Patsy L. Olson

OLSON, PATSY LOU HORTON, age 83, has made Heaven a better place to be...though leaving life here a little dimmer for us. She passed on January 27, 2021 with her husband of 63 years, Norman Olson, by her side. She was born in Winfield, Kansas on December 7, 1937 (that was a rough 4th birthday)! She is reunited with her parents, Charlie and Olive, all of her brothers and sisters, and her daughter Olivia who has been waiting for 42 years to see her. Without a doubt the heavenly choir has been enhanced by her harmony.

In her younger years she was "Baby"...after marrying Norman, she was making baby...and was she ever good at it! She was born to be a mom! Her kids: Tim, Chris, John, Nancy, Olivia, and Joe were the best part of life to her. Our home was always filled with laughter, with her laugh almost always being the loudest. She was bright, intuitive, light-hearted, committed to God, and family.

Patsy always lived life with a positive outlook, insisting that we look at our life through an optimistic lens. She insisted that we see ourselves no better or no less than anyone else. Family was the priority and nothing else was more important.

Not everything she did was perfect...she cheated at games! Whether it was Spoons, or Gin Rummy, or Nurtz, or Battleship...she was nearly impossible to beat! One of life’s great joys was beating Mom at something. She would laugh joyfully and then beat the pants off you the next time. When we talk about our childhood, the memories are always of family. And Patsy Lou was always in the middle of the fun...teasing and laughing. She was the heart of our family.

We have far too many memories to share here...but here's a few: Little League mom (with cowbell and yelling 'come on boys!')...Saturday morning cartoons (she laughed out loud at Bugs Bunny)...Carol Burnett...the explosion while she was trying to light the furnace (it straightened her hair and gave her an instant sunburn)...crazy jobs that made her smell funny (Ore-Ida potato peeler, truck stop bookkeeper, feed lot secretary)...knuckle thumps for bad behavior...the wooden spoon threats...the car ride threats (I will stop this car, pull down your pants and underwear, and beat you silly!)...the "wait till your father comes home" final straw threat...the poopoo'ing of our injuries (rub it!)...Sunday after church roast or fried chicken... telling her we are home after a late night of carousing...and those few times when a quiet and somber conversation put you back on the right path.

Sometime in the coming Spring, her family will come together for a memorial. We will cheer her life and our loss. We will honor her as she deserves to be honored. She will be memorialized at Chico Basin Cemetery in the country near where she last resided. We will plant an Elm tree and sing the Doxology and laugh as we always have...

Hug tightly those closest to you...in lieu of gifts or flowers.