Marjorie Jean Olson (nee Rode), age 97, died December 20, 2022, at her home in LaGrange, IL, surrounded by her family. She was born April 23, 1925, in Muscatine, IA, to Alma Donna (nee Miller) and Herman George Rode.

Marge was the fourth generation of her family to live in Muscatine. After attending Muscatine’s Geneva School, a one room school-house, she graduated from Muscatine High School and Muscatine Community College. She worked as a “number please” operator at the local telephone company, then moved to the lab at Grain Processing Corporation, where she met her husband, Robert “Ole” Erick Olson. They married on May 7,1949, and had two children, Tracey and Robert.

She was a voracious reader and had a deep connection to the town; she was active on the library board in the 1960s and volunteered for many years, delivering books to nursing home residents, as well as her grandmother, aunts, and mother. She also identified and archived many of the photos of Muscatine for the library’s collection. Marge enjoyed bird watching from her screen porch on Oakland Drive, was a talented painter and seamstress, and took daily walks around the neighborhood with her friend.

At age 80, Marge left her life-long home of Muscatine for LaGrange, IL, to be close to her family. She found joy in her four grandchildren, spending countless hours through the years reading and gardening, and encouraging them in all their activities.

Marge treated everyone with a profound sense of kindness, patience, care, and fairness. She carried herself with a quiet strength that impacted all those around her. She will be forever missed.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers, Richard (Dorothy) Rode of Bettendorf, IA, and Donald (Blanca) Rode of San Antonio, TX. She is survived by her daughter, Tracey Olson (David Potthoff) of Western Springs, IL; her son Robert Olson (Catherine) of Arlington Heights, IL; grandchildren Maggie (David D’Angelo) and Max Potthoff, and Julia and Erick Olson; and great-grandchildren Alma and Louis D’Angelo.

Visitation is Wednesday, December 28, 2022, at 10 AM, followed by a Celebration of Life funeral service at 11 AM at Syder & Hollenbaugh Funeral & Cremation Services at 2907 Mulberry Ave., Muscatine, IA. Interment will follow the service at Greenwood Cemetery.  To honor her memory, please check out a book from your local library or make a donation to the Musser Public Library Trust at https://musserpubliclibrary.org/ or mail to 408 E 2nd St., Muscatine, IA 52761.