Funeral services for Blanche I. Olson, age 97, of Rochester, formerly of Clarks Grove, will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, June 16, at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church. The Rev. Linda Gunderson will officiate. Interment will be in Central Freeborn Cemetery. Visitation is 4-7 p.m. Sunday, June 15, at Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home, and one hour prior to the services at the church.

Blanche died Wednesday, June 11, 2003, at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester.

Blanche Irene Olson was born Jan. 9, 1906, to Willard and Clara Bell (Anderson) Guist in Prescott Township, Faribault County. She graduated from Blue Earth High School and attended two years of Normal Training in Blue Earth. On Jan. 16, 1940, Blanche was united in marriage to Erven M. Olson in Northwood, Iowa. In 1961, she received her B.S. degree from Mankato State. Blanche started teaching country school in Bass Lake. She taught many years in many different places retiring from Clarks Grove in 1970 after a 42-year career. After retirement, Blanche traveled in every state except Hawaii and 14 countries in Europe and also northern and southern Canada. She went on a cruise to Alaska in 1993 and had spent 17 winters in Arizona. Blanche was a member of Central Freeborn Lutheran Church. She never had children of her own but had adopted her nephew, Milo, as her own when he was 15 years old.

Survivors include her nephews: Milo Chaffee of Eyota and Colin Talle of California; grandchildren: Michael, Jeffrey, Christopher and Cara; great-grandchildren: Kayla, Julieta, David, Ethan and Benjamin; and sister-in-law, Agnes Madson of Hartland.

Blanche was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Erven; and seven brothers and sisters.