Ernest Olstad

Ernest Olstad

Ernest Olstad, 93, died peacefully in his sleep on February 13, 2015 in Mesa AZ. He was born October 17, 1921 in Rushford, MN, to Carl and Hilda Olstad. He was one of three boys with five sisters. He spent his early years on the Rushford MN farm, which is still owned by his oldest sister, Martha Ferden.

While still a teen he moved to North Dakota where his grandparents homesteaded near Ypsilanti, ND. He farmed with his father and at age twenty joined the Navy Sea Bees and served in the South Pacific from 1942-1946.

He returned from war to continue farming. In his spare time he liked to build things and received third place from the North Dakota Inventors Congress for a new type of ski sled. He also designed and built a haystack mover and, with friend Dick Kupferschmidt, moved haystacks for local farmers. Along with Floyd Orr, Ernie fashioned a ski lift using a farm tractor and in the winters of the early ‘60s they operated a ski hill behind what is currently Two Rivers Inn West in Jamestown.

Ernie met Orlene (Toots) Reich at the Parkway Cafe and married in 1956. A daughter, Patricia, was born in November 1957. Sadly, Orlene died of Hodgkin’s disease in 1959.

Ernie farmed until 1967 when he joined a construction company as a welder working throughout the state. In the mid ‘70s he moved to Fairbanks Alaska where, on one job, he was paid in gold nuggets. He retired from the DEW (Defense Early Warning) Line in 1990 after being in a serious car accident.

Nothing made Ernie happier than dancing. He was a member of the Eagles, Elks, Moose, Legion, and any organization that had dances. He went on several polka tours and cruises featuring Frankie Yankovich and traveled in Europe with Patty while she was stationed with the US Army in Germany.

Several years ago Ernie asked Roger Gallagher to visit him in AZ and that began a long friendship with many trips between Washington and Arizona, and several side trips to Alaska, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Mexico. Wherever they went the duo managed to find fun and friends.

Ernie spent 30 years in Alaska. For 25 years Mesa was his winter home with summers in Fairbanks. The last 10 years he spent summers in Auburn WA with daughter Patty.

Ernie is survived by his daughter Patty deCamp, son-in-law Dan deCamp, and grandson Danny deCamp. Four sisters also survive him: Martha Ferden (Bemidji and Rushford MN), June Eskelson (Winona), Vye (Emil) Wieland (Jamestown and Fargo), and Lillian Larson (Jamestown). Predeceasing him are his brothers, Clifford and Roger, and sister Ruth.

A memorial will be held in Jamestown ND. Ernie will be buried with his late wife Orlena Olstad at the Ypsilanti North Dakota Cemetery.