Marjorie F. Olson (Spiller)
Marjorie Olson Obituary - Abilene, KS | Martin-Becker-Carlson Funeral Home (martinbeckercarlson.com)
December 23rd, 1919 - September 17th, 2022
Marjorie Olson, age 102 3/4, was born December 23, 1919, in Hymer, KS. She was the daughter of Joel and Blanchepiller. She died September 17 at Pioneer Ridge in Lawrence.
The family will receive friends from 5 p.m. -7 p.m. Friday, September 23, 2022 at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Abilene. Funeral service will take place at the church on Saturday September 24, 2022 at 10 a.m. with burial at Abilene Cemetery. Lunch will be served after the burial. Please wear her favorite color purple to celebrate a life well-lived.
Marjorie grew up on the family farm near Frankfort, KS. She graduated from Frankfort High School in 1938 and attended Kansas State University, later graduating from Marymount College in Salina with a BS in education. She loved every minute of her teaching career, starting out in a one-room rural country school in Marshall County, KS, and later as a teacher in the Abilene school district for over 20 years.
She married Kenneth Olson in 1941 and settled in Abilene where both became active members of the community. They were avid K-State fans, and Marjorie was “fan of the week” at a KU-KSU football game when she was 91. Throughout her life she belonged to many organizations including Beta Sigma Phi, Ladies Literary League, Friends of the Eisenhower Foundation, Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and Kansas State Presidents Club. She was one of the founding members of the H.O.P.E. Center.
As a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, she taught Sunday school and bible school classes, sang in the choir, served as a church council member and was a member of the Women’s organization.
Marjorie was preceded in death by her husband Kenneth Olson and her daughter Carol Hires and her husband Albert, her brothers Joe Spiller, Wayne Spiller, and her sisters Fern Hines and Wilma Drinkwater.
She is survived by her son Dr. Gary "Butch" Olson and his wife Sue, Lawrence, and grandchildren Kimberly Smith and her husband Daniel, Roanoke, VA, Jody Mintken and her husband John, Winter Park, CO, Katy Olson, Plover, WI, Beth Colon and her husband Jimmie, New Orleans, Taylor Washburn and her husband Zachary, Phoenix, Cameron Case, Kansas City, and her special niece Susan Religa and her family from Manhattan. Marjorie had 14 great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church’s charity (name later) and may be sent in care of the Martin-Becker-Carlson Funeral Home, 414 NW 3rd, Abilene, Kansas 67410.