Olive Ione (Bolstad) Knutson, age 88, of Clarksville, Iowa, formerly of Emmons, died Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013, at the Clarksville Care Center in Clarksville.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Salem Lutheran Church in Lake Mills, with the Rev. Donna Ruggles and the Rev. David E. Jordon officiating.

Visitation with her family will be at Salem Lutheran Church one hour prior to the service only.

Burial will take place at Lime Creek (Stateline) Cemetery in rural Emmons.

Olive Ione (Bolstad) Knutson was born on March 10, 1924, to parents Ole and Ida (Ausen) Bolstad, in rural Winnebago County, Iowa. Olive was baptized April 20, 1924, at Lime Creek (Stateline) Lutheran Church in Emmons and was confirmed on May 28, 1939, at Salem Lutheran Church in Lake Mills. She graduated from Lake Mills High School in 1942. She lived much of her adult life in Emmons, until she moved to her daughter’s home in Waverly, Iowa, in 2009. She was currently a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Waverly.

Olive worked for State Farm Insurance and People’s Natural Gas in Lake Mills from 1942 to 1943, Wilson & Co. in Albert Lea from 1943 to 1945, First National Bank in Emmons from 1946 to 1948, was co-owner and bookkeeper and later sole owner of Knutson’s 66 in Emmons from 1948 to 1984, and worked at Byerly’s in Lake Mills from 1988 to 1998, after which she retired.

Her community activities included: Emmons Public School committees, Brownie and Girl Scout Leader for 10 years, Sunday school teacher at Emmons for 23 years including time as superintendent of primary classes and music director, member and officer of Emmons Lutheran women’s group from 1946, one of the first two women elected (the same year) to the Emmons Lutheran Church Council (for two terms), including the parish education board. She was a member of the Emmons Civic Improvement Club from 1946, including serving as officer and member of committees.

She is survived by her daughter the Rev. Lois D. Knutson of Waverly; son, Wayne (Alice) Knutson of Emmons; granddaughter Caitlin Knutson and fiancé Joey Anthonisen, of Albert Lea; sister Clarice Martinson of Gaylord; and nieces and nephews.

Olive was preceded in death by her parents Ida (Ausen) and Ole Bolstad; sister Thea Bolstad; brother Byford Bolstad; niece Vonnie Bolstad; nephews Donald Bolstad and Ronald Rasmussen; aunts, uncles and cousins.

Blessed be her memory.

Contact Mittelstadt Funeral Home at 641-592-0221 or www.mittelstadtfuneralhome.com.