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Last updated 04/28/2010

Charley Arnie Olson and Frank


Charley Olson, his sister, and her son, Frank, lived about one and one-half miles southeast of Spicer. They farmed a small acreage and were familiar faces nearly every day in Spicer. They dropped the name "Olson" and were officially Charley Arnie and Frank. The township road that now goes by their old farm is "Charley Arnie Road." Charley was famous for his squeaky, high pitched voice and his happy smile. Frank rarely said anything.

Frank's mother died. Then Frank and Charley lived together for many years. Charley owned an old Model A, but Frank always drove it. They would come to town with a crate of a few eggs to Orred's Store. For hours they would visit around town.

Charley felt quite an attraction for Delores Swenson, the secretary at the Green Lake Elevator. She could not leave her office when he came so she had to listen to his stories. One day he proudly presented her with a gift - a very dirty, very old stocking cap. Jeanette Anderson, working at the drug store, saw Charley come in one day. He asked if she had any "constipation pills": "I'm not, but Frank is."

Charley liked fatty foods, especially beef short ribs, the fatter the better. Elmer Orred had a barrel of dog biscuits in the store. Charley said, "Say, Elmer, these sure are good crackers you got here." Elmer also had a box of cigars for sale on the counter. When Charley had traded eggs for groceries, he would reach into the box and help himself to a cigar as he was leaving. "Say, Elmer, I'm taking a cigar. Put it on the bill." (It never got on the bill.)

Charley's fondness for cigars caused him a problem one time. Some Nelson boys got him drunk and fixed him a "hot dog" - a cigar with mustard and catsup on it, in a bun. Charley ate the whole thing, with great enjoyment.

Frank liked to hunt ducks. The small ones were always given as gifts to friends in town. Frank frequently smoked a corn cob pipe and was an expert at blowing smoke rings.

Charley and Frank went to every funeral because of the good lunches that were served.

Charley lost one of his geese. He asked around town, "Have you seen my African gander? If you see him, put him in a gunny."

Charley's fondness for alcohol caused him many problems. Once he got into a fight with Eiler Kjolsing. They ended up in court before the judge, who asked Charley, "Where did he hit you?" In his usual squeaky voice Charley responded, "Right between the barn and the manure pile."

Chester Jacobson went collecting money for the church. Although Frank and Charley did not regularly attend any church, Chester stopped at their farm and asked for a donation. At first Charley was not interested in giving, so Chester explained that the church is used for many things besides Sunday services, such as wedding, baptisms, and funerals. "Here's a dollar," Charley said; "I better be prepared."

When Charley and Frank drove to town, they would stop at the filling station. Frank had a gas tank along, and they would ask for "25 cents worth gas in the car and 500 worth in the can." They used gas in a water pump on the farm.

Charley washed his clothes, once a year. Early in the summer he would walk out into Green Lake, fully clothed, rub soap on his bib overalls, and rinse them off.

After an illness, Charley moved to Bethesda Country Home, where he died. Because Frank was unable to care for himself, he moved from the farm to live with his nephew, George Olson, who lived by Nest Lake. George had lived with Anton Westerberg, a bachelor with one arm. George Olson and Frank both later moved to the Glen Oaks Nursing Home and died there.
 

 

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