Nona Olson

Nona Jane (McGohan) Olson passed away December 2, 2009 in Eldridge, IA. A memorial service will be held Saturday, December 12, 2009, at 10:30 a.m. the Swedesburg Evangelical Lutheran Church with the Rev. Steve Zittergruen officiating. Inurnment will be held in the Swedesburg Cemetery. Memorials have been established to the Swedish Heritage Museum or to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Born February 11, 1915 at the family farm near Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, Nona was the daughter of Charles N. and Eva Dodds McGohan. She attended Excelsior Country School, and graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School in 1933. She graduated from the Burlington Business College in 1933. On April 12, 1942, Nona married Leonard C. Olson of Swedesburg, Iowa at her parents' home in Mt Pleasant. Nona and Leonard had two sons, Gary Carl and Edward Charles. During her working career, Nona worked at several jobs in Henry County, with the most notable being her 24 years as secretary of the Olds and WACO High Schools. Nona lived in the Swedesburg/Olds community for 55 years until 1997, when she moved to Mt. Pleasant. In 2008 she moved to Grand Haven Retirement Center, in Eldridge, Iowa, where she lived until her death. Nona's first and foremost love was her family, followed closely by her desire to help others. She was an avid traveler, but also found great satisfaction in reading, puzzles and volunteering. She played computer and board games with passion and a competitive spirit. Nona's courage, faith, and determination helped her to conquer cancer twice. She had a zest for life and kept a file of funny and inspirational emails she received. There were two which offer insight into her character: "There is one test for whether or not your purpose is done. If you are alive, it is not finished." And, "We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give." Throughout her life, Nona was a woman of faith and an active community volunteer. She was a member of the Swedesburg Lutheran Church and WELCA since her marriage in 1942; she was a former member of the Mt Pleasant Westside Mothers' Club; Fort Nightly Club, the Swedish Heritage Society of Swedesburg, IA, and the Henry Country Health Center Auxiliary. Nona is survived by her two sons, Dr. Gary (Vickie) of Bettendorf and Ed (Janet) of Helena, MT, her two granddaughters, Dr. Mikka (Billy) Appel of Bettendorf and Jayme Olson of Bettendorf, three great-granddaughters, Isabelle Nona, Rowan Mary, and Hadley Michelle Appel, sister-in-law, Gladys McGohan, and many beloved nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Leonard; sisters, Alice McGohan, Fern Oldham, Verda Grindon, and Ruby Bump; and brothers, Cecil McGohan and Lester McGohan.