Harold E. Olsen

Reverend Harold E. Olsen, 89, of Fayetteville, Ark. passed away Sunday May 10 at Butterfield Trail Village Special Care Unit in Fayetteville. Harold was born in Sayreville NJ on January 3, 1926 to Carl and Elna Jespersen Olsen. Harold was nurtured and raised by his loving mother in Hartford, Conn. until he left home to begin study at Grand View College in Des Moines, Iowa. He took his B.A. degree from Drake University in Des Moines and his Master of Divinity from Grand View Theological Seminary in Des Moines (now Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago Ill.). In 1950, he was ordained into the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, one of the predecessor bodies of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. For 16 years Reverend Olsen served as pastor to Lutheran congregations in five locations: Memorial Lutheran Church, Marinette, Wis. and Bethany Lutheran Church, Menominee, Mich. (1950-53); Faith Lutheran Church, Junction City, Ore. (1953-57); St. Paul Lutheran Church, Cedar Falls, Iowa (1957-62); and St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Wichita, Kan. (1973-77). In addition to the pastoral ministry, Harold also served 12 years in church administrative positions. In 1963, he was elected Secretary of the Iowa Synod of the Lutheran Church in America, a position he held for 10 years. Then, for two years (1977-79) he took a position as administrator in the Iowa Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines. Early in his career, Pastor Olsen was recognized for his leadership in the Lutheran Church. In 1969 he was honored by Grand View College in Des Moines for distinguished service to the college. Six years later, he was recognized by the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago for his personal counsel to the pastors of the Iowa Synod as well as his counsel in the field of stewardship. Later in his career, he was chosen to represent the Lutheran Church in America in the Lutheran Council of the U.S.A. In 1979, Harold took leave from his pastoral call to become an account executive with R.G. Dickinson and Company, an independent broker dealer in Des Moines, Iowa, until his retirement in 1989. During this period and into retirement, he continued to serve as interim pastor to five Lutheran congregations including Peace, Earlham, Iowa; Highland Park, Des Moines Iowa; St. Stephen's, Des Moines, Iowa; Good Shepherd, Fayetteville, Ark.; and Lord of Life, Edmond, Okla. Pastor Olsen moved to northwest Arkansas in 1989 and was a member of Peace Lutheran Church in Rogers, Ark. before becoming a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fayetteville in 1994. Harold's interests included oil painting, drawing, and wood carving. He also enjoyed both professional and leisure travel. He visited Lutheran mission fields in Asia (India, Burma), Africa (Liberia, Ghana, Tanzania) and Mexico, and was proud to experience first-hand his Danish ancestral roots with a visit to Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark). In addition to a diverse career, he had a wonderful sense of humor, a generous spirit, a broad outlook, a strong sense of purpose, well-informed opinions, and many dear friends. However, at heart, Harold Olsen was first and foremost a Lutheran pastor who was a lifelong servant of the Lord who enjoyed nothing more than sharing God's message from the pulpit. Harold is survived by his wife, Charlene (Char) Olsen, of Fayetteville; one son, Carl Olsen, of Des Moines IA; a sister, Alice Humphrey, of Glen Mills PA; four step children: Tira Myers (Chris) of St Petersburg, Fla., Janet Suchan (William, Col. U.S. Army, Ret.) of Highpoint, N.C., Dr. Donald Larson of Washington D.C., Terri Karel (Jim) of Bentonville, Ark.; five step grandchildren, one step-great-grandchild, and nieces and nephews. Harold was preceded in death by his first wife, Lois, in 1993. A memorial service will be held Friday, May 15, 2015 at 10 a.m. at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2925 Old Missouri Road in Fayetteville, Ark. with Pastor Clint Schnekloth, officiating. Memorial gifts may be made to Butterfield Trail Village Special Care Unit or Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. To sign the online guest book please visit www.nelsonberna.com.