Olga Gasch

Olga I. Gasch, age 92, of Litchfield, MN, died on Saturday, November 1, 2008 at the Emmanuel Nursing Home in Litchfield, MN. Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at Cornerstone Church in Litchfield with Pastor Jeff Garland and Pastor Herb Garland officiating. Visitation will be from 4:00 - 7:00 PM on Tuesday at Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home in Litchfield and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in Greenwood Cemetery in River Falls, Wisconsin. Olga was born on a snowy day, December 1, 1915, on a small farm in Big Lake, MN to Alfred and Ida (Arneson) Jacobson. She was twelve years old when the family moved into an eight-room house on a farm near Prescott, WI. Later the family moved again and she graduated from River Falls High School in 1934 and attended the local college for one year. There she discovered her prowess for field hockey. In the course of time she performed maid and house keeping work in the big cities of Chicago and Minneapolis. She went on to beautician school and also worked in the defense plants in Milwaukee, WI during WWII for $1.00 an hour "Big Money" then. She was an Avon Lady with a future. Olga married Carl Gasch in a small private ceremony in January 1946. Carl was a well-established interior decorator, while Olga was a premier homemaker with a caregiver’s heart for family and friends throughout her life.Olga was widowed after 20 years of marriage. She perservered through hard work, and determination. She rented out rooms in her home, cared for her father and worked a variety of jobs until age 72. Those Norwegians have a hard time throttling back. She loved coffee, "Norwegian gasoline", all most as much as her family and home. Olga enjoyed refinishing furniture, bargain hunting at Goodwill, cooking and canning applesauce for her sons. When she allowed herself she enjoyed travel excursion with her church along with yearly treks to her son’s family in California. She was active in conservative politics and like her father an avid reader of the daily newspaper. Olga is survived by her children Steve (and Avis) Gasch of Litchfield, MN and David (and Sharon) Gasch of Phoenix, Arizona; 5 grandchildren Karen, Renee, Michelle, Sarah and Daniel. She was preceded in death by her parents Alfred and Ida; and husband Carl.