Ralph Olson

Ralph E. Olson, 80, of Mountain Home, passed away Friday, Aug. 9, 2013, at the Idaho State Veterans Home in Boise.

Arrangements are under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel.

Ralph was born Nov. 16, 1932, in Holyoke, Colo., to Samuel and Martha Olson. He lived on the family farm in Nebraska until 1934 when the family moved to New Plymouth, Idaho, to farm. In 1945, he moved to Nampa until joining the U.S. Navy in 1951.

In 1954, he received a medical discharge from the Navy and return to the Nampa area.

He attended Boise Junior College before transferring to the College of Idaho and receiving his degree in education. After many years of teaching in New Plymouth, Worley and Mountain Home, he went back to the College of Idaho and received his masters degree in administrative education.

Ralph married Peggy Ross and had two daughters, Dena and Korene. They later divorced.

Oct. 18, 1963, Ralph married Dena Steinwandle and had one daughter, Candice. They would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in October.

Ralph spent most of his life shaping the minds of children in the Mountain Home School District. He spent 29 years teaching at North Elementary and four years at West Elementary before retiring in 1995. He also made the roads safer by teaching driver's education for many years. He was famous for making his students in drivers ed cry and making them drive around the block, get out, and apologize to the stop sign for running it.

He was very proud of all of his students and the lives they have made. He was especially proud of a student that he coached in sixth grade football that later played in the NFL.

Ralph was passionate about life and loved to be outdoors. He would spend the summers in the mountains cutting wood or at Anderson Ranch Dam boating with family and friends.

Ralph loved hunting and fishing and would spend many evenings at Mountain Home Reservoir fishing or on Bennett Mountain looking for deer and elk.

He was also an avid watcher of BSU Football and trust me, you were not allowed to change the channel during a game.

Ralph was a life member of the IEA and NEA, the DAV and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Ralph was also a member of the First Congregational Church.

Ralph is survived by his wife of 49 years, Dena, daughter Candice (Steve) of Genesee, Idaho, daughter Dena (Jim) of Grand Isle, La., daughter Korene (Jim Tate) of Torrance, Calif., sister Phyllis (Don) Kom of Middleton, Idaho, five grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by both parents, two sisters and one brother.

The Idaho State Veterans Home in Boise will hold a memorial service in mid-September. The family will hold a private service in Worley, Idaho, at a later date.

Many thanks to the staff of the Idaho State Veterans Home for the love and care that they provided during the four months Ralph was there.

The family has requested that in lieu of flowers that you make a donation to the Santa Shop for the Veterans Home through Carol Dalton or the RMEF through Jeff Day. Both can be sent c/o Rost Funeral Home, 500 N. 18th East St., Mountain Home, ID 83647.