ZONA G. OLSON, 78, longtime Cherokee resident, passed away Friday, March 19, 2010 at Cherokee Regional Medical Center.
Funeral services will be Tuesday, March 23rd , at 10:30 a.m. at the Memorial Presbyterian Church, Cherokee. Rev. Ethan Sayler will officiate. Burial will be in the Oak Hill Cemetery, Cherokee. There will be a family prayer service at 10:15 a.m. at the Church on Tuesday. Visitation will be 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Monday at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee with the family present from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. Online condolences can be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com
Zona Gay Beazley was born July 21, 1931 to Arlo S. and Roma E. (Smith) Beazley at her Grandpa Beazley's home in rural Washta, IA. She graduated from Washta High School in 1950. After graduation she moved to Cherokee and worked at the Soda Shop and later at Sioux Valley Memorial Hospital. October 28, 1951 she was united in marriage to Robert Dean Olson in Cherokee. Zona took a few years off to start a family, and returned to work at the hospital for a total of 40 years; first as an aide and then as ward clerk. She was a member of Memorial Presbyterian Church, Washta Cemetery Association, she volunteered for the Cherokee County Archives and the Senior's Congregate Meals. Zona enjoyed spending time with her family, friends, reading and her coffee groups. She was very close to her brother Joy and his wife Marietta and in later years they took several trips together.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 49 years Robert in 2001 and her parents Roma and Arlo Beazley.
Zona is survived by her daughter Roberta (Richard) Boothby of Cherokee, sons, Bradley (Kim) Olson, Lytton, IA and Michael Olson of Cherokee, 4 grandchildren, R.W. "Pete" (Kristin) Boothby, Underwood, IA, Thomas (Amanda) Boothby, Oak Ridge, NC, Kelly Olson, Alta, IA, Jamie Cromwell, Wall Lake, IA, three step grandchildren Andy Schuur, Sioux City, IA, Amanda Schuur, Le Mars, IA, and Alec Thiele, Lytton, IA.; six great grandchildren, Joel and Jaxson Cromwell; Tyler, Mason, Cameron & Emily Boothby; her brother Joy M. (Marietta) Beazley, Grand Island, NE, one nephew, Darlo(Pat) Beazley, Cairo, NE, one niece Anita (Dan) Davis, Grand Island and one uncle Kenneth "Bud" (Alice) Hoeppner, Washta, IA.