Delores Evelyn Olson

Delores Evelyn Olson was born in Stanwood, Washington, on September 21, 1928, to Oscar and Miranda Anderson. Delores also had an uncle, Conrad Peterson, and his wife, Rose, who were a big part of her life. Delores loved life and had a beautiful smile. On August 13, 1949, Delores married the love of her life, Ole Gunner Olson. Ole was an automobile mechanic and later became a Bellingham Firefighter. Ole’s parents moved them to the United States from Norway when he was just a few months old. Ole was a survivor of the U.S.S. Bismarck Sea when it was hit and sunk off Iwo Jima, Japan, on February 21, 1945. That day, 318 men lost their lives. Ole received a Purple Heart for his service. Together, Delores and Ole raised four boys: Dennis Olson, born in 1952, David Olson, born in 1955, and Lonny & Larry Olson, born in 1964. Delores and Ole also have a granddaughter, Karley, from Dennis. Karley lives in Canada. Although Delores was an experienced mother when Lonny and Larry were born, she was not experienced at raising twins. Delores joined the Mothers of Twins club to hone her mothering skills for twins. She eventually served as President of the club. Delores and Ole loved to go camping and traveled up and down the West Coast with a 5th wheel trailer. Eventually, they became snowbirds, spending most of their winters in California, Nevada, and Arizona. Delores’s biggest passion was her music. She learned to play the piano at a young age and played piano at the Cedar Home Church in Cedar Home. The church eventually moved to Stanwood. Later in life, Delores purchased her own keyboards and learned how to create different rhythms and sounds to produce her own music. Delores was a member of the Washington Old Time Fiddlers Association and played piano every Friday night at the local fiddlers’ club. Delores loved to entertain at local nursing homes for the residents, along with her friend Fred Robbins, who would sing the tunes. They were always a popular duo wherever they played. In November 2014, Delores suffered a bleed stroke and had to be airlifted to Harborview Hospital in Seattle. Delores had a terrible fear of flying. When she was told what the doctors wanted to do, her response was “Well, we gotta do what we gotta do”. Following the stroke, Delores was unable to live alone. With the help of Visiting Angels, Lonny and Larry were able to bring her home and care for her. While recuperating in the nursing home, her sons decided to bring her keyboard into her room to see if that would help her with her recovery. Her friend, Fred Robbins, was visiting when she sat at the keyboard to play. As she started, she said, “Something is not right.” Fred noticed that she was not on ‘middle C’. Her stroke caused her to lose her peripheral vision on the right side so that she couldn’t see the end of the keyboard. Once Fred got her started on the correct key, she took off playing. After several months of recovery, Delores went back to the fiddlers to play piano, and she and Fred went back to entertaining at the nursing homes. Due to her vision loss, Delores was no longer able to drive, so her son, Lonny, became her driver and roadie for all her events. Delores was preceded in death by her husband, Ole Olson, Age 84 in 2010, her son Dennis Olson, Age 52 in 1995, her mother Miranda Anderson, Age 82 in 1995, her Father Oscar Anderson, Age 92 in 1988, her Uncle Conrad Peterson, Age 88 in 1990, her Aunt Rose Peterson, Father-in-Law: Ole J Olson, Age 99 in 1989 and her Mother-in-Law, Carrie Olson, Age 92 in 1995. A Funeral service will be held on Thursday, September 18th, 2025, at 11 AM at Greenacres Memorial Park Chapel, located at 5700 Northwest Dr. in Ferndale, WA.

Delores Evelyn Olson

September 21, 1928 - August 25, 2025