Kent Burton Olson

Kent Olson, age 60, of St. James died at his home on May 8, 2020. Memorial Service for Kent Olson When: Saturday, Oct. 10th Time: 1:30PM Where: Voss Park Picnic Shelters, 63583 360th St., Butterfield, MN Picnic tables will be available for seating, but you may want to bring your own lawn chairs. Beverages will be available. Kent Oly' Burton Olson was born October 27, 1959 in St. James, MN to Burton and Marcia (Bredesen) Olson. He was baptized at West Sveadahl Lutheran Church in December 1959 and confirmed at Albion Lutheran Church in May 1975 - both churches located in rural St. James. For his first four elementary grades he attended Brown County District #211 School, located just around the corner from his parents' farm. As a result of District 211 closing in 1970, Kent began attending St. James Schools at Armstrong for 5th & 6th grades, moving on to the Junior High in 7th grade and finishing up his public school education at St. James Senior High, graduating with the Class of 1978 on May 25th. Integral to his life with family, school and church was his constant drivenness toward working on the farm with his father, ever since he showed a natural interest and aptitude for handling farm equipment at a young age. During and after high school he worked for farmers in the Godahl area, then launched into farming his parents' farm, drove bus for Lenz Bus Co., opened the Inn-Between in Godahl and worked construction with Tom Suess and Terry Koch before heading out to Connecticut and New York State to build motels with Terry Koch Construction in 1986. A major project Kent worked on near Ithaca, New York in 1989, was the renovation of Greek Peak Mountain Resort, which also became a place of parttime employment for him when he worked the snowmaking and grooming machinery on the ski hills. In 1990 he married Marlene Greene, the mother of his two sons - Kyle (b.1991) and Kory (b.1993). It was around this same time when he also owned and operated KC Construction in Dryden, NY. Later in the 1990's he did property management and maintenance for Hatfield Real Estate, which included remodeling and refurbishing projects for multiple homes in the Dryden, NY area. In 2004 Kent returned to Minnesota and was able to spend 3 1/2 weeks with his father before Burton passed away that June. Shortly thereafter he reconnected with Tom Suess and began working construction jobs again. From 2011 until the time of his death, Kent worked for Romsdahl Companies, first on the Interior Finish Crew and later as a Project Superintendent. Kent will be greatly missed by his family and friends who will remember him for his strong work ethic, can-do attitude, easy sense of humor, generosity, kind-heartedness and self-sacrifice. Kent is survived by his sons, Kyle Olson of Ithaca, NY, Kory and wife Heather (due with their first-born) of Cortland, NY; sister Twyla Peasley and husband Jim of Richfield, MN, brother Keith Olson of St. Paul, MN and sister Tricia Mielke and husband John of Winthrop, MN; nieces and nephews, Julia (Luis) Lorenzana Peasley & Luchenzo, Jonathan (Mary Nelson) Peasley, Jace, Cora and Harlin, Laura Jo Peasley and fianc Preston Schlueter, Linnea Peasley, Roselyn Mielke, Joshua Mielke; one aunt, Donna Olson, and fifteen cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents, three aunts and four uncles.