Clifford Olson

Clifford Raymond Olson, age 85, of Aurora died Saturday, May 15, 2004, at Hamilton Manor in Aurora.

Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 A.M., Wednesday, May 19th at the Messiah Lutheran Church in Aurora. Rev. Sheryl Kester Beyer will officiate. Interment will be in the Aurora Cemetery. Military rites will be provided by American Legion Post #42. Visitation will be from 3 to 8 P.M. Tuesday at Messiah Lutheran Church in Aurora. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at higbymortuary.com.

OBITUARY: CLIFFORD RAYMOND OLSON

Clifford Raymond Olson, the son of Oscar and Amanda A. (Ahl) Olson, was born in Hector, Minnesota on December 22, 1918 and died in Aurora, Nebraska on May 15, 2004, at the age of 85.

He attended District 113 Rural School in Hector and graduated from Hector High School in 1936. He helped on the family farm until he joined the Army Air Corp in May 1942. He received his pilot's training in Santa Ana, California and Hobbs, New Mexico. He was a pilot of a B-17 in the 452nd Combat group in England and flew in 30 missions including D-Day. He was then appointed operations officer for the 45th Combat Bomber Wing. He was awarded the Air Medal with three Clusters, the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was a member of "Operation Frantic" which took American flyers over Germany and then onto land in Russia. In 1995, he was awarded the "Operation Frantic" medal commemorating that mission by the people of Russia and signed by Boris Yeltsin. He returned to Hector, Minnesota in 1945 and remained an Officer in the Air Force Reserve for many years.

On June 18, 1947 he married Gladys L. Johnson at Hawk Creek Lutheran Church in Sacred Heart, Minnesota. They lived in Hector where Cliff was manager of Brookfield Seed Co. until 1954 when they moved to Aurora.

Clifford managed the Cargill Seed Co. in Aurora until 1966. He was manager of the Monsanto Anhydrous Ammonia plant outside of Aurora and continued as manager when that plant became part of CF Industries. He retired from CF Industries in 1989. He was particularly proud of the plant's continuous safety record.

Clifford was a charter member of the Messiah Lutheran Church in Aurora, a member of the Church Council where he had served as president and held other offices. He taught Sunday School and the Bethel Bible series. He was a member of the Lion's Club, Chamber of Commerce, the American Legion Post #42, the VFW, and the Aurora Airport Authority. He held offices in many of the organizations he belonged to. He enjoyed his church, reading, crossword puzzles, his grandchildren, feeding "his" birds, fishing and flying. He was a devoted husband, father, and friend.

He was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers, Donald, Erwin, Russel, and Arvid; two brothers-in-law, Jim Radloff and William Hauan, and a sister-in-law, Neta Olson.

Survivors include his wife, Gladys; two sons, David of Aurora and Timothy of St. Joseph, Missouri; daughter, Karen Lenoski of North Hollywood, California; 3 grandchildren, Jason Litz of Tucson, Arizona, Sara Litz of North Hollywood, California, and Janel Olson of St. Joseph, Missouri; two brothers, Clarence of Fridley, Minnesota and Paul of Sun City, Arizona; two sisters, Mildred Hauan of Fridley, Minnesota and Elaine Radloff of Hector, Minnesota.

Memorials are directed to the Messiah Lutheran Church in Aurora or to Lutheran World Hunger.