If Clarence Olson were a ship’s captain, he would have driven his vessel in the straightest, safest route possible.

 

That was his personality, too. 

 

“He kept an even keel,” says his close friend and “adopted” son, Gary Shooter Frederickson of Becker.

 

“He was always in the action. The wheelhouse was his farm, his wheelhouse was building pole buildings. And his wheelhouse was being kind.

 

“He never said an unkind word about anybody,” Shooter said. That’s why people loved him - and have had to say “good bye” to him today (Saturday) at his funeral in Becker. Clarence died in the Monticello Care Center Monday just two months before his 101st birthday.

 

The lifelong community member loved his wife Grace and they had a big family.

 

He loved being on the farm tractor. He enjoyed climbing all over agricultural buildings; in fact, he was on his last pole building in 1999, at age 83.

 

The two met in 1977 when Shooter was building a home on property near the Olson farm. Clarence was there helping all the time.

 

Clarence was ever-present in 1985 when   Country Lumber was built.

 

“He was around so much people thought he was the owner,” said Frederickson. 

 

He loved fishing with his friends; he loved the local Lions Clubs, being being a member of three of them. Becker Baptist Church came first.

 

But he was quiet, preferring the bright lights shine the other way.

 

“He always had time for my problems,” said Frederickson. His life was helping others. 

 

(See obituary inside this issue of the Citizen-Tribune.)