The funeral for LeRoy "Roy" Olson, Kulm, North Dakota will be Saturday, July 27, 2013 at 10:00 AM at the Kulm Baptist Church, Kulm, ND. Visitation will be one hour before the service. Burial will be at the Swede Township Cemetery, Kulm, ND. LeRoy passed away Thursday, July 11, 2013 at the Wishek Nursing Home. Roy had lived his entire life in the Kulm area until last fall when he became a resident in Wishek. At the time of his death he was 100 years, 3 months, and 24 days old.

Roy was born March 17th, 1913, on his parent's farm four miles northeast of Kulm, ND and was the youngest of ten children born to his parents, Olof and Eva Marie (Holm) Olson. He grew up there and attended school in Norden Township. In the 1930s they moved to a farm just west of the Baptist Church and lived there until 1943 when Roy bought his own farm from Ed Forsman. His parents stayed there with him for the rest of their lives. Roy's sister Ruth, along with her son Martin, also came to live there and helped care for their parents and worked for Roy as a housekeeper. Roy and Ruth lived on the farm until 1979 when he retired from farming and they moved into Kulm. They were well known for entertaining guests at their home. Ruth lived there until she entered the nursing home in the early 1990s and Roy stayed in his home until the fall of 2012.
Roy was a member of the Kulm Baptist Church and very active for many years as choir director, youth leader, and soloist. For more than fifty years he sang for a multitude of weddings, funerals, and special events in the community. He said his popularity as a singer blossomed after he won the local talent show in 1935. Starting about 1939 he sang on the McCoy's radio program a number of times over the following years. He loved singing in quartets starting in the 1930s. Roy enjoyed a large collection of music at home and all through the years always had the most up to date equipment to play and record it. He played both the piano and violin. He sang the Swedish versions of "He the Pearly Gates Will open" and "Children of the Heavenly Father" on many occasions.
Roy enjoyed sports and on many occasions entertained his friends for watching baseball or Monday Night Football at his place. There was also bowling at the Kulm Bowling Alley and in his retirement years he developed a good game of golf at the Kulm Country Club. He was active in community affairs, a member of Farmer's Union, and a very devoted member of the Kulm Lion's Club. In the winter months Roy and Ruth would travel to visit Ruth's son, Martin and other family members and friends. The one thing that Roy is best remembered for was the development of Roy's Park which was located about five miles north of Kulm. He purchased the land which had belonged to Ruth in 1940 after her husband was killed in a tragic accident. In 1958 Roy decided to turn the site into a park including a softball field with lights. With help from the Baptist youth group and the Swedish community it became a reality. Baseball had been very popular in the years previous with the Swedes fielding an amateur team. That ended in 1955 and softball became the next choice for recreation. Roy's Park became the weekly gathering place for ball games every summer for almost forty years. It also became the location for the yearly Fourth of July Swedish reunions that were held for about the same amount of time. The memories made at Roy's Park will always linger in the hearts of those who experienced it. Thank you Roy! Celebrating his 100th birthday was one of Roy's proudest achievements. It was a very special day for him. One of his favorite facts about his family was that both sets of his grandparents were born in the 1820s. He was actually part of the generation of the parents of his friends that were his age. By far the thing Roy loved best was visiting with his family and friends. There were many good hours spent in the Kulm Café. He is best remembered for his smile and laughter. Roy would brighten up any room he was in. He was a kind and generous man.

Roy will be dearly missed by four generations of nieces and nephews and a host of friends. The Swenson children would come to visit Roy quite often to share time with their favorite uncle. Roy was blessed with a loving family. In lieu of flowers, family prefers memorial to Swede Township Cemetery or the Kulm Country Club. Share memories and sign online guest book at www.dahlstromfuneralservice.com. Dahlstrom Funeral Home in Kulm, ND entrusted with arrangements.