Randi Olsen

Randi Olsen

May 27, 1932 - April 28, 2018

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Obituary

Randi (Reymert) Olsen, 85, of Platteville, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on April 28, 2018 at the home of her children in Guttenberg, Iowa. A reception and time of sharing will be from noon until 2:00 p.m. Saturday, May 5, 2018 at the Melby Funeral Home & Crematory, Platteville. Private burial will be at Harrison Cemetery, rural Platteville. Memorials may be made to the Randi Olsen Memorial Fund. Online condolences may be made at www.melbyfh.com.

Randi was born in Illinois on May 27, 1932 to Martin and Dorothy Reymert. She was the oldest of three children, her sister Kari Reymert (Morlock), and her brother Martin Reymert. She and her family grew up on the grounds of Mooseheart, an orphanage in Aurora, Illinois where her father, Dr. Martin Luther Reymert came from Norway to teach psychology at Wittenberg, then established the Mooseheart Laboratory for Child Research, where she and her siblings grew up.

Randi met her husband, Dave Olsen, at a summer youth camp where they were both camp counselors. She attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. After two tours of combat in Korea for Dave, they married and raised their two children, Mike (deceased) and Cindy (Steve Solomon) in Batavia, Illinois where Randi was a substitute school teacher, a volunteer at the area mental health facility, and very involved in the Congregational Church where she and Dave married in 1952.

The family moved to Platteville, Wisconsin in 1968. Over these 50 years, Randi has touched many lives through her work with dog obedience classes, pet therapy at the area care centers in southwest Wisconsin, training therapy dogs, raising Great Pyranese puppies, and going to dog shows with her lab, Carrie. Randi was named Wisconsin Volunteer of the Year for her years of service providing pet therapy.

Randi is survived by daughter, Cindy (Steve Solomon); step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews; her other daughters, Candy, Mary, Patty, Annie, and Carli; countless friends and neighbors; and hundreds of four legged fur babies she's known in her 85 years of life. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, son, and two siblings.

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Larry Wunderlin
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My condolences to the family of Mrs. Olsen. I first met the family in 1968 when I became friends of their son, David, known to us as Mike. I recall many fond memories of spending time at the Olsen home. May God comfort all of you with special memories in the years ahead. God bless.
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Vicki Millard
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I'm not sure where to even start. I met Randi when I was 14 years old, didn't take correction well and had a half wild dog that I didn't know what to do with. She quickly earned my respect and admiration with all she could do-not even so much with the animals, as they came to her with brains, but us owners, that didn't always want to listen. She taught me patience, persistence, praise, playfulness, and positivity with my animals, to name just a few. She went from being my teacher, to my friend, eventually becoming my bonus mom, because my own mom had died and she was always there for me. She was a surrogate grandma to my daugher, who she has known since Regan's birth, and became a huge influence in her life as well. Randi touched so many lives, in so many ways, asking for nothing in return. Just hanging out with her or driving to Madison to the vet hospital, we went beyond the scope of dog training and had so many conversations about everything-family, life, faith, etc. -that I will not ever forget. I'm going to miss her so much but I'm trying to go over those 38 years and smile at the memories, even when she was the General, and you didn't argue with her! She's been a huge part of my life and I will think of her often--I am so happy for her to be out of pain and at peace, and back with her Dave and Mike, but sad for all of us who still needed her. She will be so missed. Prayers to her family who have to learn to be here without her.

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