Jerry E. Olson

Jerry Elton Olson, 80, Clear Lake, formerly of Northwood, Iowa, died Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, at his home in Clear Lake.

A funeral service for Jerry will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, Nov. 27, 2017, at the First Lutheran Church, 309 N. 9th St., Northwood, with the Rev. Judy Converse officiating.  Burial will be in the Sunset Rest Cemetery, in Northwood.  Visitation will be held from 3-6 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 26, at the Conner Colonial Chapel, 1008 First Ave. S., Northwood.  Visitation will also be held one hour prior to the service on Monday at the church.

Jerry Olson was born on June 12, 1937, in Dodge Center, Minn., the son of Harold and Frances (Schuster) Olson.  Jerry received his education in the Austin, Minn. school system, graduating from Austin High School.  Jerry excelled in basketball, both in high school and college, and was the only person in Minnesota history to play in the state basketball tournament four years in a row.  Jerry earned his B.A. degree from the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colo., majoring in political science and history.   

He was united in marriage to Suzanne Tenold on Dec. 31, 1957, at the First Lutheran Church, in Northwood, and to this marriage four children were born; Kimber, Kory, Kari, and Kristy.

Jerry began working for Tenold Insurance Company in Northwood in 1960, and in 1966 he became secretary/treasurer for Worth Mutual Insurance Company, and in 1983, he became president.  Jerry was very proud to have his son, Kory, join the firm in 1990, and later his grandsons, Bryan and Jayson joined the firms, establishing insurance agencies in Manly, Iowa and Glenville, Minn.  In 1977, he became president of the State Association of the Mutual Insurance Companies.   

Jerry was very active in the communities in North Iowa, and enjoyed playing golf, loved all sports, and watching his children and grandchildren play sports, and the Northwood Booster Club.

Jerry was a member of First Lutheran Church, in Northwood, and JC’s, Northwood Booster Club, he was a 25 year member of the Northwood Lions Club, Northwood Country Club, and with the help of Grinnell Mutual Insurance Company, was proud to have sponsored the Worth Mutual Golf Tournament for many years donating the proceeds from the tournament to the Northwood Volunteer Fire Department for the past 25 years.   

Those left to cherish his memory is his wife, Suzanne Olson, of Clear Lake; his children, Kimber (John) Thorson, of Sarasota, Fla., Kory (Sherry) Olson, of Northwood, Kari Redman, of Aspen, Colo., and Kristy Olson, of Frisco, Texas; 12 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren; as well as other extended family members and many friends.

Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Frances Olson; and a son-in-law, Ben Redman.