Our beloved mother, Kathryn Wenger Olsen, passed away on Monday, April 1, in her home surrounded by her loving family. A private family Mass will be celebrated, and Kathryn will be interred in Resurrection Garden Mausoleum at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. The Egelhof, Siegert & Casper Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of arrangements.
Kathryn was born in Monroe, WI on Dec. 9, 1918, to William and Mayme (O'Donnell) Wenger. She attended Rosary College (now known as Dominican University), in River Forest, Ill. She transferred to Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., where she graduated in 1940. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, University Singers, and took part in the NU Play Productions. Upon graduation, Kathryn taught music in the first grade through junior high for one year in West Chicago, IL. In 1938 Kathryn was named Miss Monroe, by Mayor Charles R. Kohli, to represent her city in Madison at the celebration of thriving capital cities.
On January 22, 1942, she married Lieutenant Howard Paul Olsen in Princeton, NJ, where he was serving in the Army Air Corp. At war's ending, they returned to Monroe to make their home. In addition to raising her family, Kathryn was president of Monroe Country Club's Women's Auxiliary, a volunteer worker for St. Claire Hospital, and the Monroe Manor Nursing Home. She was also a member of The Monroe Women's Club. At St. Victor's Catholic Church she was on the finance committee, the housekeeping committee, and played the organ during Sunday Mass for several years. During this time she also gave piano lessons in her home.
In 1986, Kathryn and Howard retired to Dubuque, Iowa, where both daughters reside. Kathryn loved her new city and became a volunteer worker at Mt. Carmel, and joined Nativity church. While still able to drive, she attended daily mass at Loras College. At 94, she felt blessed to say the daily rosary with the nuns on EWTN and watch the mass that followed.
Kathryn loved concerts and art shows and doing her beautiful pressed flower pictures. However the real goal in her life was giving to needy people and we, her family, hope to continue that tradition in her name. We also hope that future generations of her family will do the same. She would place her donation in a small sealed envelope with the recipient's name on the front - then it was very anonymously delivered to a needy person, hopefully providing them with a sweet surprise. In the spirit of this memory, memorials may be established for those in need at the donor's choice.
Those left to cherish her memory are her children: Howard Olsen, Jr. (Peggy), Suzanne (Doug) Boeckmann, Nan (Jerry) Welch, and Steven (Sara) Olsen and grandchildren, Randall, Jennifer, Margaret, and Kimberlee Olsen, Christopher and Suzanne Welch, and Eric Olsen, and great-grandchildren, James and Nathan Olsen. She is also survived by her sisters, Joy Butterfield and Billie Ann Kubly and her special caregiver, Veronica (Roni) Bergfeld. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister, Bette Collentine, great- granddaughter Emily Olsen and her beloved husband, Howard, Sr.
Online condolences may be sent to www.egelhofsiegertcasper.com.
Kathryn was born in Monroe, WI on Dec. 9, 1918, to William and Mayme (O'Donnell) Wenger. She attended Rosary College (now known as Dominican University), in River Forest, Ill. She transferred to Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., where she graduated in 1940. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, University Singers, and took part in the NU Play Productions. Upon graduation, Kathryn taught music in the first grade through junior high for one year in West Chicago, IL. In 1938 Kathryn was named Miss Monroe, by Mayor Charles R. Kohli, to represent her city in Madison at the celebration of thriving capital cities.
On January 22, 1942, she married Lieutenant Howard Paul Olsen in Princeton, NJ, where he was serving in the Army Air Corp. At war's ending, they returned to Monroe to make their home. In addition to raising her family, Kathryn was president of Monroe Country Club's Women's Auxiliary, a volunteer worker for St. Claire Hospital, and the Monroe Manor Nursing Home. She was also a member of The Monroe Women's Club. At St. Victor's Catholic Church she was on the finance committee, the housekeeping committee, and played the organ during Sunday Mass for several years. During this time she also gave piano lessons in her home.
In 1986, Kathryn and Howard retired to Dubuque, Iowa, where both daughters reside. Kathryn loved her new city and became a volunteer worker at Mt. Carmel, and joined Nativity church. While still able to drive, she attended daily mass at Loras College. At 94, she felt blessed to say the daily rosary with the nuns on EWTN and watch the mass that followed.
Kathryn loved concerts and art shows and doing her beautiful pressed flower pictures. However the real goal in her life was giving to needy people and we, her family, hope to continue that tradition in her name. We also hope that future generations of her family will do the same. She would place her donation in a small sealed envelope with the recipient's name on the front - then it was very anonymously delivered to a needy person, hopefully providing them with a sweet surprise. In the spirit of this memory, memorials may be established for those in need at the donor's choice.
Those left to cherish her memory are her children: Howard Olsen, Jr. (Peggy), Suzanne (Doug) Boeckmann, Nan (Jerry) Welch, and Steven (Sara) Olsen and grandchildren, Randall, Jennifer, Margaret, and Kimberlee Olsen, Christopher and Suzanne Welch, and Eric Olsen, and great-grandchildren, James and Nathan Olsen. She is also survived by her sisters, Joy Butterfield and Billie Ann Kubly and her special caregiver, Veronica (Roni) Bergfeld. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister, Bette Collentine, great- granddaughter Emily Olsen and her beloved husband, Howard, Sr.
Online condolences may be sent to www.egelhofsiegertcasper.com.