Dorothy Jean (Atkinson) Olson was born Friday February 4, 1927 to her loving parents Floyd and Violet Atkinson, she peacefully passed away, at the age of 97, on the morning of Friday June 14, 2024. 

Dot, as she was known in her younger years, was raised primarily in rural Columbia County including the outskirts of Pardeeville (Atkinson Road), Cambria and town of Scott. Mom occasionally spoke of the challenges and pleasures of growing up a farm girl during the depression. She was the only student in her grade, until she reached high school, and much of her grade school years involved helping the teacher with younger students in the one room schoolhouse. While attending Pardeeville high school Dorothy took a job at Olson’s drugstore helping Mrs. Valda Olson serve customers at the soda fountain. It was there that she caught the eye of the Olson’s son Allen. Red wooed Dorothy with his famous popcorn and stories of hunting and fishing. They would become sweethearts, graduate from Pardeeville high school in 1945, marry, leave Pardeeville, subsequently start a family, and live in Madison, Milwaukee, Delafield, Hartland and eventually return to Pardeeville and retire on Swan Lake. 

There were certainly other interests in addition to moving and raising a family. Dorothy was a tenacious softball player as well as an accomplished bowler. Later in life she picked up golf and became instantly great at it. Curling became her true passion in the early 60’s when Mom and Dad joined the Kettle Moraine Curling Club, thus beginning a journey and adventure of lifelong friendships as they traveled Wisconsin and the country curling for fun, in bonspiels, competitively. In 1982 they won the Wisconsin Mixed title and earned a bronze medal at Mixed Nationals. She continued to follow curling for the rest of her years, often quipping “I can’t believe how the game had changed!” Dorothy was a fan of, and attended countless games of the Packers, Badgers, Brewers, and Marquette Warriors, she loved to golf and FOX News. She was blessed with an incredibly sound mind right up to her last days and could debate football, baseball or political strategies with the best of ‘em. Al and Dorothy traveled the world including Norway, Sweden, Germany, Korea, Japan, Mexico, all of the U.S. making multiple trips to Alaska, Hawaii, and of course Las Vegas. Many trips included stops for their beloved country music concerts, BINGO, or a casino for “your mother.” Dorothy was a wonderful daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and great-great grandmother to all of her family. Along with our dad, she will be missed and remembered lovingly forever.

Dorothy is survived by her 5 children: Suzanne (James) Sorenson, David (Sally) Olson, Deborah (Robert) Hansen, Peter (Patty) Olson and Mark (Darla) Olson; 12 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild. Further surviving Dorothy are her brother Maurice (Rose) Atkinson and sister Sandy (James) Treptow, many nieces, nephews, their children, and her later in life friends at Heritage House in Portage. Dorothy was preceded in death by her adoring husband Allen (Red) {2011}, parents Floyd and Violet Atkinson, in-laws Louis (Pete) and Valda Olson, Gaylon (Amber) Olson, brothers Donald, Earl, John, and Walter Atkinson, sister in-laws Grace, Conelee, Carmen, and Alice Atkinson and beloved granddaughter Michelle Sorenson. 

A private family burial service will be held at the Pardeeville Cemetery where she will be laid to rest, beside her husband, for eternity.