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Virginia Olson
VIRGINIA "GINNY" OLSON
Cedar Rapids
Virginia "Ginny" Faye Olson, 85, of Mount Pleasant, died Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015, at Sunny-brook Assisted Living in Mount Pleasant.
The daughter of Victor and Mattie (Lute) Olson, she was born March 8, 1930, in Mount Pleasant. A graduate of Olds High School class of 1948, she went on to graduate from the Iowa State Teachers College in 1952. She taught school in Cedar Rapids, then attended the University of Nebraska, where she received her master's degree in 1956.
She returned to the Cedar Rapids school district teaching at Hayes and Johnson until her retirement in 1995. Virginia was one of the first to teach in the intermediate family school program while at Johnson, teaching third, fourth and fifth grades. She touched the lives of many, many students over her 40 years of teaching.
Virginia loved to travel, having gone to Europe, and especially Sweden, and all over the United States. She enjoyed bird-watching and encouraging everyone else in the family to carry on the tradition.
She was an avid bridge player, and enjoyed reading and watching college sports on television.
Ginny's family was very important to her. She was always interested in what everyone was doing. When she was able, she loved to go to as many events and family gatherings as possible. She always wanted to be involved in their lives.
While living in Cedar Rapids, she was a faithful member of St. Mark's Lutheran Church. Since returning to the Swedesburg area, she was once again a member of Swedesburg Lutheran Church. Church was very important in her life.
Survivors include two nephews, Greg and Camille Zihlman of Dallas, Texas, and Keith and Lana Zihlman of Mount Pleasant; one niece, Chris Mertens of Salem; and many great- and great-great-nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents and one sister, Millicent Olson Zihlman.
The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at Swedesburg Evangelical Lutheran Church, with the Rev. Mark Youngquist officiating. Interment will follow at Swedesburg Church Cemetery. A time for visitation and fellowship will follow at the church Parish Hall.
Memorials have been established for Swedesburg Lutheran Church and HCI Hospice Care Service of Mount Pleasant.
Honts Funeral Home in Winfield is in charge of arrangements.
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