Marilyn Kathleen Olson

At the request of Marilyn's family that live here locally, her obituary is posted on our website.  Please extend your sympathies to the family and friends of Marilyn Olson.  Rest in Peace.

Memorial Services for Marilyn Olson will held on Saturday, June 12, 2020 at the Redeemer Lutheran Church at Doland.  Burial will be in the Prairie Valley Cemetery at Raymond. the Church address is 406 SD Highway 37. in Doland.  2 blocks north of the intersection Highway 212 & Highway 37 on Highway 37.

Marilyn Kathleen Olson, 93, passed away on January 28, 2021 at Monument Health Rapid City Hospital.

Marilyn Kathleen Krebs came into this world on Sunday, December 26, 1927, the first-born child of Byron J. and Helen Delphene (nee Beach) Krebs in Raymond, South Dakota.  At age 12, her father died from a lightening strike; as a result, Marilyn had many family responsibilities thrust upon her and she became the family "first sergeant."

Marilyn grew up in Raymond, South Dakota where she played girls' basketball, was a cheerleader, and graduated as valedictorian in the Raymond High School Class of 1946.

After high school graduation, Marilyn attended a six-week teacher certification program, attaining a 'second grade degree' at Northern State Teacher's College in Aberdeen.  That fall, on September 3, 1946, Marilyn began teaching for the Belle Plaine School District in Spink County at the Shult School, a one-room country school.  She walked to school with her sack lunch, making a teacher's salary of $140 per month.

To work on her teaching degree, Marilyn returned to Northern in the summer of 1947 for full time classes.  This was where she met and married Wallace G. Dunker on June 28, 1948.  Wally transferred to USD to pursue a law degree.  They moved to Redfield, SD, where Wally opened a law practice and was elected Spink County State's Attorney.  Wally and Marilyn had three children together, Jan, Jean and Jody.

Marilyn was an accomplished seamstress and made many of her children's clothes, most of her own clothes and her husband's suits.  She baked pies for a Redfield restaurant.  She entered and won the SD Pillsbury Bake-Off with her Caraway-Rye Rolls, winning a trip to New York City for the bake-off finals.

The family moved to Pierre, where Wallace was an Assistant Attorney General for the State of South Dakota and Marilyn opened a pre-school in her home.  After Pierre they moved to Aberdeen.  Marilyn returned to college in 1961 to obtain a B.S. degree from NSC in 1966.  While working on her bachelor's degree, Marilyn taught at the School of Hope.  She worked at the Adjustment Training Center and was an educational consultant at the Redfield State Hospital and School.  At this time in her life she was working on her B.S. degree, M.S. degree, holding down a job, and herding three teenagers.  She obtained her Master of Science Degree in Education in 1967, and at this time was a teaching assistant at NSC.

In 1970, Marilyn was named to the South Dakota Commission of Mental Health and Mental Retardation.  She spoke to many civic groups across the northeast part of the state on this subject, that was dear to her heart.  In 1971, she was appointed to the Governor's Advisory Committee on Employment of the Handicapped.  She moved to Pierre again in 1976, and soon retired from the State of South Dakota.

In 1977, Marilyn and her sister, Cheryle bought an old building together in Deadwood, SD.  This old building included a gift shop, which they renamed "The Gold Strike."  They built up the business and sold it in 1985 with sales increased by 800%.

Marilyn married Warren R. Calvert on September 18, 1987.  They enjoyed camping and traveling together.  Warren died on March 15, 1993.

Marilyn delighted in being the Grandma of renown…

The grandchildren always called her "Dough Grandma."  Whenever Marilyn was baking with the grandkids visiting, she had them helping from about age two on up.  There are photos of Dough Grandma and her young assistant bakers sitting on the kitchen counter covered from head to foot in flour.  On one occasion when Jean and Jeff went to Europe, Dough Grandma stayed with the grandkids in Doland and went through 25 pounds of flour in that week from baking cookies, bread, noodles, buns, etc.

There was a time when this crazy old woman was running through the sprinklers on a hot day with three little kids, doing the "slip 'n slide."  Not sure which of the four were squealing the loudest in delight.  That same crazy old woman went roller skating with a granddaughter around town.  The granddaughter's friends called her "Motorcycle Grandma" because she was wearing jeans, which was not the common grandmother attire in the early '90s era, and going fast on skates.  Motorcycle Grandma always showed up at state tournaments wearing glittery makeup to cheer for her granddaughter and her friends.

The cocktail hour was an event at Grandma's house.  It brought all ages together for great conversation.  Grandma had a list of available beverages and snacks for all ages.  The small grandkids took orders and brought the requests to the guests in Grandma's best glassware and dinnerware.  High-class hors d'oeuvres were served by the expert wee wait staff and not a single dish was broken.

Visiting Dough Grandma in the Black Hills was an adventure for the little grandchildren.  She would pack a lunch and drive to Roughlock Falls for a picnic, where they would enjoy her sandwiches of homemade bake buns shaped like turtles.  They would wade in the ice-cold water of Spearfish Creek, feed bread crumbs to the fish, search for turtles, make their way down the dirt path to the Falls, pick wild flowers, and throw pebbles into the water.

Entertaining friends and family were an endeavor Marilyn loved.  She was proud of her elegant table displays of pretty china, crystal, flowers, and candles.  She loved to cook and bake interesting dishes from her large cookbook collection while entertaining.  When the meal was finished the grandchildren snuffed the candles out.

For her teenage years to well into her 80s, Marilyn loved to dance.  On one of her dancing outings, a gentleman at an adjacent table invited her onto the dance floor.  This good man twirled Marilyn and put her heart into a dither.  Marilyn and Dale Olson were married on April 6, 2002.  They enjoyed many long road trips to various parts of the country.  They also enjoyed driving to the local garage sales to find the bargain of the day.

Marilyn had a passion for education, especially the education of the mentally handicapped.  Marilyn also had a great love for her fellow man, from her foster children to an Ethiopian refugee taken under her wing, to her church family, to unwed mothers living in her home, to her children, and especially to her beloved grandchildren.  She touched many with her passion and love.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her parents; two husbands, Wallace and Warren; two brothers, Darrel and Galen; and a sister-in-law, Shirley.

Blessed for having shared her life are her husband, Dale of Rapid City; her sister, Cheryle (Ross) Sorensen of Rapid City; her son, Jan (Eliana) Dunker of Vinhedo, Brazil; her daughters, Jean (Jeff) Albrecht of Doland, SD and Jody (David) Roeber of Garner, IA; her grandchildren, John (Alison) Albrecht of Sioux Falls, SD, Alexandra (Lance) Finkbeiner of Centennial, CO, Anastasia (Michael) Dill of Tyler, MN, Daniel (Ashley) Roeber of Farmington, MN, Matthew (Michelle Brown) Roeber of West Des Moines, IA and Katharine (Jared) Bargman of Cedar Falls, IA; and her great-grandchildren, Soraya, Zander and Cairo Finkbeiner, Cecelia and Barrett Dill, Ophelia and Smith Roeber, Sophia and Madelynn Brown, and Willa and Bode Bargman.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no services will be held at this time.