BioA: Olson, Mr. and Mrs. Oluf (57^th - 1958)

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 
 

Surnames: Olson, Tuttle, Dahnert, MacMillan, Johnson, Daniel, Schwarze, Holt, Dorn 
 

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) March 27, 1958 
 

Olson, Mr. and Mrs. Oluf (57^th - 1958) 
 

Former Colby and Abbotsford Residents have lived in city since 1918 -
 

Mr. and Mrs. Oluf Olson, who were married in Colby Township, Clark County on March 27, 1901, will observe their 57^th wedding anniversary today (Thursday) at their home in Neillsville. 
 

Mr. Olson was born near Oslo, Norway, February 4, 1871, and came with his mother to America when he was 19 months old, locating at Greenwood, and joining his father who had preceded them to America to earn transportation for the family.  Eight months later, the Olson family settled on a homestead a mile north of Curtiss.  There Oluf Olson grew to manhood, attending a rural school in the wilderness for four years. This homestead farm is now operated by Wayne Olson, a nephew of Oluf and a son of Oluf’s youngest brother, Otto. 
 

As a youth, Mr. Olson worked in a lumber camp, taking a man’s place from the time he was 16.  When he was 30, he was married to Myrtle M. Tuttle, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Tuttle, at the Tuttle farm in Colby Township.  The bride was then 26. 
 

After the wedding he took his bride to Medford, where he worked in a sawmill, riding the carriage from April 4 to November 13, 1901.  Then they returned to the Olson homestead north of Curtiss.  During the next three years, Mr. and Mrs. Olson operated three different farms in Clark and Marathon County, and in 1907 they moved to Abbotsford, where Mr. Olson became village marshal and served as section foreman on the Ashland-Spencer railroad for seven years.  
 

"I remember," states Mrs. Olson, "carrying a ladder round the Abbotsford business district each evening to light the oil street lights.  We didn’t have to put them out in the morning as they usually ran out of kerosene before daylight." 
 

"We had a jail 14 by 14 feet on the Clark County side of Abbotsford, where we usually had some drunken lumberjacks sobering up," he continued.  "We never fined them just for being drunk; but if they got to fighting they had to pay a fine before being released from jail.  The most drunks I remember having in the jail at one time was seven."  
 

Four strangers came to Abbotsford during Mr. Olson’s term as marshal, remained on the marathon side of the village for several days, and one night tried to rob the bank at Abbotsford. One was apprehended at Merrillan Junction, and after standing trial in Wausau, was sentenced to 10 years in the state prison. The men had gotten into the bank without difficulty, but had been unable to get into the vault. 
 

In 1914 the Olson family moved to Neillsville and lived nearly four years on South Hewett Street in the house now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Herman Dahnert, just south of what was then the MacMillan residence. 
 

During the summer of 1918, they acquired a home on Court Street in which they have since lived.  On coming to Neillsville Mr. Olson took a position as building custodian of the courthouse, and as bailiff and deputy sheriff. For 36 years he served in this triple capacity.  Since 1950 he has served as a part time employee at the courthouse, and has continued as bailiff. 
 

Mr. and Mrs. Olson, are the parents of 10 children, two of whom are not living. Francis died in infancy and Robert died at the age of 25.  The living children are: Mrs. Maynard (Ellen) Johnson, who is teaching in the Wausau school system; Mrs. David (Barbara) Daniel of Cambria; Mrs. Ewald (Sarah) Schwarze, Greenwood; Gilbert, Rice Lake; Mrs. Albert (Fern) Holt, and Kenneth of Neillsville; Mrs. Lowell (Mildred) Dorn, Abbotsford; and Oluf, Jr., Wisconsin Rapids.  They also have 26 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. 
 

All nine of Mr. and Mrs. Olson’s children were graduated from Neillsville High School. 
 

Taking part in the anniversary today (Thursday) will be the Kenneth Olson and Albert Holt families of Neillsville, Mrs. Ellen Johnson, with the other children possibly dropping in for the evening.