Darlene Joy Olson

Darlene Joy Olson, 69, of McCook Lake, passed away peacefully on Friday, March 4, 2022 at home surrounded by her family.  A memorial service will be held at 10:00 A.M. Friday, March 11, 2022 at Riverside Lutheran Church.  Visitation will be Thursday, March 10, 2022 from 6:00 to 7:00 P.M. with a prayer service at 7:00 P.M., all at the church.  

Darlene was born the daughter of Darrell and Peggy (Southby) Elkins on March 9, 1952 in Sioux City, Iowa.  She graduated from Riverside High School in 1970.  Darlene married the love of her life, Daniel Olson, in 1999.  They made their home on McCook Lake. 

Darlene worked in customer service for Terra Industries for 29 years until her retirement in 2014.   Darlene loved interacting with and helping others, and customer service was something that she was extremely proud to do.   

Darlene's outgoing nature and seemingly boundless energy has touched many lives. No one could argue that she could walk into a room full of strangers, but not a single one of them would be strangers by the time she left.  She made lifelong friends throughout her years as an honored and active member of the Sioux City Elks Lodge #112.  She was proud to be the First Lady of the Iowa Elks Association in 2014 and in recent years served as the Elks Iowa State Officer and Editor for the Iowa 11^th Hour newsletter.  Darlene was also an active member of Riverside Lutheran Church. Retirement did not slow her down.  She was involved in over 20 productions with the Sioux City Community Theatre.  Darlene also helped as a substitute teacher in the Dakota Valley school district and gave her time to coach kids for the First Tee golf program. 

Darlene’s passions were watching the Kansas City Chiefs, spending time on McCook Lake, golfing, as well as traveling with her husband, sisters, and friends.  

One of Darlene’s favorite sayings was “Time spent with family is worth every second”.  She cherished the time spent with her family and her friends, be it organizing large family gatherings, taking trips with friends, and spoiling her 14 grandchildren.   It was her true passion in life, and she lived it fully. 

Darlene is survived by her husband, Daniel Olson of McCook Lake; children, David (Mindy) Schuetz of McCook Lake, SD and Jon (Erin) Schuetz of Sergeant Bluff, IA; bonus children, Michael (Kimberly) Olson of Hudson, WI, Brad (Edarra) Olson of Glendale, AZ, and Nichole (Brandon) Petersen of Woodbury, MN; grandchildren, Hudson, Lawson, Landen, Holden, Maysen, Faith, Paige, and Willow; bonus grandchildren, Elizabeth, Emily, Clayton, Alexander, Aria, and Najika; sisters, Janice (Larry) DeBuhr, Sheryl Elkins (Gale Ferdig), and two brothers.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her uncle Ray (Keuck). 

In lieu of flowers, the family wishes that memorials be made to the Elks National Foundation in Darlene's name.