Jane Arnold Olson, Class of 1967

Jane Arnold Olson ’67 died July 1, 2020. She was born on Dec. 4, 1944 to the late Vincent Arnold ’38 and Ruth Cook Arnold ’37 in Dayton, Ohio. Jane graduated from Otterbein College with a BA in French, played basketball, tennis, was a member of the Epsilon Kappa Tau (Arbutus) sorority, and later earned her teaching and ESL certifications in various states.

Jane and her husband Jeff Olson ’67 started their lives together in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she taught middle school PE and supported her husband in the Air Force. After the military, Jeff’s career in the recreational marine industry took them around the country to Little Rock, AR, Muskogee, OK, Elkhart, IN, Seattle, WA, St. Cloud, MN, and Cadillac, MI. After retirement, they returned to Central Lake, MI to build their dream home next to the cottage her father built more than 55 years ago.

After raising her 4 children, Heather, Christina, Jennifer, and Joshua, Jane resumed her passion for teaching and became an ESL teacher. She was a lifelong servant of Christ and volunteered in the many churches she attended as a Sunday school teacher, deacon, and choir member.

Jane is survived by her husband, Jeff ’67, their four children and their spouses, nine grandchildren, and seventeen nieces and nephews. Also survived by Otterbein alumni are her siblings; Lois Arnold ’62, Terry Arnold ’70, Matthew Arnold ’76, Carol Arnold Mickey ’64 and husband Terry Mickey ’65.
Along with her parents, Jane was preceded in death by her aunt Lois Arnold Wagner ’42 & uncle Marvin Wagner ’48.