Arthur Talbert Olson

Arthur Talbert Olson, 92, of Belview, died Saturday, December 16, 2023, at Parkview Home in Belview. A celebration of life will be scheduled in the Spring.

Arrangements are with Nelson-Hillestad Funeral Service of Redwood Falls. E-mail condolences may be sent via https://www.nelson-hillestad.com/ .

Talbert Olson, the son of Jacob and Milda (Hagen) Olson, was born August 1, 1931 in Belview. He received his formal education in Belview Public Schools, graduating high school with the class of 1950. After graduation, Talbert worked for Gryting Implement in Belview until he was drafted into the U.S. Army where he served for two years in Korea with the 159^th Field Artillery Battalion.  Following his honorable discharge in 1954, Talbert earned a degree in Wildlife Management from South Dakota State, after which he was employed with the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife in Virginia and Georgia until 1968. After then being promoted to a “desk job” Talbert opted to return to Minnesota and went back to school, first getting his secondary teaching certificate from S.D. State, and then graduating in 1970 from Bemidji State College with a B.S. degree. He began teaching Kindergarten in Maynard, MN, where he became famous as one of the only male Kindergarten teachers in Minnesota at that time.  After nine years at Maynard, he moved back to Belview to lovingly care for his aging parents, while teaching several grade levels and subjects in Belview until his retirement in 1992. His love of students and his ability to engage them (especially in wildlife and environmental topics) was known far and wide—he was referred to by some as the “Mister Rogers” of Belview.

In his younger years, he always enjoyed the outdoors—fishing, hunting and, of course, hunting dogs (of which he had many).  He was well known for his inventions, latest projects and hobbies, and even a pet crow who became a city-wide celebrity.  He was also regularly seen exercising his dogs around town on a bike or even by dogsled.  Later in life, he purchased a hobby farm out on the Minnesota River, where he enjoyed keeping horses, raising pheasants, hunting ducks, building an adult-sized tree house, and swimming in his homemade solar heated swimming pool. His true passion, however, was gardening. He was well known for his immense vegetable gardens as well as for regular deliveries of flowers to Parkview Home and Grace Lutheran Church over many years.

He is survived by his sister Anna (Arlan) Roline of Bemidji; nephew Alan (Pam) Roline of Duluth; sister-in-law Shirley (Charles) Olson; nephews Paul (Nancy) Olson of Brookings, S.D. and Jeff Olson of Volga, S.D.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers James (Alice) Olson of Belview and Charles (Shirley) Olson of Brookings, S.D.

Blessed be his memory.