Lala Radloff of Mesa, Arizona, formerly of Madison and originally of Bear Valley, Wisconsin, died on August 17, 2018. Born Eulalia Olson on May 4, 1921 to Anna (Schmitz) and Samuel Olson, Lala was raised in the tight-knit farming community of Bear Valley. She is survived by her sister, Jean Walsh of Richland Center, brother Leo (Elaine) Olson of Reedsburg, and a large extended family which includes many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by two husbands, Andy Anderson and Ron Radloff, and four siblings: Dorothy Wiedenfeld, Cyril Olson, Mary Fleming, and John Olson. Lala was born into a family that emphasized faith and created its own fun through love of music and baseball. In the 1930’s, Lala played pitcher and then first base with the Bear Valley Daughters softball team, later called the Bear Valley Girls. The team had a huge following and played teams from Janesville, Madison, and beyond. The ball club started at the Olson farm next to St. Kilian’s Church, and the practice field was the cow pasture behind the Bear Valley Cheese Factory. For three years, the Bear Valley Girls won the Wisconsin state championship title in girls’ softball. Lala and her family were active members of St. Kilian’s Catholic Church, a stone’s throw from the Olson farm. The family constituted most of the church choir. Independent-minded, intellectually curious, and hard-working, as an adult Lala farmed and then moved to Madison with her husband Andy, where she worked for Montgomery Ward and then the State of Wisconsin. She enjoyed spending time with her brothers and sisters and their families, especially while playing cards. She was also an excellent conversationalist, showing support to others and interest in their lives. After Andy’s passing, Lala met and married her second husband, Ron Radloff. She and Ron enjoyed spending winters in Arizona and eventually lived there year-round.
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