Patricia L. Olson's Obituary
PATRICIA LEE CRIDDLE OLSON passed away on July 23, 2016 in Chico, CA. She is survived by her two daughters, Charm Cox of Chico, CA, and Patti Gildersleeve of Kula, HI; six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. The youngest of six children, she was born May 27, 1928 in Marysville, CA. She attended a one-room school until going to Marysville High School where she met her life-long love, Ernest Olson. Ernie’s quest for better jobs took them to San Francisco, then onto Honolulu, Hawaii at the young age of 28. There she worked for a rental car company on Waikiki, greeting visitors arriving on the Lurline and when Kiluea Iki volcano erupted in 1959, traveled with a barge of cars to Hawaii to rent transportation to the many visitors. After Hawaii, it was onto Montana where Pat logged almost enough hours to fly solo. Throughout her life Pat volunteered her time, talent, and enthusiasm to charity organizations. She was President of the Northern California Association of Hospital Volunteers; Past Queen, Menzaleh No.16, Daughters of the Nile, Sacramento, CA; Past Matron, Order of the Eastern Star, Lei Aloha Chapter, No. 3, Honolulu, HI. A memorial service will commence at 2:00 pm, Sunday August 14, 2016 at the Siminoff chapel, Masonic Home for Adults, 34400 Mission Blvd., Union City, CA. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Shriners Hospital for Children, www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/donate.______________________________________Patricia Lee Criddle Olson was born May 27, 1928 in Marysville, Ca.Pat began her life in Marigold, a small company town 12 miles east of Marysville. Built for the families who worked for the Yuba Consolidated Goldfields, Marigold was once a thriving community with a swimming pool, community center, and grocery store. By 1928 when Pat was born, all that remained was a small neighborhood of about 10 families and a one-room schoolhouse. Patsy, as she was called by her family, was the youngest of 6 children: Rosebud, Joe, Clyde, Bob, Helen and Pat, born to Elizabeth and Charles Cannon Criddle over a span of 20 years. Her eldest siblings were out on their own by the time Pat was born; only Bob and Helen, her sister and best friend, 7 years her senior, were living at home.Rambling through the rockpiles, shooting a shotgun, or making up adventures with the neighborhood kids, Pat’s love of nature and those golden fields of poppies stayed with her always.Pat went into Marysville to go to high school where she met her life-long love, Ernie Olson. The story goes that he held the door open for her, their eyes met, and that was it! (There is a photo of them at the school formal Pat helped to organize available for you to see.) Married soon after graduating from high school, they had two children, Charm and Patti, within a couple of years. Pat always said she grew up with her kids, and she did.Ernie’s quest for better jobs resulted in almost 20 moves during their life together. Moves took them from small town Marysville, to exciting San Francisco, and then at the young age of 28, to Honolulu, Hawaii. They moved into an apartment on Waikiki a couple of short blocks from the beach. The first day Ernie went to work, Pat and the girls went to the beach. They weren’t in the water long before Pat cut her foot on a broken beer bottle buried in the sand. As blood gushed from her foot, handsome beach boys carried her to shore, and called Ernie to let him know to meet them at the hospital. With stitches in her foot, Pat was housebound. Ernie surprised her with 2 Siamese kittens. From then on, Pat always wanted to have Siamese cats.I think Pat was in love with Hawaii before she even arrived. She may have listened to Hawaii Calls, a popular radio program during the 1950’s. The family often walked along Waikiki beach in the evenings to hear the hotel floor shows and past the Moana Hotel where Hawaii Calls was broadcast from under a huge banyan tree right on the beach.Ernie was a proud man and determined to be the provider for his family. But somehow Pat was able to convince him that her having a job would be okay. And did she have fun! Working for a car and pink jeep rental on Waikiki, one of her duties was going to the Aloha Tower pier to greet visitors arriving on the Lurline. And when Kiluea Iki volcano erupted in 1959 on the big island of Hawaii, she went along on a barge loaded with cars to rent to the streams of visitors. One of her most memorable and exciting moments was getting up close to the erupting lava…and she filmed it so she could share her experience with her family.At this time, the First Methodist Church they attended was in downtown Honolulu. Realizing that there were many members that would support another church nearer to them, they helped to found Kilohana Methodist Church in Niu Valley, holding organizing meetings at their home and services at the Niu Valley Intermediate School.Although Hawaii had attained statehood while they were living there, the public education system was not very good. So seeking a better education environment for the girls, they left Hawaii for Butte, Montana. With the job came a fullyfurnished mansion which Pat opened up to the church community for events and to all of the family that wanted to visit: aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents filled the huge house all summer long. While living there, Pat decided to get a pilots license, and was within just a few hours of flying solo when they moved, yet again.From Montana, they went back to Yuba City, where Pat began volunteering at Fremont hospital. To this day she holds the record for the highest number of volunteer hours. She is Past President of the Northern California Association of Hospital Volunteers.They returned to beloved Hawaii in 1973 where their social life revolved around family, church and their Masonic affiliations. They became involved in Order of the Eastern Star, going up the line to become Patron and Matron of Lei Aloha Chapter, No. 3, Honolulu. Ernie became a Shriner, and a Shriner clown, entertaining at the Shriners Hospital for Children or driving his clown car in parades with their little white poodle, Happy, riding along. Pat volunteered at the Children’s hospital as well: making a book for each patient to record the progress of their surgeries; comforting children while their casts were being removed; and comforting the crying babies. She also volunteered at Straub Hospital.When Ernie retired they returned to Yuba City. Pat became active in Daughters of the Nile and in 1997 was Queen of Menzeleh Temple No. 16, in Sacramento.As much as Pat resisted moving into the Masonic Home when Ernie was ill, her outgoing nature was well-suited to the life she found here. Singing in the choir, spending hours in the sewing room, welcoming new residents, or organizing the White Elephant sale, her life was full and rewarding with the Masonic family.Pat’s life was dedicated to family, faith, and charity. Pat loved life: she was vibrant, energetic, and had amazing powers of observation. She loved nature: always excited to see the beauty of the full moon, spy a pheasant or a whale spout, see a field of golden poppies, delight in the beauty of a rose or the luscious smell of a ripe tomato or peach. She didn’t shy away from challenges: eager to learn the computer, and the Kindle, and recently was tenaciously determined to learn to knit and purl so that she could knit hats for newborns.And for her relatives, we have lost our matriarch, Aunt, Tutu and mother. She showed us how to live life to the fullest…never afraid to try something new, and giving in every way she could, whether through her volunteering, baking cookies to share, offering yet another suggestion, or questioning the status quo. We will always cherish our memories of Pat.
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