Phyllis Sophia Olson

Phyllis Sophia (Pearson) Olson was born July 13, 1934 to Elmer Winfred Pearson and Sophia Eugenia (Heiser) Pearson in Ceresco, Nebraska. She passed away July 22, 2024 at GracePointe in Lincoln, after recently celebrating her 90th birthday. She truly enjoyed receiving countless birthday cards and letters from family and friends across the country.

Phyllis attended grade school and graduated from Ceresco High School in 1952.

After attending school in Omaha to learn 5 level teletype, she was employed by National Gypsum Company at the Ordnance Plant outside Mead. She then worked for the Wahoo Newspaper as a typesetter. She stayed home to raise their three daughters Crystal, Marlys and Becky in their younger years, then returned to full-time work at Farmers Mutual Insurance in Wahoo. In 1974 she went to work for Production Credit Association/Federal Land Bank in Wahoo and stayed until 1997. After her retirement she drove the Handi-Van in Wahoo, volunteered at the Wahoo Museum and at the Red Cross Blood Mobile. Later in life she traveled extensively around the country and abroad, often with her grandson Grahamm.

Immanuel Lutheran Church in Ceresco was her early church home where Phyllis was baptized, confirmed, a choir member and married to Marlin Dewey Olson on January 9, 1955. The balance of her life she was a member at Grace Lutheran Church, Swedeburg.

Phyllis is survived by her daughters: Crystal (Jerry) Balthrop of Nashville, TN; Marlys (Chuck) Jones of Lincoln, NE; Becky (Jim Kellogg) Olson-Kellogg and grandson Grahamm Kellogg of St. Louis Park, MN. Other survivors include Marlin’s sisters Jean Mortensen and Janet (Dick) Sayers, both in Omaha, and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Phyllis was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Philip Eugene, Willard Elmer, Martin Leroy (Marlene), and her husband Marlin.

Her Memorial Service will be held at Grace Lutheran Church at 10 am Friday, August 2, 2024. Visitation will be Thursday, August 1, 5-7 pm at Pruss-Nabity Funeral Home. Interment will be at Grace Lutheran Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Grace Lutheran Church in Swedeburg, and Lutheran World Relief.