofessional. She valued education for her own children and knew the value of helping others succeed as well. 

Helen was preceded in death by her husband Carl; daughter Cheryl Nelson; son-in-law Bill Miller; brothers Eugene, Lynn, Oscar, and Curtis Van Horn; and sisters Edna Curley and Darlene Naber.

Helen is survived by her sister Marlys Upke; daughter Carla (Chuck); sons Marc (Judy) and Jon (Tacie); five grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

A private memorial service will be held for the family on Saturday, July 27, 2024, with interment at Union Cemetery in Elbow Lake.

The family would like to thank the Barrett Care Center for all their excellent care.

Arrangements by Erickson-Smith Funeral Home of Elbow Lake.