Olga Nelson, 97, died Monday, November 13, 2006 at Thief River Care Center, Thief River Falls, MN.

Funeral service will be 11 AM, Thursday, November 16, 2006 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Thief River Falls, MN, with burial at Silverton Cemetery, Pennington County, MN.

Visitation will be 5 " 8 PM, Wednesday, November 15, 2006 at Johnson Funeral Service, Thief River Falls, MN and for one hour prior to service at the church Thursday.

Olga Marie Hegrenes was born on February 4, 1909 in Silverton Township, Red Lake County, Minnesota to Johannes and Marit (Olsen Kveto) Hegrenes. She was baptized and confirmed into the Lutheran faith at Silverton Lutheran Church and attended Elwell School in Silverton Township. She graduated from Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls. Following high school she attended Teachers Training at Bemidji Teachers College and taught school at Mayfield, Banner and Smiley Schools. Olga was united in marriage to Norton Nelson on June 14, 1931.

She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, past member Moccasin Garden Club, Mn Horticulture Society, and 4-H club leader. Olga was a homemaker, but worked outside her home at Land O Lakes on a seasonal basis for many years. She enjoyed community gardening with garden club members, getting ready for plant sales, and sharing her love and knowledge of horticulture. She shared many plants with family and friends. She won numerous awards at the county fair and Horticulture competition. In 1993 she was inducted into the Pennington County 4-H Hall of Fame. Olga was active in church circle activities and sewed baby layettes for Lutheran World Relief projects. She devoted her life caring for her disabled daughter Lois until 1999 when she went to live at the nursing home. Her grandchildren loved to visit the farm. She gave to us a living legacy"her enthusiasm for gardening lives on in all of us.

Olga is survived by one son, Dennis Nelson and his wife Barb of Thief River Falls; three daughters: Lois Nelson, Thief River Falls, Sharon Busch and her husband Phil, Akeley, MN, and Nelda Carpenter, New Hope, MN; son-in-law Robert Bronsdon; eleven grandchildren: Jon (Cathy) Bronsdon, Lynn (Rex) Cattanach, Jennifer Bronsdon, Kurt Nelson, Keith (Laurie) Nelson, Dana (Shari) Busch, Darin (Sandy) Busch, Dean Busch, Lisa (Terry) Pertile, Stacy (Doug) Cashman; Scott (Kathy) Carpenter; great grandchildren: Matthew and Michael Bronsdon; Ben Nelson; Sara, Nathan and Seth Cattanach; Connor, Ian, and Riley Cashman; Heidi and Dustin Bronsdon; and Samantha Carpenter; two sisters: Hazel Oden and Doris Senstad, Minneapolis; sister-in-law Annie Hegrenes, Yakima, Washington; and nany nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Norton, on March 29, 1990; her daughter, Jean Bronsdon on April 1, 1991; her parents; four brothers: Joseph Hegrenes, Casper Hegrenes, Henry Hegrenes, Bennie Hegrenes; five sisters: Selma Westby, Gerda Knutson, Christine Barstad, Anna Leiran, and Mildred Hegrenes.