Olga Edith Thorson Gabrielson, 85, Luverne, died Wednesday, April 20, 2016, at the Crossroads Care Center in Worthington.
A funeral service was Saturday, April 23, at Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne. Burial followed at Maplewood Cemetery in Luverne.
Olga Haeaak was born April 6, 1931, to Adolf and Ragna (Langsnes) Haeaak on the Langsnes farm near Konsmo, Norway. She was baptized and confirmed in the Konsmo Lutheran Church. She received her education through the Agedal school system. She then furthered her education by attending gymnasium (college) in Mandal and studied what at that time was called “Engelsklinja”, which was a humanities study of English and German language. Olga then attended and graduated from the business school (Handelsskolen) in Kristiansand. She then went to work at the Hoie factory (http://hoie.com). The company offered her a job to travel to the United States to learn English and then return to Norway to be responsible for the English correspondence. Olga traveled to the United States in May of 1954. She was met in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, by her sister Esther and family of Luverne. While Olga was at her sister’s, she worked at housekeeping, babysitting and at the Farmers Union. She later took a job waitressing at the Luverne Pool Hall Café, where she met Lawrence Thorson.
On Feb. 26, 1956, Olga married Lawrence Thorson at Zion Lutheran Church in Luverne. The couple made their home on Lawrence’s farm southeast of Luverne and farmed together until their retirement in 1990. In 1994 they moved into town. Lawrence died Feb. 13, 1997.
On Jan. 10, 1998, Olga married Russell Gabrielson at Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne. He died Oct. 19, 2007. In May 2014 Olga became a resident at the Good Samaritan Society – Mary Jane Brown Home in Luverne. In December 2014 she moved to the Crossroads Care Center in Worthington.
Olga was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne. She was an active member of GLCW and served as the Ways and Means chairperson of her circle. She and her sister Esther made 130 Kransekake (Norwegian wedding cakes) for many area weddings. Olga enjoyed entertaining family and friends, especially during the holidays. Some of her hobbies included swimming, baking, taking walks and painting.
She is survived by two children, Pamela (Jack) Hommen of Fargo, North Dakota, and Jeffrey Thorson of Luverne; two grandchildren, Andrew (Nikki) Hommen of Avon, and Alicia (Randy) McCullum of Eagan; five great-grandchildren, Brandon and Molly Hommen, and Jackson, Madison, and Tyson McCullum; two sisters, Esther Olson of Luverne, and Torhild (Baard) Hageland of Hageland, Norway; a sister-in-law, Karen Haeaak of Konsmo, Norway; the family of Russell Gabrielson; and other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husbands, Lawrence Thorson and Russell Gabrielson; a daughter, Kathryn Thorson; her parents; and two brothers, Reidar (Ingemarie) Haeaak and Ragnvald Haeaak.
Arrangements were by Hartquist Funeral Home of Luverne, www.hartquistfuneral.com.
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