His birth occurred in the land of the midnight sun, January 27, 1845, his parents being Ole and Gertie (Amundson) Olson. He spent the first eight years of his life in Norway and then accompanied his mother to the new world. He remained a resident of Wisconsin until 1856 and then came with Mr. and Mrs. Peterson to Worth county, Iowa. He lived upon the home farm and pursued his education in the district schools until he reached the age of seventeen years, when he put aside his textbooks and all personal considerations in order to respond to his country's call for aid, enlisting in 1862 in the Union army. He became a member of Company B, Thirty-second Iowa Infantry, being enrolled at Bristol. He served for a year and was then honorably discharged on account of impaired health, after which he returned to the farm. Sometime later he began farming on his own account, purchasing a tract of land in Brookfield township, in 1864. Taking up his abode on that property, he concentrated his time and efforts upon its further improvement and cultivation until 1900 and his labors resulted in transforming it into a very productive tract of land. In 1868 Mr. Olson was united in marriage to Miss Maranda Mekkelson, a daughter of Ole and Augusta (Peterson) Mekkelson, who were natives of Norway and came with their family to the United States in 1849. In politics Mr. Olson has always been a stalwart republican and was been called upon to fill various local offices, while for fourteen years he was also officially connected with the schools as treasurer of his district. In 1904 he was called upon to represent his district in the state legislature and during his connection with the house of representatives gave thoughtful and earnest consideration to the vital questions which came up for settlement. For a number of terms he served as supervisor of Brookfield township. His religious faith was that of the Norwegian Lutheran church and fraternally he was connected with the Grand Army of the Republic.

His birth occurred in the land of the midnight sun, January 27, 1845, his parents being Ole and Gertie (Amundson) Olson. He spent the first eight years of his life in Norway and then accompanied his mother to the new world. He remained a resident of Wisconsin until 1856 and then came with Mr. and Mrs. Peterson to Worth county, Iowa. He lived upon the home farm and pursued his education in the district schools until he reached the age of seventeen years, when he put aside his textbooks and all personal considerations in order to respond to his country's call for aid, enlisting in 1862 in the Union army. He became a member of Company B, Thirty-second Iowa Infantry, being enrolled at Bristol. He served for a year and was then honorably discharged on account of impaired health, after which he returned to the farm. Sometime later he began farming on his own account, purchasing a tract of land in Brookfield township, in 1864. Taking up his abode on that property, he concentrated his time and efforts upon its further improvement and cultivation until 1900 and his labors resulted in transforming it into a very productive tract of land. In 1868 Mr. Olson was united in marriage to Miss Maranda Mekkelson, a daughter of Ole and Augusta (Peterson) Mekkelson, who were natives of Norway and came with their family to the United States in 1849. In politics Mr. Olson has always been a stalwart republican and was been called upon to fill various local offices, while for fourteen years he was also officially connected with the schools as treasurer of his district. In 1904 he was called upon to represent his district in the state legislature and during his connection with the house of representatives gave thoughtful and earnest consideration to the vital questions which came up for settlement. For a number of terms he served as supervisor of Brookfield township. His religious faith was that of the Norwegian Lutheran church and fraternally he was connected with the Grand Army of the Republic.