Phyllis Olson

PHYLLIS LOUISE (VOLLERTSEN) OLSON

Cedar Rapids

Phyllis Louise (Vollertsen) Olson, 77, of Cedar Rapids, passed away Friday, March 17, 2017, at Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy, Hiawatha. Services: 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 24, at St. Mark's United Methodist Church, Cedar Rapids. Visitation: 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 23, at Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cedar Rapids. Burial: Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery, Cedar Rapids.

Phyllis is survived by her children, Ken Olson of Boulder Creek, Calif., and Cindy (Bob) Mettler of Cedar Rapids; grandchildren, Allison (Cody) Kloxin of Central City, Neb., John Mettler and Mark Mettler of Cedar Rapids, Andrew (Courtney) Olson of San Jose, Calif., and Austin Olson of Boulder Creek; sister-in-law, Betty (Ken) Lundgren of Bloomingdale, Ill.; brother-in-law, Don Vinson of Los Angeles; five nieces; and seven nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Larry; infant son, Larry Jr.; sister, Virginia Vinson; brothers, Russell Vollertsen and Norman Vollertsen; and three nephews.

Phyllis was born Sept. 28, 1939, in Lincoln, Neb., the daughter of Harry and Verona (Schaeffer) Vollertsen. She attended grade school in a one-room schoolhouse (District 85) in rural Nebraska and graduated from Eagle Consolidated High School, Eagle, Neb., in 1956. In 1959, Phyllis graduated from Peru State College in Peru, Neb., with a B.A. degree in history and art. She met Larry Olson in Newport, R.I., and married him on Oct. 7, 1961. In 1988, she received her M.B.A. from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa.

Phyllis' favorite time of year was the spring, when everything would turn green and the flowers would bloom. Phyllis was an active member of Good Earth Garden Club and Linn County Master Gardeners. She did beautiful hand needlework and was a member of the Cedar Valley Chapter of Embroiderers' Guild of America, as well as St. Mark's United Methodist Church. Phyllis worked at various industries during her life, some of which include: Raytheon Corporation, owning Olson Hardware with her husband in La Harpe, Ill., and Montgomery KONE Inc. She retired in 2004 from Corporex Co. in Cincinnati. Phyllis was very proud of her children and grandchildren and loved spending time with them. She also enjoyed playtime with her cats, Sunshine and Lucy.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Linn County Master Gardeners, Embroiderers' Guild of America or St. Mark's United Methodist Church.

Please share a memory of Phyllis at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.