Sixty one years ago Catherine Olson and her husband LuVerne moved to Tarzana, California. She and her husband were remarkable people, not because they won important prizes or amassed an impressive fortune. Catherine’s and LuVerne’s real importance came from the steady and positive influences they made on the lives of those of us who shared their San Fernando Valley.
Catherine Olson died in Tarzana just as the year 2010 was coming to an end. Her final days came not far from the Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies, where she worked for many years. Over the years, Catherine attended to the needs of her three children, and made time to volunteer for their school’s PTA and many other activities. Catherine donated her time for the Encino-Tarzana Library, the American Red Cross and the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults. She especially cared about the Special Olympics and was a volunteer for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
LuVerne and Catherine were original parishioners for Our Lady of Grace Roman Catholic Church in Encino. It was in this church that many of us first learned about LuVerne’s relentless efforts to glean fields and to help feed the poor and homeless in our city. Catherine and LuVerne Olson’s lives enriched us all. The January meeting of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley will be dedicated to their generous spirits and memory.
Medallion gift to Catherine Olson for her volunteer services to the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley 2010 from her daughter Mary Olson-Friedman in Catherine's memory.
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