Howard Walter Olsen

This quilt square represents some of the things that Howard enjoyed in life. Halloween was his favorite holiday and he didn’t mind spiders at all, in fact he would put them outside if he found one in the house. The fish and anchor is a homage to his dad, whom Howard loved and respected very much. His dad was a commercial fisherman and also captained one of the boats that took people over to Mackinac Island. I think that is why Howard was so interested in anything to do with the Great Lakes. He loved all animals, especially dogs. Sometimes when he came home at night, we would stand outside and gaze up at the stars and enjoy the tranquility and beauty of the constellations. He very much enjoyed all types of car races, and was always interested in the customization of old cars, which he did a lot of in his younger years. The last vehicle he owned was a red Ford Ranger which he really enjoyed working on and making improvements to, as it was in pretty sad shape when purchased. He loved working in his garden and yard. Howard was a true “friend of the earth”, as he believed in and was very interested in learning about wind and solar power, and he diligently recycled and composted, and believed in using what he had if possible, before going out and buying new. He always liked frogs from little on, and as an adult knew how vital they were to the ecosystem. He was also an avid reader. Howard served his country in the Vietnam War. He was so loved by his family, and words cannot describe how much we miss having him here with us.