Grant A. Olsen

Grant Allen Olsen, 83, died peacefully at his home in Babbitt, MN on Saturday, February 22, 2020.
He was born February 26, 1936 in Two Harbors, MN to Gudrun (Knudson) and Johannes Olsen. He was the youngest of eight children; seven boys and one girl. His sister Helen was not pleased her parents brought another boy home from the hospital and she chose to call him Allen. From then on he went by Allen to family and friends and only later in life did people begin calling him Grant.
Allen graduated Two Harbors High School in 1954 and went on to get his electrical journeymen’s license which began his life-long career as an Electrician on the Iron Range.
Allen met his wife Karen LaBonne in high school, and they were married on March 2 1957. They began their life together in Two Harbors where they had four children. They then moved to Babbitt where Allen worked as an electrician at the mines, they raised their children, made many lasting friendships and made the small town their lifelong residence.
Allen coached little league baseball and hockey for his sons’ teams as they were growing up. He enjoyed hunting and fishing and made a mean fish cake with the fish he caught. He loved a good game of cribbage with friends and family. And when he retired he helped build his daughter’s cabin on Birch Lake where the family made wonderful memories for the past 20+ years. Later in life Allen loved to watch most any sporting event on television.
Allen will be dearly missed by his wife Karen (LaBonne), three sons - Randal, Jeffrey (Denise), Curtis (Mary) and one daughter Michelle (Bennet); eight grandchildren – Erin, Chandra, Cassie, Jason, Nathan, Christine, Sarah, Paul; eight great grandchildren – Timmy, Skylar, Isaac, Arabella, Darby, Alexis, Micah, Lucy; sisters-in-law Sharon, Cookie, Donna; brother-in-law Gregg; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, February 29, 2020 at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Babbitt at noon. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service.  
Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home of Ely.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Grant A. Olsen, please visit our floral store.