Evan Thomas Olson

WAUNAKEE – Evan Thomas Olson, age 24, went home to his Savior, Jesus Christ on Saturday, December 12, 2020.  Evan was the beloved first born son of Eric and Juliana Olson, born on July 14, 1996 in Madison, WI. He graduated from Waunakee High School in 2015 where he played football and hockey.  After graduation he attended St. John’s University where he was active in the ROTC program and joined the Army National Guard as an Anti Armor Specialist.  Later he transferred to UW Oshkosh briefly before being deployed to Afghanistan with his unit, C Company (Blacksheep Platoon) of the 2-127 Infantry Battalion. 

Evan was never too shy to sing loudly and proudly during times of revelry; his friends and family know how much he loved to share the music he loved with others.  Whether he was playing or watching it, he absolutely loved hockey.  He grew up with a great fascination in history and carried that on into adulthood.  In any given conversation he was known to bring up interesting and sometimes obscure historical tid-bits.  Evan was a deeply compassionate and kind-hearted person who never said a bad word about anyone.  His smile could light up a room and his laughter and presence brought joy to others.  From singing his favorite songs to a packed room of friends and family, to speaking deeply about the topics he was most passionate in, Evan was an all-around great person to be around.  From a very young age he wanted most to serve his family and his country. Evan was a true patriot who loved God, his country, and his family. 

Evan is survived by his parents; siblings, Gabriel, Elise, and Isaiah; grandmother, Catherine.  He is further survived by many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, other family and friends.  He is preceded in death by his grandparents, Larry (Margaret) Birkes and Robert E. Olson; and his Aunt Jenny who always held a special place in his heart. 

“The 2nd Platoon Blacksheep of the 2-127th INF mourn together over the loss of our Brother in Arms, Evan Olson. We came to good ol’ “Olson Bud” in times of comradery, in times of much needed entertainment, and when times felt bleak. We knew we could always count on you to give us a laugh and lighten the mood, whether it be coming at us with your unique walk, (which by the way we could spot miles away), your cheesy smile, the way you ALWAYS knew what song was playing when asked, or you spitting random facts at us in your thick Minnesotan accent when we needed a pick up. It would not matter what time of day, or what we had going on, if you heard someone say “OLSON BUD, get in here we need a fact!”, everyone knew to tune in and hear what knowledge bomb you were about to drop about life, history, general world news and everything between, and it always left us smiling wanting more! You were an inspiration to all those around you and you touched the lives of many with your hard work and determination to always better yourself and others. More than the good laughs, you were a Brother to every single one of us in Blacksheep Platoon, a piece of the puzzle that held us all together, and no one can take that away. So, though we may not be whole without you, we promise to keep you alive in memory, and we know you will be watching our Six. Until Valhalla, Blacksheep out.” Written by a collective of Evan’s deployment brothers.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1PM on Friday, December 18, 2020 at ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC CHURCH, 209 South Street, Waunakee with Msgr. James Gunn presiding. A visitation will be held from 11AM until time of Mass on Friday at the church. A link to the livestream of the service will be available on the Ryan Funeral Home website.

A graveside committal service will be held at 2 p.m., Monday, December 28, 2020 at MN State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls, MN with Fr. Daniel Weiske officiating.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Healing Warriors Hearts at www.healingwarriorhearts.org would be appreciated.

To view and sign this guestbook, please visit: www.ryanfuneralservice.com.

Ryan Funeral Home & Cremation Services

2418 N. Sherman Avenue

608-249-8257

Local arrangements by Nelson-Doran Funeral Home.

Due to the difficult circumstances of the novel coronavirus, we are providing a live stream of Evan’s Funeral Mass so that friends and family may still be present. The instructions to join the service virtually are below. The Mass will be held on Friday, December 18, 2020 at 1PM Central Time. Please join the service a few minutes early.

INSTRUCTIONS

 1.) Click on the link to go to St. John’s Website:  www.stjb.org
 2.) Once on the St. John’s Website, click on the green LIVESTREAM button in the right hand corner.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Evan Thomas Olson, please visit our floral store.