Cathryn Olson Obituary (1922 - 2009)

MANCHESTER - Cathryn L. Olson, 87, of Manchester died Saturday, July 18, 2009, at MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta. She was born in Lake City, Minn., April 3, 1922, the daughter of Leonard and Catherine (Wiebusch) Dose. She moved to St. Paul, Minn., at the age of 16 and later graduated from the Bethesda Hospital School of Nursing. She went on to serve in the Navy Nurse Corps at Great Lakes Naval Training Center, where she met her future husband, Harold C. 'Spike' Olson. They were married in August 1947. After starting their life together in Minnesota, Spike's work took them first to Omaha, Neb.; then to St. Louis, Atlanta and Wilmington, Del., and then to Saratoga, Calif. In 1982, they retired to Manchester. Cathryn viewed each move as an opportunity to meet new friends, not as a loss, and quickly became engaged in community activities, for many years actively pursuing her nursing career. She worked in many settings, including school nursing and summer camp nursing while her children were growing up, but the operating room remained her favorite. Following her retirement from nursing, she continued to give of her skills in a volunteer capacity, for American Red Cross blood drives in California and for many years in Maine as a volunteer for Hospice of the Kennebec Valley. She was an active member of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. She was an avid bridge player and golfer, playing both well into her 80s. She was an active member of the Women's Golf Association at the Augusta Country Club and served as its president. Cathryn put her family at the center of her life and instilled that value in her children. Many people know her grandchildren through her stories of their antics and successes. She taught her grandsons the importance of the 'short game' in golf although none of them have exhibited her patience in practicing it, so even though they could out-drive her, she could always win. Her granddaughter, Jessica, held a special spot in her heart. To her daughters, she imparted her love of putting good food in the middle of a gathering of family and friends and her tremendous skills at organizing those gatherings, large and small. Cathryn was predeceased by her husband; her brother, Victor Dose; and her sister, Vivian Johnson. She is survived by her daughters, Nona Boyink and her husband, Doug, of Mount Vernon, and Peggy Walter and her husband, Roger, of Dublin, Ohio; her four grandchildren, Andrew and Jeffrey Boyink, and Jacob and Jessica Walter; and many beloved nieces and nephews. A memorial service will take place at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 18, at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. A private interment will take place in Minnesota at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to HealthReach Hospice, c/o MaineGeneral Office of Philanthropy, P.O. Box 828, Waterville, ME 04903-0828, or Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 209 Eastern Ave., Augusta, ME 04330. Arrangements are in the care of Roberts Funeral Home, 62 Bowdoin St., Winthrop. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.khrfuneralhomes.com