First Rate Care

David Olson

David was born at home on November 10, 1939 to parents Charley and Josephine Olson. At the time they were living in a home in the country near Winger, Minnesota. In 1944 the family moved to a farm that was a mile west of Rindal. Charley and Josie had eight children-Clifford, Kenneth, Joyce, Carol, David, Orville (Ole), Joan, and Shirley. David attended the nearby country school until he started high school in Fertile. He graduated from there in 1957. The family belonged to Faaberg Lutheran Church in Rindal. He was confirmed there in November of 1954. He enjoyed participating and going to the Luther League programs Sunday evenings.

David attended the Lutheran Bible Institute in Minneapolis for two years after graduating from high school. Lack of finances to continue his education there, brought him back home to Rindal where he worked for a local farmer for a short time. In the fall of 1960 while on a trip to Minneapolis with a friend he had a medical issue arise and had to go to the University of Minnesota hospital where he had surgery. While still in the hospital he had a stroke on his 21st birthday which resulted in him being paralyzed on his right side. He spent several months at the hospital having physical therapy and regained his ability to talk and walk again, but with a slight limp. In 1988, he had an aneurysm that caused a great deal of bleeding in the brain. Surgery was again necessary as well as months of therapy to once again gain the strength to be able to walk again.

As a teenager David worked for a couple of neighbors that needed help with farm work. After his first stroke he ended up living in NE Minneapolis and working for Goodwill Industries. He enjoyed working for them and eventually became a store manager. He received several awards from Goodwill. The first award in 1964 was for Exceptional Sales Performance and Civic Participation. Later, he was named Goodwill Worker of the Year and the National President of Goodwill Industries presented him with an award. After the Goodwill stores he had been working at closed, he got a job as a shipping clerk with a company called Appliance Parts. After his stroke in 1988, he no longer was able to perform the tasks needed for that job. He did have a few jobs after that which were more appropriated for his more limited capabilities.

In later years, David lived in NE Minneapolis in an apartment building for seniors. Later, it was necessary for him to take advantage of their assisted living program. When he needed more care than they could furnish, he moved to the Augustana Health Care Center near downtown Minneapolis in the fall of 2009. When that care center closed he relocated to the Fair Meadow Nursing Home in January 2020.

David's interests include reading and music. He also liked to travel and took two motorcoach trips for seniors. One was to Branson, Missouri where the group was able to see a few of the musical shows. He also went on a seniors trip to Duluth and the north shore. Another favorite thing he like to do was going out to eat with friends and relatives. He continues to enjoy music and likes to sing for some of the workers at Fair Meadow. He is glad to be back in the area where he grew up.