Karen Olson

Karen Lynn Olson

(née Savageau)

May 28, 1951 - May 21, 2025

Karen Lynn Olson, 73, of Fargo, North Dakota, passed away peacefully on May 21, 2025, surrounded by the love of her family while under the care of hospice just a week shy of her 74th birthday. She was born on May 28, 1951, in Fargo, North Dakota, to Delores ("Dody") and Marcel Savageau.

Karen lived life on her own terms. She was a woman of grit, loyalty, and quiet strength. She spent her working years as a certified nurse assistant, where she was committed to caring for the elderly. Karen wasn't one for small talk, but those she cared for felt her compassion in the way she worked. She was steady, gentle, and devoted to the people entrusted to her care.

Karen nurtured life wherever she went, from the blooms in her garden to the greenery inside her home. She also had an eye for the whimsical-she loved collecting things that made her smile: Betty Boop trinkets, porcelain dolls, and one particularly memorable life-sized Ronald McDonald who kept watch on her front porch, until the day he mysteriously disappeared.

Her greatest joy was her family. She loved her children fiercely: Tammy Burtschi (Thomas), Toby Olson (Jaala), and Molly Nelson (Kevin). And her grandchildren were the light of her life: Noah, Noelle, Hayden, and Hayleigh Burtschi; Kylie Olson; Hudson and Hadleigh Scott; Harley and Holley Best; Auron Leone; Ethan, Wyatt, Adelynn, and Natalie Nelson. She also adored her little Yorkie, Itsy, who lived with her at her assisted living facility and was a constant source of companionship and joy.

Karen was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses and attended meetings when her health allowed. Her faith gave her strength through the many ups and downs of life.

Karen was loyal to those she trusted. Life had taught her to be careful with her heart, and she didn't give her trust easily. To those she loved, she was fiercely protective. She valued honesty and respect, and if someone crossed her or spoke poorly of her, she wasn't afraid to walk away and leave them behind. She had faced many hardships, and her resilience showed in the boundaries she kept and the love she gave to those who earned it.

She is survived by her children; her sisters Renee Burgess and Yvonne Baker (Jim); and her sister-in-law Karen Savageau (wife of her late brother Marcel "Rusty" Savageau). She was preceded in death by her husband Richard ("Dick") Olson, her parents, and her brothers Marcel ("Rusty") and Randy Savageau.

Karen will be remembered for her fierce love, her loyalty, her hard-earned wisdom, and her deep devotion to her family. She didn't pretend to be someone she wasn't and those who truly knew her loved her for exactly who she was.

A memorial service will be held at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Fargo, North Dakota on Friday June 20th 2025, at 2:30 in the afternoon.