Joyce Olson Obituary
INTERMENT Oak Hill Cemetery Estherville, Iowa Joyce LaVone Fransdal was born in Estherville on August 18, 1916, to Lars and Johanna (Stokkeboe) Fransdal. She died Monday, April 21, 2008, at the Lakeside Lutheran Home in Emmetsburg at the age of 91. She grew up in Estherville and graduated from Estherville High School in 1933.
She attended Estherville Junior College and the Lutheran Bible Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She was married to Glenn E. Olson on December 31, 1938. She worked as a secretary for Judge Lee and M. J. Groves, and later was the office manager of the Farmers' State Mutual Hail Association. She also worked as a legal secretary for the Fitzgibbons Law Office until her retirement.
She was a member of the Estherville Lutheran Church, where she taught Sunday School for many years. Joyce was a lifetime member of the VFW Auxiliary. Proud of her Norwegian heritage, Joyce was a charter member of the Sons of Norway. She was also a member of the Spencer Chapter of the Legal Secretaries Association. She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Joyce is survived by four daughters, Jeanne (Carl) Anderson of Ringsted, Glenyce (Jim) Towell of Estherville, Linda (Jim) DeVore of Estherville, Lois (Ron) Graettinger of Graettinger, and one son, John (Jill) Olson of Newhall, Iowa. She is survived by twenty grandchildren, Michael Anderson of Ft. Dodge, Timothy Anderson of Ringsted, Amy Starnes of Ringsted, Nathan Anderson of Lake City, Minnesota, Sara Anderson of Ringsted, Beth Flores of Ft.
Dodge, Christopher Towell of Estherville, Emily Snyder of Mason City, Matthew DeVore of Manchester, Melissa Regelstad of Estherville, Melinda Aust of Des Moines, Brian Graettinger of Waverly, Lisa Graettinger of Spencer, Christine McGrauth of Graettinger, Glenn Graettinger of Spencer, Molly Graettinger of Spencer, Jill Mielke of Graettinger, Brent Graettinger of Graettinger, Erik Olson of Muscatine, Evan Olson of Pella, 33 great-grandchildren, one sister Lois (Vernon) Tweedt of Plano, Illinois, sister-in-law Juliet Fransdal of Estherville, and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband in 1963, her parents, two brothers, Waldemar Fransdal and Norman Fransdal, two grandchildren, Bernard Graettinger and Stephanie Olson; one great-grandchild, Garrett Towell; and a sister-in-law Geneva Fransdal. Memorial Donations may be given to Palo Alto County Hospice.
