Retired Pastor, Ross Andrew Olson, 72, of Council Grove, Kansas, passed away Sunday, September 14, 2014, at his residence.
He was born August 26, 1942 in Junction City, Kansas, the son of Andrew E. and Dorothy May Olson. He was raised on a family farm south of Dwight, KS. He graduated from Dwight Rural High School in 1960.
He attended KSU and received a B.S. and M.S. in Agricultural Economics. Following college, he entered the Kansas Army National Guard and was honorably discharged as E-6 Personal Specialist, Headquarters Company, 891st Engineer Battalion. Olson was hired by the Kansas State University Extension Service as an Assistant County Agent in Reno County. From there the KSU Farm Management Association employed him as a Farm Management Specialist and Extension Economist, where he worked for five years, while headquartered in Concordia, KS. He was the Agricultural Loan Officer for a bank in Concordia, where he worked for 11 years, before resigning as their Executive V.P. and Senior Loan Officer. Ross purchased an independent insurance agency in Concordia in 1984 and worked in the insurance business until God call him into full time ministry.
Pastor Olson, Associate Member of the Kansas West Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, served as a Pastor for 10 years at the Cawker City, Glen Elder, and Industry United Methodist Churches and the Alida-Upland Cooperative Parish, Junction City, KS. Olson was then employed by Morris County as the Emergency Management Coordinator until his full time retirement in 2012.
Ross was a Past Master of Cawker City and Dwight Masonic Lodges #374 of Free and Accepted Masons. This year he was recognized with 50 years of service in Free Masonry. He was a Boy Scout Master, President of Concordia Chamber of Commerce, District Chaplain in the American Legion. Ross was a member of the Cloud County Community College’s Endowment Association, the Soil Conservation District Board of Cloud County, Dwight American Legion Post 289 and the Dwight United Methodist Church. He also served as a Deputy Sheriff in Cloud County. He was instrumental in developing the Cloud County Rural Fire District #4 and served on the volunteer fire department. Ross was also a Master Instructor with the Kansas Hunter Education Program.
He served Cloud County, Mitchell County and Morris County for thirty years as a trained weather spotter as well as on the emergency preparedness teams. Ross had Red Cross emergency disaster training and served as a Volunteer Disaster Responder for the United Methodist Church.
Ross enjoyed spending time with his family, hunting, boating, fishing, gold prospecting and serving others. Ross served God, his family and his country.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Ross is survived by his wife Cher, of the home; children, Ezra Olson and wife Shawna, of Kingman, KS, Spencer Olson and wife Michelle, of Emporia, KS, Michelle Green and husband Paul, of Kansas City, KS, Mark Olson and wife Kelly, of Lenexa; 5 grandchildren, Connor Olson, Erin Olson, Kyndyl Olson, Kiptyn Olson and Amelia Olson; brother, Victor Olson and wife Frances, of Burlingame, KS; and a host of friends.
Memorial contributions may be made to Dwight United Methodist Church or Masonic Lodge#374, PO Box 24, Dwight Ks, 66849, Which will benefit Masonic/Eastern Star Scholarship.