Roger C. Olson, 92

Roger Curtiss Olson was born in Brookings, S.D., to Arnold and Eva Olson on April 5, 1933. He shared this birthday with his maternal mother, who passed away 13 months after his birth. Roger was blessed to have had a stepmother, Herta, as his earthly mother.

Roger had a strong faith in the Gospel of our Lord and knew that through death lay the passage to eternal life. Roger was a member of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Rathdrum, Idaho.

Roger attended Brookings High School and later attained an AA degree in business from San Diego Community College.

He joined the Navy in January of 1952 and spent four years on the high seas aboard the USS Curtiss, AV-4 and aboard the USS Floyd's Bay, AVP-28. Their mission was to test the hydrogen bomb in the Marshall Islands at Eniwetok and Bikini Atolls in 1952 and 1953. The mission also included operating sea lanes for PB-class seaplanes in Ewakuni, Japan, in 1954, and maintaining harbor watch in Hong Kong, China, in 1955.

Roger met Helen Gerth in 1954, from White, S.D., and a rather short courtship fueled a very lengthy, loving marriage. They made their home in El Cajon, Calif., till 1989, when they ventured north to Post Falls, Idaho. They were blessed with three children.

Roger worked 33 ½ years in the telephone business. He worked most blue-collar positions for Pacific Telephone and AT&T and ended up retiring from Lucent Technologies.

He enjoyed music all his life. Roger played the accordion in his youth and progressed to a keyboard on which he still played. He loved golf and what it had to offer with friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Helen; brothers Richard and Dean; and sister Constance, who died at birth.

Roger is survived by son, Ronald (Lisa) Olson of Twining, Mich.; daughters, Kathryn Laursen and Karen Olson of El Cajon, Calif.; grandchildren: Robert (Jessica) Smith of Bonney Lake, Wash., Eileen Wickstrom of Pullman, Wash., Jolene (Sean) Pound of Medical Lake, Wash., Nichole Golembiewski of El Cajon, Calif.; eight great-grandchildren: Skyler Olson, Makayla Wilcotts, Grace and Ethan Olson, Logan Wickstrom, Aiden and Liam Pound.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, July 10, 2025, at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 13541 Highway 53, Rathdrum, ID 83858. 

Please visit Roger’s online memorial and sign his guestbook at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.