John D. Olson, 81, of Bismarck, went to heaven on December 21, 2025.

A funeral service will be held at 11:30 AM on Monday, December 29, at Faith Lutheran Church, 1402 E Ave C, Bismarck, ND.

Visitation will be held from 4:00-6:00 PM on Sunday December 28, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Pkwy, Bismarck. A prayer service will be held at 5:00 PM. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the funeral service.

Burial will be held at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery at 3:00 PM.

He was born in Williston, ND, on July 12, 1944, to Signe and Mervin Olson. He was the ninth of ten children. Johnny, as his siblings and friends called him, enjoyed growing up on his family farm.

In 1962, he graduated from Arnegard High School. He then completed a course in diesel mechanics at NDSCS in Wahpeton before enlisting in the Army in 1966. John completed military training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, and Fort Monmouth, NJ, where he was trained as an Air Defense Radar Repairman. He had deployments in Germany, Texas, and Okinawa. A proud patriot, John enjoyed traveling and serving his country during his military career. One of his fondest memories in Okinawa was welcoming his wife, Carolyn, and the birth of their first daughter, Jonna, in 1969.

John and Carolyn were married in 1968 and just celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary in June! His second daughter, Valerie, arrived in 1972, and Sara, his third, in 1975. John was a girl dad before we knew that was a thing, but he loved his girls and never complained about being outnumbered—but he definitely loved his sons-in-law when they joined the family! He was a proud Papa to eight granddaughters and two grandsons. Though he was still outnumbered, his love for each of them was immeasurable. They were blessed to grow up with him close by, and he was the best Papa they could have asked for. The memories they shared will be treasured forever

Following his honorable discharge from the Army at an E5 rank, he transitioned to a civilian career as a mechanic at S&S Motors in Watford City and later joined the telecommunication industry. He began working for Northwestern Bell and continued his career through various company mergers and acquisitions, ultimately retiring from Qwest while living in Sioux Falls, SD.

In December of 1983, John moved his family to Elgin, ND. Inspired by traditions from his hometown area, he was instrumental in starting Hamburgers in the Park in Elgin in 1988. What began as his idea grew into a community tradition that continues today.

Once John and Carolyn retired, they returned to Bismarck in 2008 to be closer to their family. John’s retirement life was full of golfing and spending time with his wife as they watched their 10 grandkids grow and compete in various sports, activities, and more golf! In Bismarck, he also enjoyed going to coffee with his friends. They had a schedule and tried to plan appointments around coffee time. John and Carolyn spent many years as snowbirds in Venice, FL, where he joined several of his siblings to enjoy the sunshine—and most days the weather was perfect for golf! In the fall of 2024, John was thrilled to be able to go with the Honor Flight from Bismarck to Washington, DC, with a welcome-back party at the airport that brought tears to our eyes.

Through the years, John had been a member of the American Legions, Lions, Jaycees, Forty and Eight, church choir, and many others. He could visit and make friends with anyone!

Thankful for sharing his life are his wife, Carolyn (Christianson); daughters Jonna (Scott) Wutzke, Valerie (Jr) Schock, and Sara (Scott) Schuh; 10 grandchildren, Brittany (Wyatt) Mack, Landon (Bailey) Wutzke, Brady Schock, Madison Wutzke (fiancé Jack Beyer), Bailey (Jake) Strobel, Natalie Schuh (fiancé Andrew Indovina), Aislinn Wutzke, Brenna Schock, Jessica, and Elizabeth Schuh; brothers Keith (Marlene) and Philip (Caralynn); great-grandchildren, Jovie Wutzke, Carter Mack, Graham Wutzke, Colter Mack and baby girl Wutzke due in February; sisters, Joy Nelson, Shirley Boger, Karen (Mert) Johnsrud, Pennie Anderson, and Diane (Rex) Gibbs; sisters-in-law, Barb Olson and Vernette (Jim) Sanderson; brother-in-law Ordean Christianson; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother Denny; sister Bonnie Norris; parents-in-law; brothers-in-law, Alden Johnson, Walt Helgeson, Norm Nelson, Ron Norris, Loren Anderson, David Christianson, and Ed Boger; sister-in-law Lynnae Christianson; and niece Gayle Erickson.

Donations can be made to North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Faith Lutheran church or any charity of your choice.