Michele J. "Mickey" Olson's Obituary
Michele Joan Olson, age 76, “Mickey” to most of us, passed away suddenly and at home on Sunday, November 27, 2022. She was born, fittingly, on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1946, to Joseph and Patricia (Burke) Smith in Rockford, Illinois. She graduated from Muldoon High School in Rockford, class of 1964. On August 9, 1969, she married Richard Thomas Olson, the love of her life, as she was to him. Together they cherished 53 years of marriage. In 1981 they made their way, improbably, from suburban Chicago to Montague, Michigan, to a sandy 5-acre portion of the former Friday Pickle Farm at the southeast corner of Fruitvale Road and Old Highway 99, where for twenty-two years they raised five children, along with dogs, cats, rabbits, pigs, goats, ducks, turkeys, lambs, and lots of chickens, to the great amusement, no doubt, of all the neighbors who, unlike themselves, actually knew what they were doing. Their kids were 6, 7, and 8 years old when they arrived in Montague, and, more reliably than the many planting and gardening projects started by their parents, their individualities began to emerge and then bloom: Jake was never without a toy airplane, Andy built roads, bridges and cities with heavy equipment Tonka toys in the fields around the house, and Johanna was never without her little cash box and looking for business opportunities. Unseen, even to themselves, the entire family began to send down roots into that little patch of land and their new community.
Michele dedicated 25 years to the Montague Area Public Schools, where she worked as a teacher’s aide before resigning in 2008, hired away by her elder son Jake and his wife Jennifer, he a pilot for United Airlines, and she for UPS, to be a flying “granny nanny” to their two young children in Chicago. Three or four times a month she would fly to O’Hare from Muskegon or Grand Rapids, catch both a train and a bus to make her way to their apartment near Belmont and Lakeshore Drive, and stay with Riley and Kevin for a few days until one or the other parent would finish a trip and return home, whereupon she would reverse the process and return to Montague. It was a dream job for her, of course (getting paid well to have travel and urban adventures and care for your own grandchildren? Best gig ever!), and she loved doing it for three years until finally retiring in 2010 when the kids had moved to Denver and her husband was able to take over the nanny duties for her. During those three years, characteristically, she became good friends with more than a few Chicago waitresses at the Melrose diner, neighbors, grocery clerks at Treasure Island, and even a mailman or two. Michele made friends everywhere she went; she had a skillful way of connecting with people in a way that made them feel seen and appreciated. Perhaps most notably, and comically, to the family, was the faux rough, dismissive, and sarcastic way she always greeted her second son, Andy, before the smiles and hugs would ensue. She was immensely proud of the way he provides for his family. She also had enormous pride in her daughter, Johanna, for her kindness and tenacity, for her family and for her career as co-owner of KidSnips, a Chicago-area 8-store chain of children’s hair salon and toy stores. She was likewise delighted by Patrick’s character and success as owner of a building maintenance company in Portland, Oregon, and the progress of John in helping to build the family dog grooming business in Texas. Those early roots have driven deep and spread far and wide in the now forty-one years since they arrived in Montague.
Michele loved the Baha’i Faith and its tenets, and its adherents, for her entire adult life, and was honored to be on the first Local Spiritual Assembly of White River Township in the early eighties. She championed social and racial justice issues and always advocated for principles of fairness, equity, and The Golden Rule. She was a devoted dog lover who spoiled them always and unashamedly, and was never without a pet and always thinking of getting another one. She enjoyed reading, watching MSNBC, and gardening. She loved to travel, and was able to make multiple visits to London, her favorite, and enjoyed others to places as varied as Hawaii, Amsterdam, Sydney, and Tokyo. Above all, though, she loved spending time with her family and friends, especially her grandchildren. Michele will always be remembered as a loving wife, proud mother, doting grandmother, wonderful sister and dear friend to many. Her keen sense of humor is still among us and on display daily in her children and grandchildren. Her tender, loving and generous spirit will be missed by all who knew her, who will always remember how unfailingly kind and loving she was.
She is survived by her husband, Richard; 3 biological children, Jacob (Jennifer) Olson, Andrew (Melisa) Olson, Johanna (Nate) Aardema, Richard’s biological daughter Michelle Bailey (Rick Hall); nephews Patrick Chavez and John Chavez (Kelly); sister, Lucinda Smith; brother, Randall Smith and fifteen grandchildren: Maisie, Meghan, Anna, Louis, Emma, Greta, Riley, Paul, Johnny, Kevin, Jacob, Juliana, Ben, Adeline, and Gunnar. She was preceded in death by her parents, 2 brothers, Terence Smith and Martin Smith; and sister, Tammy Chavez. In lieu of flowers or any other expressions of friendship, donations should be directed to the Muskegon Humane Society, 2640 Marquette Ave., Muskegon, MI, 49442. Arrangements entrusted to The Sytsema Chapel of Sytsema Funeral & Cremation Services, 737 E. Apple Ave., Muskegon, MI 49442. A private family gathering was held.
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