J. Bernard Olson
March 16, 1929 — July 22, 2023
J. Bernard Olson was born March 16, 1929, to Jarle and Velzora Jester Olson. Shortly after, due to the Great Depression, the family moved from San Francisco to the family farm on Sand Road in Moscow.
Bernard lived in the Moscow-Pullman area during his early childhood. At 8 years old, he was farming the Lenville-Moscow area with several horse teams.
While living in Moscow as a youngster, his mother built several homes and remodeled others, which meant moving very often. He got tired of that and went to live with his uncle, V. Stanford Jester. Uncle Stan continued to build on the endeavors of Bernard learning to farm.
Bernard attended Russell Elementary School, Lena Whitmore Elementary, Moscow High School and finally Ursuline Academy (now St. Mary’s Parish School), graduating in 1948.
While attending Ursuline Academy, he met Joan, and they were married for 63 years and together for 68 years before her passing in 2016.
S. Joan Olson
Aug. 11, 1932 — Dec. 17, 2016
S. Joan Olson was born Aug. 11, 1932, to Ephraim and Grace Sanderson Barringer in Pierre, S.D.
When Joan was 3 years old, her mother died, and a few years later, her father remarried, moving his family to Colfax. Family life did not go well with the stepmom and Joan ended up in foster care with Mildred and Clarence Jensen. Joan became part of the Jensen family when she was 11 years old and was adopted a bit later. She attended Ursuline Academy (St. Mary’s Parish School) and lived there too, graduating in 1951.
The two had a very unusual way of meeting each other. Bernard, being an upper classmate, carried out the ritual of underclassmen not sitting on the high school steps, and he pushed her off. At a dance later in the school year, they met in a more civilized manner. Since neither one of them had a date at the dance, their classmates pushed them together and they have been together ever since.
Joan had to wait until Bernard got out of the U.S. Army (1950-52) to make him her guy. They married on Jan. 4, 1953, and their lives changed in many ways after.
Three years later, their home burned to the ground in December, just before Christmas. In September 1957, their daughter Martina was born, followed by their son Douglas in 1961. In 1975, Bernard’s uncle Stan died and we moved into the family farmhouse, built by Bernard’s great-grandfather (1903-06).
Bernard farmed his whole life, retiring from full-time farming at age 82 and went to help Norm Druffel for a few more years. Joan was a little busy working at Washington State University in food service and housing, with raising two kids, switching careers and cooking at University of Idaho fraternities and sororities, while raising one more kid and babysitting two grandkids, until finally retiring at 1974.
Norm and Jessie Druffel became best friends, even to the point of Joan and Jessie being confused for each other, or at least sisters. These two couples would go out on Saturday nights to the Moscow Moose Club or Elks Club, where they would meet up with other friends and have a great time not only in town but at Coeur d’Alene Lake and other places.
Bernard and Joan left behind a great love story with three children, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren to carry on their legacy.
Survivors include daughter Martina Jilek of Moscow and her two children; Stephanie (David) Morris of Spokane and their two sons; Scott (Kayla) Jilek of Lewiston and their daughter; son Douglas Olson (Lynne Glider) of Moscow and their three children; Andrew Glider (Courtney) with their son and daughter; Emily and Dalton Olson. They are also survived by adopted son John Rago of Moscow, along with Bernard’s sister Sally (Richard) Wilson of Bainbridge Island, Wash., and brother Paul (Sue) Olson of St. George, Utah.
Bernard was preceded in death by his wife Joan, his parents, his uncle and two brothers. Joan was preceded in death by her husband Bernard, parents and two siblings.
Join us for a graveside service at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at Moscow Cemetery and a noon celebration of life following at St. Mary’s Catholic Church Family Center, 618 E. First St., Moscow.
