Person:Sven Olson (1)

SWEN OLSON, (by Larry Olson)

  Among the homes in the vicinity of Sumner Grade School, Roosevelt Junior High School, and Meade Garden Center is one, still in the Olson family at 135 Fillmore St.  Mr. and Mrs. Larry Olson now own and live in this home.
  Larry's father, Swen Olson, was the original owner.  It was built following the turn of the century.  He was born in Sweden in Nov. 1875 and migrated to the U.S. at age 16.
  He was at one time employed at the Santa Fe Shops.  He is better known in this community as a neighborhood groceryman for some 40 years or more in a store located at 1010 West 2nd St., original owner of that building, which housed a grocery business operated by another party, but around the years 1905 to 1910 he began

operating the store itself.

  Mr. Olson was married in 1908 to Elizabeth Enander who also migrated from Sweden.  Four children were born to them:  Bryon "Barney" in 1909, Lawrence "Larry" in 1910, Grace in 1912 and Kenneth "Kenny" in 1914.  The mother passed away in 1922.  The grocery business was his means of existence in rearing and providing for his family.
  The business operated as the Olson Grocery and served the neighborhood clintele through the years.  Up until his own death in May 1969 (wrong), Swen was well known as a member of the First Swedish Baptist Church, now West Side Baptist Church at 4th and Fillmore St., and as a connoisseur of various Swedish products carried at his grocery store.  Customers sometimes came for miles around, each Christmas season

to purchase Swedish delicacies for their festive tables, because other stores did not have them.

  Swen loved children, many of whom can still remember buying candy from him as they went to and from school and during the summer vacation months.
  The eldest of his children, Barney, passed away in California on 30 Oct. 1975.  Grace and Kenny have lived for a number of years in the Los Angeles area. Swen has a grandson and granddaughter by grace, three grandsons by Kenny, and one grandson by Larry.
  The grocery store, which for so many years was an integral part of this community, continued operations for a few months following his demise, but closed its doors permanently on 1 Jan. 1950.  This has been the story of many a small neighborhood store in the past several years.
  So endeth the career of a pioneer groceryman whom we honor in this American Revolution Bicentennial Year of 1976.

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   Obituary - TOPEKA DAILY CAPITOL, Friday, May 13, 1949
   Sven Olson, 73, of 135 Fillmore died unexpectedly at him home, Thursday. The body is at the Wall Diffenderfer Mortuary and final arrangements were incomplete Thursday night.
   He was born in Skoni, Sweden, November 3, 1875 and came to the United States when he was 16.
   He had been a resident of Topeka for 50 years and operated a grocery store at 1010 West Second for 40 years.
   He was a member of the West Side Baptist Church and the Norden Benefit Association. He was predeceased by his only brother, Nels Olson on April 6, of this year.
   He leaves three sons, Lawrence S. (Larry) Olson of the home, Bryon Olson of Albuquerque, New Mexico and Kenneth A. Olson of Alhambra, California. A daughter, Mrs. Grace Thompson of Los Angeles: three grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
   Burial in Mount Hope Cemetery.