- Born on: May 22, 1930
- Departed on: October 10, 2021
- Resided in: Davenport, IA
Harry Alexander Olsen, Jr.
Our deepest condolences to your family in the loss of Harry. What a wonderful life dedicated to his Lord, family and public service. Bill and Jean Klinkenberg.
On Wednesday, I subbed for someone else for the 11-1 shift at the Ridgecrest Cafe. When I realized I was out of nickels, I gave Harry a call and asked if he had any. He’d always been good for quarters. Sure enough, within 15 minutes, he came in with enough nickels to keep the register going for the day. He stayed for a bit before leaving. Harry was my Thursday morning Café buddy. He usually came in shortly after I opened, but last Thursday, he was there before I got there. I let him in, and he sat and watched me run through the opening business of putting on the coffee and starting the hot dogs. We discussed his Norwegian plate collection. He said he had 19 sequential. I told him he should display them by the front desk, and he seemed to like the idea. He said he’d bought plate holders one time when he was going to display them somewhere else and might be able to find the holders. He’d have to get the plates down and clean them up, but he thought he could to that. He ordered a diet Pepsi. Said he’d never had one before and always wanted to taste one. Said it fizzled all the way down. Then the in-house poet came in and the upshot of the conversation was that I promised Harry that I would write a haiku about him. We had so many laughs together. I had plans to surprise him with his name on the back of his chair in the Café . . . And on Sunday, he was gone. Here is his haiku: Harry brought me change The day my drawer was empty. I will not forget.
My deepest sympathy to Harry’s family. Harry was such a dear friend to my step dad, Dennis Moore. They lived across the hall from each other at Heritage Court. Playing pool together and solving the worlds problems ! I missed our conversations once he moved! They are now reunited with their wives and resting in eternal peace. God bless you during this sad time.
