Frances H. Olson, 101, of Hutchinson passed away on Friday, January 31, 2025, at Ecumen Pines Assisted Living in Hutchinson. Funeral Service was held Friday, February 7, 2025, 11 a.m. at Faith Lutheran Church in Hutchinson with interment in Oakland Cemetery in Hutchinson.

Clergy Officiating: Pastor Paulus Pilgrim, Pastor Scott Grorud, Pastor Dave Wollan; Organist: Rhonda Eckhart; Soloist: Kristen Durst “Wonderful, Merciful Savior”; Congregational Hymns: “Lift High The Cross”, “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”, “Precious Lord, Take My Hand”, “In The Garden”, “My Life Goes On In Endless Song”; Honorary Casket Bearers: Janna Erlandson, Leah Thompson, Sarah Schmidt, Brittany Shrimpton, Lana Beckard, Elizabeth Hall, Marjie Shrimpton, Sarah Olson; Casket Bearers: Luke Olson, Stuart Shrimpton, Zachery Mullan, Ben Erlandson, Mark Thompson, Kelly Schmidt, Jonathan Dahl, Robert Beckard, Ricky Hall

Frances Helena (Danielson) Olson was born on July 3, 1923, at her parents’ farm in Collinwood Township, Meeker County, Dassel. She was the daughter of Joseph A. Danielson and Esther A. (Broberg) Danielson. Frances was baptized by Rev. J.I. Bergstrand on September 20, 1923, at Gethsemane Lutheran Church (now First Lutheran) in Dassel, where she was later confirmed in her faith.

Frances received her elementary school education in Steelesville School District #22, Meeker County. She graduated from Dassel High School in 1941 and from Hutchinson Teachers Training in 1942. From 1942 to 1943, she taught school in District #77 at Lake Jennie and was paid $70.00 per month. In addition to teaching, her duties included sweeping the floor and making a fire in the furnace each winter morning. Frances considered furthering her education before she met a handsome and loving 26-year-old man named Raymond while roller skating in Cokato.

On June 30, 1943, Frances married Raymond Olson of Hutchinson at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Dassel. Their marriage was blessed with four children. For 41 years, they resided on and operated a dairy farm, now known as Raylore Farm. Frances embraced the whole dairy operation and assisted wherever needed. In 1984, they retired and moved into the city of Hutchinson. They shared 55 years of marriage until Raymond’s death in 1998.

Frances loved being a homemaker, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Frances’s church and community were also greatly important to her. Over the years, she served as a Sunday school and Release Time teacher and confirmation mentor and was on the board of Faith Lutheran Church Women. She was also a member of and volunteer on several task forces at Faith Lutheran and attended the church’s Bible study and Senior Citizens meetings. She was very active as one of the sewing/quilting ladies, and in more recent years, she enjoyed assembling the weekly church bulletins and Faith Matters newsletters. These groups helped her establish a vast network of dear friends.

Her community involvement included serving as a 4-H leader with Lynn Hustlers 4-H Club. She also participated in University of Minnesota Home Extension project groups and volunteered with Hutchinson Hospital Auxiliary.

Frances was an accomplished seamstress. After her children were grown, she began quilting, creating many quilts for members of her family, particularly for her grandchildren, who each received personalized quilts from Grandma at distinct milestones: when they reached age six, upon graduation from high school, and often more as they entered adulthood. She also loved making baby blankets for her great-grandchildren, some with hand-embroidered bedtime prayers on them. Her two most recent projects included a baby blanket for her future great-grandchild and a twin-sized quilt for one of her grandchildren, completed just one month ago.

Frances enjoyed reading, was an avid Minnesota Twins fan, and challenged herself with word puzzles and Sudoku. Her family loved her homemade pies, cakes, and cookies in the countless lunches and dinners served on the farmmany of which contained fruits and vegetables harvested from her garden. Frances also raised many African violets, which she eagerly shared with others. She had a real flair for home décor, enjoyed entertaining, and loved to set an attractive table. Always creative, she was skilled in needlework and took violin and watercolor lessons. Frances loved traveling with friends and family on trips that spanned several states as well as Canada, England, and Scandinavia. A real highlight for her was visiting relatives in Sweden in 1999 and seeing the church and home that her great-grandmother had lived in.

On April 12, 2008, Frances was united in marriage to Harold Sanken, a longtime family friend from church. They enjoyed a happy companionship in their late retirement years, which included attending each other’s family events. Frances and Harold often went to Harmony River Living Center to share dessert and play dominoes with friends who resided there. Harold passed away on March 29, 2017. In September 2017, Frances sold her home and moved to Prince of Peace Retirement Living, where her circle of friends grew to include the residents there. Frances moved into assisted living at Ecumen Pines in November of 2023, where she resided until her death on Friday, January 31, 2025, at the age of 101.

Blessed be her memory.

Frances is survived by her children, son Loren (Laura) Olson of Hutchinson, and daughters Marlyce Lauritzen (John Christianson) of Parrish, Fla.; LeAnn (Michael) Mullan of Hutchinson; and Glenna Olson (James Johnson) of Cohasset. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren: Janna (Ben) Erlandson of Hutchinson; Leah (Mark) Thompson of Carver; Stuart Shrimpton of Minneapolis; Sarah (Kelly) Schmidt of New Ulm; Luke (Sarah) Olson of Hutchinson; Brittany Shrimpton (Jonathan Dahl) of Minneapolis; Lana (Robert) Beckard of Silver Lake; Zachery Mullan (Racquel Maronde) of Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands; Elizabeth (Ricky) Hall of East Montpelier, Vt.; and Marjie Shrimpton of Brooklyn, N.Y.; 12 great-grandchildren: Tyler and Conner Erlandson; Colin and Adelyn Thompson; Aubree, Kate, and Britta Schmidt; Anastasia Beckard; Teddy, Hazel,

and Ruby Frances Hall (who was born on her great-grandma Frances’s 100th birthday); and Mira Dahl; siblings: sister Janice Crowe of Dassel, and sister-in-law Georgia Danielson of Annandale. Frances is also survived by stepchildren Cheryl Sanken of Hutchinson; Adah (Jim) Loscheider of Boone, N.C.; Christine Sanken of St. Paul; Mark (Cheryl) Sanken of Hutchinson; Joy (Peter) Larson of Rochester; and John (Kathy) Sanken of Hutchinson, as well as 20 step-grandchildren, 48 step-great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and friends.

Frances was preceded in death by her husband, Raymond Olson; husband, Harold Sanken; parents, Joseph and Esther Danielson; son-in-law Darryl Lauritzen; siblings and their spouses: brother Donald and wife Adeline Danielson, sister Ruth and husband Harlow Peterson, brother Lowell and wife Dorothy Danielson, brother Merlyn and wife Lucille Danielson, brother Maurice Danielson, and brother-in-law Thomas Crowe; several nieces and nephews, as well as stepson Tim Sanken; and one step-grandson, Andrew Thomas Sanken.

Arrangements by Dobratz-Hantge Funeral Chapel in Hutchinson. Online obituaries and guestbook available at www.hantge.com.