Obituary: Eileen Brumm Olson - Class of 1940

BERNARDO, CALIF. / MADISON - Eileen Brumm Olson passed away on Monday, Oct. 3, 2005. Eileen was born on Jan. 12, 1923, in Madison, to Gilbert and Marie (Weckesser) Brumm. She graduated from Madison Central High School in 1940 and attended UW-Madison where she met her husband, LeRoy C. Olson of Westby. They married in Tampa, Fla., July 13, 1943, where LeRoy was stationed at MacDill AFB. Returning to Madison after the war, Eileen worked as a secretary for UW-Madison and Ray-O-Vac Corporation while LeRoy finished college and began his career with International Harvester. In 1951, the couple moved to the Chicago area where they raised three children, Gregory Olson of Arvada, Colo., Lynn Dowling of Greenbrae, Calif. and Gary Olson of Shanghai, China. The couple transferred to San Diego in 1962 and back to Chicago in 1968. Eileen resumed her career as a secretary for the Downers Grove Chamber of Commerce and George Williams College. She and LeRoy retired in 1980, settling in Rancho Bernardo, a suburb of San Diego. They traveled extensively in retirement to Australia, Europe, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean. Eileen loved to garden and was an avid reader. She is remembered by all for her outgoing, friendly demeanor. She is survived by her husband; her three children; her four grandchildren, Joseph, Ashlie, Sarah and Emma; and two great-grandchildren, Kylie and Conner. Eileen was preceded in death by her parents; and her brother, Gilbert. A memorial service was held on Oct. 6, 2005, in Rancho Bernardo. Donations in Eileens memory can be made to Interfaith Community Services, 550 W. Washington Ave., Suite B, Escondido, Calif., Attn: Jeannie Winton

Originally published in the Wisconsin State Journal on October 16, 2005