Leslie "Les" Olson

Leslie Lee "Les" Olson age 74, of Hastings, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Thursday, March 18th, 2021 after a courageous battle with Mesothelioma. Les was born May 15, 1946 in Postville, IA to Louis and Marjorie Olson. He was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart, Susan Kingery on January 27, 1968. They had 53 wonderful years together. Les graduated from Valley High School in Elgin, Iowa in 1964. He was drafted into the Army in October 1965 and spent a year serving his country in Vietnam. He was a very proud veteran. Les attended Faribault Technical College to become a marine mechanic. After relocating to Hastings, he worked at Erickson Marine and later King's Cove, where he spent over 30 years. Upon his retirement in 2003, he and Susan enjoyed spending many winter months traveling in their RV. They also enjoyed many cruises and a car trip to the east coast. The summer months were spent at their place on the river in Harpers Ferry, IA with family and friends. Many hours were spent on the river fishing, skiing, and jet skiing with the grandkids. Les also enjoyed spending time at home in his shed doing various projects, yard work, backyard fires and spending time in the pool with family. Les is survived by his wife of 53 years, Susan; their two children, Kim (Doug) Teuber of Hastings, MN, Jessica (Mark) Nelsen of Hastings, MN; five grandchildren, Abigail and Ryan Nelsen and Kyle, Nicholas and Nathan Teuber; brother, Curtis (Dody) Olson; and many other relatives and friends. Les was preceded in death by his parents, Louis and Marjorie Olson; his mother and father in-law, Delmer and Gertrude Kingery; his brother-in-law, Larry Kingery; and his sister-in-law, Joyce (Kingery) Olson. A memorial service will be held on Saturday April 10, 2021 at 11:00 AM at Resurrection United Methodist Church of Hastings, 615 15th St. West in Hastings. A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at church. A private interment with Military Honors will be held at Fort Snelling National Cemetery at a later date. You can view Les' memorial service here (Les Olson Memorial Service)