Mary Lou "Jan" Olson

Mary Lou “Jan” Olson, age 96, of Faribault, MN, passed away peacefully on October 24, 2025, at Mill City Senior Living in Faribault.

Mary Lou, the daughter of Andrew and Nora Jannsen, was born on December 10, 1928, in Estacada, OR. Following high school, she attended college and obtained her degree in nursing. Jan had a lengthy and diverse career as a Registered Nurse (RN). Jan worked for the U.S. Department of Interior before serving the U.S. Navy Nurse Corp during the Korean War. While she was in the Navy, she met her husband, Blair M. Olson, and they were married on May 9, 1953, in Cherryville, Oregon. They moved to Minot, ND, where Jan worked for Trinity Hospital for many years. She continued her nursing career and taught nursing while at Trinity. She also worked for North Central Mental Health and started a program to assist those with anorexia. When Jan was 60, she started work at University of Minnesota Fairview Hospital in the mental health unit (3C). She excelled in caring for those patients both in home and in the hospital. Medicine was Jan’s life, retiring when she was 75, but continued to be knowledgeable with medicine into her 90s.

She is survived by her children, Cindy L. Olson, and David B. Olson (Ruth Ann); three grandchildren, Cassandra Renee Garbe, Andrew Lawrence Olson, and William David Olson; and many other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Blair on April 29, 2010; parents, Andrew and Nora; and brother, Ross Jannsen (Karol).

A Celebration of Jan’s life and meal will be held on Saturday, November 1, 2025, from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. at the American Legion Club in Faribault. Interment with honors will be held at the Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.