Lois Elsie Olson passed away in Fargo on Saturday, April 17, 2021, after a brief illness. Born in Grafton on May 22, 1934 to Mazel (Best) and Linden Neilson, Lois grew up on a farm outside of Hoople. Even as a little girl, Lois liked to help outside on the farm, driving tractors and combines. Lois was a member of the Hoople community over 70 years, participating in Monday Night Study Club, Birthday Club, and singing and playing the organ at the Hoople Methodist Church.
Lois attended school in Hoople through high school and Moorhead State University for her A.D. in Education. She then graduated from the University of North Dakota with B.S. and Master’s degrees in Education. She had a life-long passion for education and helping others to learn, teaching at schools in Fargo, Arthur and Hoople. She served as the Superintendent of Schools for Walsh and Pembina Counties for 26 years. She felt one of her greatest accomplishments was initiating a remote learning program where students from schools lacking in resources could remotely take classes at other schools.
Lois married John Skaro on July 4, 1954 and they had two children, Toni and Thomas. Following their divorce, Lois married Orville Olson in 1975. They enjoyed spending time at their Lake of the Woods home, fishing and entertaining friends, until his death in 1993.
Following her retirement in 2000, Lois met Wayne Jevning. They spent many years happily at the lake, traveling and wintering in Texas. Following his death in 2015, Lois moved to Fargo.
Lois was known for her strength, quick wit, love of entertaining and (according to her nieces) using tons of tape when wrapping gifts! She was a loving mother and grandmother with a joy for making fun things happen.
Lois was preceded in death by her husband (Orville), her parents (Mazel and Linden), two sisters (Marion and Jean) and partner (Wayne). She is survived by her loving children Toni Powell (Richard) and Tom Skaro (Barb Vetter), grandchildren Anna, Matthew, Abby, Sydney, and Zachary, great-granddaughter Penelope, sister Ruth Midboe (Dean), stepsons Dennis and Bill Olson and father of her children, John Skaro.
A service to celebrate Lois’s life will be held this summer. Memorials may be sent to Hoople Cemetery Fund at PO Box 154, Hoople, ND 58243.
Lois attended school in Hoople through high school and Moorhead State University for her A.D. in Education. She then graduated from the University of North Dakota with B.S. and Master’s degrees in Education. She had a life-long passion for education and helping others to learn, teaching at schools in Fargo, Arthur and Hoople. She served as the Superintendent of Schools for Walsh and Pembina Counties for 26 years. She felt one of her greatest accomplishments was initiating a remote learning program where students from schools lacking in resources could remotely take classes at other schools.
Lois married John Skaro on July 4, 1954 and they had two children, Toni and Thomas. Following their divorce, Lois married Orville Olson in 1975. They enjoyed spending time at their Lake of the Woods home, fishing and entertaining friends, until his death in 1993.
Following her retirement in 2000, Lois met Wayne Jevning. They spent many years happily at the lake, traveling and wintering in Texas. Following his death in 2015, Lois moved to Fargo.
Lois was known for her strength, quick wit, love of entertaining and (according to her nieces) using tons of tape when wrapping gifts! She was a loving mother and grandmother with a joy for making fun things happen.
Lois was preceded in death by her husband (Orville), her parents (Mazel and Linden), two sisters (Marion and Jean) and partner (Wayne). She is survived by her loving children Toni Powell (Richard) and Tom Skaro (Barb Vetter), grandchildren Anna, Matthew, Abby, Sydney, and Zachary, great-granddaughter Penelope, sister Ruth Midboe (Dean), stepsons Dennis and Bill Olson and father of her children, John Skaro.
A service to celebrate Lois’s life will be held this summer. Memorials may be sent to Hoople Cemetery Fund at PO Box 154, Hoople, ND 58243.