Merville Lavern Olson

Merville Lavern Olson, 77, was born in Austin, MN, to Oscar and Grace Olson joining a large Norwegian family. He attended high school and junior college in Austin, transferring to Luther College in Decorah, IA, as a junior where he obtained a bachelor's degree in Zoology and Organic Chemistry. It was there that he met his wife, Joyce Kompelien, whom he married May 29th, 1959, two days before their college graduation. They recently celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary.

After college graduation, Merv served as Youth Director at First English Lutheran Church in Marshall, MN. It was there that Joyce and Merv welcomed their first son, Mark, who died shortly after birth. In 1961, Merv began his theological studies at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN, where he graduated in 1964 with a Bachelor of Divinity. Charissa was born in Minneapolis while he was a student. He was ordained in May at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Austin. During the summer of 1964, Merv worked for the National Park Service in Glacier National Park and, just after the floods of 1964, their son David was born. Merv's first parish was on the plains of eastern Montana at Richey and Lambert where Merv and Joyce welcomed Naomi, who was born in Glendive in 1966.

In 1967, Merv accepted the call to be resident minister in Yellowstone National Park where he served until 1975. Yellowstone was a favorite place to be and he never tired of the endless variety of landscape and wildlife that the park offered the family.

In 1975, Merv accepted the call to serve the churches of Malta, Dodson, Loring and Whitewater, MT. In 1980, Merv and Joyce moved to Billings, MT, where Merv was Pastor at Atonement Lutheran Church through 1991. In 1991, another move brought Merv and Joyce to Gold Hill Lutheran Church in Butte, MT, where he served until his retirement in 1998.

From 1998-2007, Merv and Joyce built a home on the land near Gardiner they purchased in the mid-1960s on the banks of the Yellowstone River on the north boundary of Yellowstone National Park. They opened Headwaters of the Yellowstone Bed & Breakfast and welcomed guests from all over the world into their home for fellowship, pancakes and Yellowstone enthusiasm.

Since his retirement, Merv served as interim pastor in Livingston, Wilsall, Big Timber, Melville, the Venndam Cruise Ship and Atonement Lutheran Church in Billings where he died on June 13, 2014.

Merv had a sincere love of people. He made friends wherever he went; from his fellow Pastors to his parish acquaintances, his hunting partners and fishing buddies to his lifelong friends, and whoever was standing in line next to him at Costco. His greatest loves were his wife, Joyce, his children, and his grandchildren who were always showered with patience, attention, and fishing lessons. He loved a good joke and was always quick to laugh. He maintained his cheerful outlook even during his battle in recent years with cancer.

A young man who is now a minister wrote this of Merv, "He fearlessly recruited lay people, especially young people, to pioneer new works of ministry every place he served. In doing so, he changed their lives forever.  Merv loved miners, research biologists, cowboys, farmers, business men, drunks, skunks and turtles, and even politicians with the love of Christ. He touched me and my family deeply.  I can best describe him as pugnacious - a boxer always ready to go toe-to-toe in his love of God, of God's creation, of life, of people, of the Church, and of course, his family.  He may not have always won, but he always showed up and he never gave in!"

Merv is survived by his wife, Joyce, his children, Charissa and Tim (Reid) of Yellowstone National Park, David and Elaine (Klienmann) of Buckley, WA, and Naomi Olson of Newtok, Alaska, and his five grandchildren, Anna, Olivia and Kate Reid, Mark and Megan Olson, brother, Dale and Anne Olson of Bozeman, and brother-in-law, Bob Berg of Atlanta, IL, and many dearly loved nieces and nephews. Merv was preceded in death by his parents, his infant son, Mark, and his sister, Marilyn Berg.

He was loved by many and will be dearly missed.

A celebration of his life will be held in Yellowstone National Park at the Mammoth Chapel on August 11, 2014, with a reception to follow. For more information, please visit: http://www.headwatersyellowstone.com/merv.html

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Merv's name be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Christikon Lutheran Bible Camp, ACMNP, or the charity of one's choice.