Darrel R. Olson

Darrel R. Olson, 82, of Grand Island, passed away on Sunday, April 7, 2024 at his home surrounded by his loving family. A celebration of life will be held at All Faiths Funeral Home on Tuesday, April 16th at 2pm, with Dan Naranjo officiating. The family has chosen this day and time in honor of Darrel and his weekly consignment sales on Tuesdays which always began at 2:00pm. The service will be livestreamed at www.giallfaiths.com. Burial will follow at the Grand Island City Cemetery. Memorials suggested to the family for future designation. Darrel was born December 19, 1941 in Crete to Virgil H. (Hun) and Lena (Poppinga) Olson. The family moved briefly to Minden before relocating to Hastings. Darrel was quite the athlete, enjoying many sports such as football and basketball but excelled in track & field running the mile. Darrel enjoyed reminiscing about his high school years and often spoke about his Studebaker with the “special split rear window” …. that was a rare find. During his senior year, Darrel led the sports staff of Ole and Company for the school newspaper called The Tiger Club. His meticulous knack for writing would only become more obvious in years to come. Darrel was known to be where the fun was and learned to “call the shots” having never really been given a curfew. He accomplished most anything he set his mind to but it was most likely more by luck that he graduated from Hastings High in 1960. He then joined the Army National Guard for a six year service and during this time, he met many lifelong friends who knew him as “Ole,” with whom he shares epic stories of mishaps and shenanigans… many of which cannot be mentioned! Darrel held an endless drive and devotion to the business and his standard for hard work was unparalleled, which he learned from his parents. Olson Auction began its journey in Hastings, Nebraska until 1958 when they relocated to Grand Island and quickly became the largest weekly consignment auction in the Midwest. Although auctions were Darrel’s passion, he expanded the family business with Olson Furniture, giving the Grand Island community more variety with new furnishings in his 50,000 sq foot showroom! Darrel was always looking for an opportunity to make a deal and that is why the auction business was so fulfilling to him. Darrel had a “never give up attitude,” and for this reason he continued his weekly consignment sales through many tough times until the final sale at the auction house on November 4th, 2018….. but in true Darrel fashion of work ethic and grit, he held one more sale off site in January 2019. Through the years…. he was especially grateful for the dealers and regular attendees to his weekly consignment sales…. He enjoyed their presence in the crowd each week and his memory for knowing their buyer numbers by heart as if it was their name was impressive. Darrel was united in marriage to Linda Larsen on July 11, 1975. From this union he gained three children. Darrel and Linda welcomed a daughter, Tara, who he nicknamed “TO-TO,” and in 1983 the family joined together when he adopted Karmen, Denean, & Chad…. Sharing the Olson name. Darrel took great pride in raising his only son as the fourth generation in the family business…. “Darrel R and Chad R. Olson Auctioneers.” (He stated on every ad) as well as in his sales pitch… “must see to appreciate!” He carefully worded his listings for sales as he prepared each one for success. Darrel was a member of the Saddle Club, Elks, Platt-Duetsche and Liederkranz. He also was a member of the Auctioneer Association and had his real estate license. Darrel was a good provider for his family, always working to grow his business alongside Linda. He enjoyed doing business with families through liquidating estates, real estate auctions, and relished in a love for auto consignments …. selling vehicles was a joy for Darrel. As soon as the deal was done, he was looking for the next one! His excitement was contagious! He loved to banter with people and stir the pot when he could… teasing was fun for him. He loved to debate so you better bet if you said left, he’d choose right! But somehow always saw the upside! Darrel would often enjoy watching football and basketball and was known to root for the underdog! Darrel is survived by his wife, Linda Olson; son, Chad R. (Jaime) Olson; daughter, Tara (Elijah) Johnson; grandchildren, Leikyn, Micaela, Jackson, Nathan, Ashleigh, McKenzie, Blake, Halle, Logan, Aleah, Theron and Dawson; great grandchildren, Ryker, Reidyn, Faith, Grayson and Lucian; sons in-law, Tom Puente and Jeff Suck and beloved dog, Gypsie Jo. He is preceded in death by his parents; daughters, Karmen Puente and Denean Olson Suck; sister, Jaculyn “Jackie” Garey; paternal grandparents, Charles and Stella (Wells) Olson and maternal grandparents, Frank and Hanna (Raveling) Poppinga. Darrel left this world “doing it his way,” surrounded by love and his legacy will live on in the hearts of so many. His passion of the auction will be remembered forever and his mark in this world will always be felt. He will be missed! And as he would say…. “Going… Going… Gone!”

Darrel R. Olson

December 19, 1941 - April 7, 2024

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Darrel R. Olson

December 19, 1941 - April 7, 2024

What We Do

Flowers & Gifts

Plan Ahead

About Us

Resources

Obituaries

Grief & Healing

Contact Information

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