Carlton Lee Olson

Carlton Lee Olson passed away on Sunday, July 24, 2016 at Graceland Adult Home in Newport, OR following a short illness at the age of 93. He was born May 30, 1923 in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota to Emil and Linda Olson.

Carlton graduated from high school in Pelican Rapids and worked on the Olson family farm. Following service in the U.S. Navy during World War II on a destroyer he was honorably discharged and took advantage of the GI bill. He attended Bethany College in Lindsberg, Kansas, a small Lutheran liberal arts school. There he met Twylah Darnauer Olson. They were married in Goodland, KS in 1953 and are the parents of 3 children, Denise Johnson of Newport, David (Kris) Olson of Newport and Lorian (Mike) Maxham of Prineville, OR. They were married for 32 years.

Carlton attended Augustana Lutheran Seminary in Rock Island, Illinois, after which he did post-graduate work in history and philosophy at the University of Minnesota and then began his career as a Lutheran pastor, serving congregations in Princeton, MN, Newport, OR and Dagmar, MT. He was the founding pastor of Atonement Lutheran Church in Newport where he served from 1966-1978.

He lived the last 20 years of his life in the retirement community of Longview Hills in Agate Beach/Newport. He loved his community and his many friends and neighbors there. Despite failing eyesight, he walked to the clubhouse daily for his morning coffee with the guys. He enjoyed woodworking and made furniture and wooden toy trains for his family and friends. He liked baseball and was a Mariners, Twins and Cardinals fan. In May 2016 Atonement Lutheran Church celebrated its 50th anniversary. It was a special day for him.

Carlton was preceded in death by his parents, brother Myron (Ethel) Olson, sister Delores (Gail) Heusser, brother-in-law Abner Thoreson and son-in-law Art Johnson.

Carlton is survived by his sister Evelyn Thoreson of Pelican Rapids, MN, his children, grandsons Matt Johnson and Aaron Stanwood of Newport, and Jason Castle of Miami, FL, his nieces and nephews Lynn (Steve) Engler of Northfield, MN, Linda (Gary) Gisolo of Gainesville, VA (children Anthony and Kristen), Jon Heusser and Susan (Tom) Ladwig of Pelican Rapids, Sharris (BJ) Heusser of Pensacola, FL, David (Arlene) Reuter of Vancouver, WA and step-grandchildren Petty Officer Michael (Susie) Maxham of Tokyo, Japan and Amanda (Robert) Littleton of Redmond, OR.

A memorial service will be held at Atonement Lutheran Church on Saturday, July 30, 2016 at 11:00 am, reception to follow. Memorials may be sent to the Atonement Lutheran Church 50th Anniversary Fund, 2315 N. Coast Hwy., Newport. Arrangements have been made through Bateman Funeral Home.

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