Florence Olesen

Florence was born on March 26, 1921 in Cokato, MN to Ethel (Blowers) and Albert Johnson. Florence was baptized at Dassel, MN and confirmed in Mound, MN at St. Johns Lutheran Church. She graduated from Mound High School in 1938. She attended Augsburg College in 1939, and then went on to a three-year nursing program at Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. Following graduation from nurses training Florence enlisted in the U.S. Army, and served as a second lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps. She also worked in the pediatrics and polio wards at Minneapolis General Hospital. She attended St. Olaf College for one year where she met her husband Lloyd Olesen. They were married August 1, 1947 at the Little Brown Church in the Vale in Iowa. Florence and Lloyd lived in Winona, Ellsworth, Lewisville and Madelia, and in 1958 they moved to Montevideo where Lloyd was an elementary principal. Florence worked as a special duty nurse in New Ulm and Madelia hospitals and during their 21 years in Montevideo, she worked as a registered nurse at the Luther Haven nursing home and Montevideo hospital. After retiring in 1979, Florence and Lloyd moved to the Twin Cities to be closer to their extended family. Following Lloyd's death, Florence lived in Sleepy Eye for 18 years. Florence enjoyed traveling with Lloyd, hiking, gardening, camping, swimming and spending time with her family. She found great enjoyment in reading, listening to music, and being in the outdoors. Florence was strong, spunky, and didn't let her physical challenges interfere with her enjoyment of life. Florence felt her family, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren were her greatest blessing. She is survived by her children, Carolyn (Ralph)Woehle, Lengby,MN; Mairi (Curt)Golnick, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Nancy (Zeke) Gehrke, Sleepy Eye, MN, daughter-in-laws Kathy Olesen, Brookfield, Wisconsin; and Pat Guggenberger, Clearwater, Minnesota, fifteen grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lloyd and two sons, Owen and Gary