Elsie A Olsen

Elsie Olsen, passed away peacefully at her home in Orlando, FL at the age of 97. At the time, she was in the care of hospice and surrounded by her beloved children. She is preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Bjarne Olsen, her grandson Barnard DeStefano and foster sister Ing-Britt Johansson. She is survived by her children Eric Olsen, Barbra Brown, Nancy (James) Bond, Britt (Neil) DeStefano-(Tom) Smith and Peter (Violetta) Olsen; her grandchildren Lisa Olsen, James Henry (Deborah) Bond, Nathan Bond, Daniel (Heather) DeStefano, Amy (Barnard, decd) DeStefano, Rose (Neel) Rai and Mikaela Olsen; her great-grandchildren Jude Sandala, Neil DeStefano, Olivia DeStefano, Isabella Rai and Ava Rai.

Born in Brooklyn in 1927 to Asta Salmen and Alex Carlson, she was fostered by John Evald and Ingrid Johansson. As a fearless, extroverted woman, she lived a full and eventful life, and, had many interesting stories to tell. NYC was a great place for her to grow up in. As a child she danced for the King and Queen of Sweden, met Elenore Roosevelt, and, she caught one of Harry Bellefonte’s early performances when she was skipping school to see Frank Sinatra.

During WWII at the age of 16, she began her vocational career working at a ladies’ foundation store. Because she was a hard worker and successful saleswoman, she was gifted something very rare and valuable at the time, a pair of silk stockings. Even so, she went to secretarial school in the evenings and was able to get a job as an administrative assistant at Airborne Instruments Laboratory, which provided electronic research to the United States military.

Ever curious and adventurous, she decided to visit Glen Island Beach when she learned that the New York Athletic Club had become a convalescence home for Norwegian sailors. She spied three of them out rowing and swam over to talk with them but pretended that she couldn’t understand what they were saying, even though she was fluent in Swedish. One of those young men admired her for her intelligence and eventually became her devoted husband, Bjarne Olsen.

At the end of WWII they relocated to Rong, Norway in 1946 with their infant son, Eric. Life there was difficult as it was isolated, and resources were scarce. Despite being a city girl, she adapted to rural life in a foreign country with the help of her husband’s parents and his extended family. However, she had a strong sense of self and taught them a few things too. During this time, she gave birth to her eldest daughter, Barbra. Motivated by the need to obtain orthopedic care for her son and aided by a sponsorship from a family friend, the family returned to NYC in 1949. She had two more daughters, Nancy and Britt, but a city apartment was not an ideal place to raise a family.

Providing a home with stability and opportunities for her children was a priority and as soon as she and Bjarne saved enough money, they moved their family to a house on Long Island, where her son, Peter, was born. They had very little to start with and her only mode of transportation was a bicycle, while Bjarne took the train to NYC. The car gifted from her foster parents made life in the suburbs a little bit easier. Eventually the two created an active and enriched environment for their children, with a yard and woods to play in and lots of pets. She filled their lives with school and church activities as well as numerous trips to beaches and museums. In addition to managing a home with five children, she was a girl scout leader, Sunday school teacher and worked a variety of jobs.

Always looking for better opportunities for her children, the family moved with the three youngest to Florida in 1969. There, college was less expensive, taxes lower and the weather more enjoyable. She became a licensed realtor, which suited her extroverted personality and finical acumen. In 1979, she and Bjarne purchased a large house on 1 acre in Orlando. For over 30 years, this home was a gathering place for their family, and countless holidays and occasions were celebrated there.

Her children followed her example, by becoming successful achievers who were supportive of each other. They too are accomplished, intelligent and thoughtful, devoted to their families and involved in their communities. Likewise, they have many of their own stories to tell.

To Elsie and Bjarne, their 7 grandchildren were a delight. Although they gave many gifts, the best of these was their time and attention. They felt that activity and learning were important and took their grandkids on outdoor adventures and to museums. Although they made many trips to Disney World, they took trips to the smaller Florida attractions too. While she was delighted by the grandchildren, she was absolutely enchanted by her 5 great grandchildren and getting hugs and kiss from them was her greatest reward for a life well lived.

Beyond leading her family, Elsie had many interests and talents. She excelled at sewing and the clothing and costumes she made for herself, and her family, were well designed and had excellent craftsmanship. She did not study the arts formally but had an interest in art history, visited art museums, and took art lessons. Always proud of her and her husband’s Scandinavian heritage, she was active in the Sons of Norway and participated in parades, Viking boat races, and Lucia Day celebrations. She also was fascinated by genealogy and assembled an extensive family history that included detailed information and photographs.

Services will be held on Monday, March 10th 1:00 pm at Highland Funeral Home, 3329 East Semoran Blvd., Apopka. Burial will take place afterwards at Highland Memory Gardens. If you so wish, donations may be made to either Vitas Hospice Community Connection (vitascommunityconnection.org) or the Parkinson’s Foundation (Parkinson.org)