Obituary of Adolph C. Ollila

He was born in Negaunee, Michigan on February 9, 1935. In his final months, he longed to return to his home place near Ishpeming, Michigan, to fish and swim the Big Dead and the Yellow Dog. He often told stories of his youth, when his lumberjack father, Aati (Adolph), and his mother, Martha, led and fed an eclectic crew of lumberjacks. Adolph joined the Army in 1955 and was stationed in Washington D.C., where he drove a jeep for the general and a bus for the soldiers. Adolph was married to Marjorie (Heckman) Ollila for 50 years, from 1959 until her death in 2009, shortly after their Golden Anniversary. They first lived in Duluth, then moved to California, their newborn daughter, Brenda (Chuck) Palokangas, between them on the bench seat, to work for his brother in law’s construction company. His stories of the California years were of the relatives piling into cars for picnics and football games, surrounded by orange trees and views of the Pacific. In the busy years that followed their move back to Minnesota, Adolph and Margie added three more children, Shari Ollila (Chris Chapman), Scott (Teri) Ollila, and Bryan Ollila and built a house in the woods of Hermantown. Adolph loved sports; he played softball and golfed with lifelong friends. He was loyal to the Minnesota sports teams, and rooted for his children and grandchildren at their sporting events. Adolph was a loving grandfather to Brittany (Jeremiah), Claire (Brent), Jordyn (Nick), Ty, Eryn, Mac, and Will. He felt extremely lucky to have three great-grandchildren, Macy, Alex, and Luke. Throughout his career, Adolph worked for companies such as Goldfine’s (testing boat motors on Lake Superior and motorcycles down Garfield Avenue), Homelite Chainsaws, Gustafson Equipment (a short walk down Midway Road and home again for lunch), and, finally, St. Joseph’s Equipment, where he was Parts Manager for 20 years until he retired in 1997. In addition to his immediate family, Adolph is survived by his sister, Shirley Salo; brother Richard (Margaret) Ollila; sisters-in-law, Verna Salmela, Joyce Heckman, and Lela (Eugene) Tuominen; as well as a host of brothers and sisters in faith. The Ollila family is so grateful for all loving caregivers: both Dad’s and ours. Visitation will be held from 6-8PM, Friday, February 23, 2018 and one hour prior to the service. A Funeral Service will take place at 12NOON, Saturday, February 24, 2018. Visitations and service will be held at Independent Apostolic Lutheran Church, 6273 Old Hwy. 2, Munger, MN. Interment will take place at Oneota Cemetery.