April 7, 1921 – April 7, 2026
Mavis Halvorson Olson passed away at the Lake Mills Care Center on her birthday, April 7, 2026, at 105 years young!
A public visitation will be held from 2:00 – 4:00 PM on Sunday, April 12, 2026, at Schott Funeral Home – Mittelstadt Chapel in Lake Mills, IA.
Private funeral services for Mavis will be held at Grace Lutheran Church in Hanlontown, with Pastor Linda Johnson Prestholt officiating.
Interment will be at Brush Point Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Grace Lutheran Church: 302 East 4th Street, Hanlontown, IA 50444.
Mavis Thompson Halvorson Olson was born near Leland, Iowa on April 7, 1921 to Horace and Caroline (Maakestad) Thompson. She was baptized at Winnebago Lutheran Church and confirmed at Beaver Creek Lutheran Church in Joice, IA by Rev. L. F. Scheie. She attended country school at the Brones school in Leland and the Dahlseide school in Joice. She graduated in 1939 from the Joice High School and went on to attend Hamilton Business College in Mason City, where she graduated from with a business degree.
Mavis was employed at the Selective Service Office in Northwood, IA during the drafting of men at the time of World War II. She also worked at the Farm Bureau office in Northwood during this time.
On August 22, 1943, she was married to Arnold Halvorson at the parsonage in Joice by Rev. Scheie. They resided in Lake Mills for 9 years. During this time, she worked at the Gamble Store with Norma Anderson while her husband Art was in the service. Their daughter Suzanne was born while they lived in Lake Mills.
In 1953 they moved to a farm they purchased near Hanlontown. Their other two daughters, Lonna Beth and Nancy, were born while living here. The family continued living here on this farm until retirement, during which time both Arnold and Mavis worked at Winnebago Industries in Forest City for several years. Arnold worked in the weld shop and Mavis worked in the Personnel Department & Secretary of the Sawmill.
During Mavis’ lifetime, she was a 4-H member and part of a demonstration team that went to the National Dairy Congress in Columbus, Ohio after placing at the Worth County Fair and Dairy Cattle Congress in Waterloo, IA. They demonstrated the making of muffins and cheese torte – both using dairy products, of course.
She was also a member of the Garden Club, Friends of the Library, her church and circle at Hanlontown. Quilting was a project at her church for which she sewed many tops for quilts to be assembled for World Relief. Making lefse was a big project at their church for the lutefisk suppers they served each year, and she was a wonderful lefse maker.
After Arnold’s death in 1991, she later married Orlando Olson. They resided in Clear Lake and Lake Mills. He passed away in 1999.
While living in Lake Mills, she was an active member of the Senior Citizens Club, and very much enjoyed playing cards at the center. She also enjoyed traveling and dancing.
Mavis is survived by her three daughters, Suzanne (John) Thompson Braun of Happy Jack, AZ, Lonna (Lyle) Hansen of Clear Lake, & Nancy McManigal of West Des Moines; six grandchildren, Kevin Thompson, Kim (David) Stubbs, Tonya Hansen, Jessica (Arthur) Rice, Casey (Ben) Beville and Joe (Ashley) Fandel; and ten great-grandchildren. Mavis is also survived by Orlando’s family: Arlouene (John) Bothun, Stan (Joanie) Olson, Erin (Brett) Douglas, Kate (Dave) Malo, Carrie Wolford, Ed (Julia) Olson, Matt (Lorelei) Olson, Maria (Rod) Iedema, Lindsey (Jared) Janzig, Paul (Maddy) Olson, John Olson; 18 great-grandchildren; and a sister Norma Ramsey of Lake Mills.
She was preceded in death by her parents; both of her husbands; sons-in-law, Mick Thompson and Charles W. McManigal; sister, Elaine Aamodt and her husband Orian; brother-in-law, Lynn Ramsey; niece Rhonda Ramsey; great-grandchild, Parker Stubbs; and step-sister-in-law, Mabel Quisling; as well as many other brothers- and sisters- in law and other loved ones.
schottfuneralhomes.com