JoAnne Beverly Olson

JoAnn Beverly Olson, 93, of Stroudsburg, Penn., passed away September 25, 2024 at Moravian Hall Square in Nazareth, Penn. She was born on May 7, 1931 in Independence to John and Lyda (Johnson) Wilson. JoAnn was married to her late husband, Arne LeRoy Olson, who passed away in April 2009. She was also predeceased by a brother, Thomas Wilson and a sister, Mary Jean Landfried.

She was a drum major and baton twirler for Wyoming High School in Iowa, a participant in the 4-H Club and was Valedictorian of the Class of 1949. JoAnn also entered beauty contests. She was selected the Queen of the Wyoming Area Fair and chosen as the Queen of the Jones County Fair.

JoAnn met her husband, LeRoy, at Iowa State Teachers’ College, where she graduated with a teaching degree. They shared nearly 57 years of marriage, love, and friendship. They moved across the country while LeRoy taught at various colleges and JoAnn raised their four boys. Over and over, they made a home and blended into the communities of Clear Lake, Riverside, Calif., Eugene, Ore., Champaign, Ill., Warminster, Penn., Fairfax, Va., Stroudsburg, Penn. and Pinehurst, N.C. They enjoyed traveling and camping across the United States.

She earned her Bachelors’ Degree and two Masters’ Degrees at East Stroudsburg State College. She was a dedicated elementary school teacher for the East Stroudsburg Area School District at both Middle Smithfield and Bushkill Elementary schools before retiring in 1993.

JoAnn loved to dance and was an Arthur Murray Dance Studio teacher. After retirement, she danced with the Sophisticated Ladies, a Rockettes-style dance troupe in North Carolina, for seven years and then went on to direct the group until she returned to Pennsylvania to be closer to family in 2016.

Surviving are four sons, Gary Olson and his wife, Jennifer of Stroudsburg, Pa., John Kirby Olson and his wife, Riikka of Delhi, N.Y., Arne Joe Olson of Stroudsburg, Pa., and Stephen Clark Olson and his wife, Beth of Falls Church, Va.; 11 grandchildren, Bridget, Ashtin, Annabelle, Thomas, Lola, Tristan, Julian, William, Mitchell, Sofia, and Meredith; and one great-grandchild, Ella JoAnn.

A private celebration of life will be held by the family.

In lieu of flowers, please send memorial donations to the Eastern Monroe Public Library (checks payable to: EMPL), 1002 N. 9th Street, Stroudsburg, PA 18360; Monroe County 4-H (checks payable to: Penn State University), 724 Phillips Street (suite 201), Stroudsburg, PA 18360; or the Sophisticated Ladies (checks payable to: Sophisticated Ladies), 166 Vista Drive, West End, NC 27376. Please note all contributions to be in memory of JoAnn Olson.

Cremation arrangements were entrusted to the William H. Clark Funeral Home in Stroudsburg, Pa.