Arnold "Arnie" Eugene Olson

Arnold (Arnie) E. Olson of Bemidji died on January 14, 2026 at Sanford Medical Center.

Memorial services will be held on Friday, January 23, 2026 at 3 p.m. at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, with visitation one hour prior to the service. Mike Naylor will officiate the service.

Arnie was born in Bemidji on February 24, 1948 to Rueben and Caroline (Hartman) Olson.  Arnie graduated from Bemidji High School in 1966. He joined the Navy in 1966 and served two tours of duty in the Vietnam War as a Seabee. Upon his return home, Arnie met and married the love of his life, Kathleen (Penny) Carpenter.  Together, Penny and Arnie made their home in Bemidji.  Their daughter, Melissa, was born to them in 1972.

Arnie started his career working for Tom Sawyer Meats and ultimately became a trusted over-the-road driver for Wille Transport, Deer River. He worked there for many years until his retirement in 2022. As a trucker, Arnie was honored to deliver the goal posts for the Super Bowl game in 2018.

In his free time, Arnie loved racing.  He was one of the most avid fans at the Bemidji Speedway, and was part of a pit crew there when he was younger. He also enjoyed traveling to regional and national car races.  Arnie was in his best form when he could combine racing with his other favorite love: his grandkids.  On Sunday nights, Arnie loved to take his grandkids (and anyone else who wanted to go) to the stock car races. He was also known for taking his grandkids, nieces, and nephews to the MN State Fair every year.  Arnie and Penny took many other trips with Melissa and grandkids to the Black Hills, North Carolina, and Disneyworld. Sometimes, Penny and some of the grandkids joined Arnie for other over-the-road adventures.

Arnie was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Virginia (Pinky) Wille, his special brother-in-law Dick Wille, and his nieces: Sheila Lund, Chelsea Batchelder, and Terra Greenleaf; and two sisters-in-law: Laura Ware and Connie Carpenter.

Arnie is survived by his wife, Penny, his daughter Melissa (Gilbert) Rodriquez, his grandchildren: Dylan (Amanda) Castonguay, Hope Bedeau, and Justin Bedeau, and several great-grandchildren.  Arnie is also survived by his sisters: Lorraine (Ronnie) Vincent), Janice (Darryl) Erickson, and Pam (Rick) Ross.  He is also survived by his sisters-in-law, Suzanne Loftus and Leah Carpenter (David Jansen), his brother-in-law, Mike Garbow (Jennifer), and numerous nieces and nephews.  Arnie was known for his smile and for always having a joke ready for you. He will be missed by all.

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