Frances Olson

6/13/1943 — 6/7/2021

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Frances Dorothy Olson passed away at her home in Lewiston on Monday, June 7, 2021, at age 77 under the exceptional care of the chaplain, nurses and aides at Elite Home Health and Hospice.

Frances was born to Henry and Julia Furston in London, England, on June 13, 1943. She entered the world undeterred by events after air raid sirens sent her parents underground to a bomb shelter, where her mom gave birth during a German Luftwaffe bombing of the city. In 1948, during the aftermath of World War II, Henry and Julia, with their young daughter and her little brother, Derek, boarded the Queen Mary to cross the Atlantic Ocean for a landing at Ellis Island in New York Harbor. Her memories of the trans-Atlantic crossing were mostly of playing on deck and getting lost on the ship. Her first vivid memories of the Americas were the family’s new home and attending school in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

After seven years in Canada, the family moved to the United States to be near family in Reseda, Calif., before Frances’ father accepted a job as a psychiatrist at State Hospital North in Orofino in 1960. Frances graduated Orofino High School the same year, before her 17th birthday. In her brief time attending high school in Orofino, she caught the eye of her future husband, Darrel Olson, and they married in April 1962. Darrel and Frances had two sons, Arlen and Jeff, and like many moms, she sat through endless athletic competitions, watching basketball, baseball and football games and track and field meets. Her marriage with Darrel ended amicably in 1994, and both remained good friends until the time of her passing.

Frances’ first adventure crossing the ocean on the Queen Mary would not be her last trip on a passenger cruise ship, but would become a lifelong passion for travel. She and her mother often traveled for several weeks or months on cruise ships around the world. Much of her mother’s time on ship was spent playing matchmaker. Her effort paid off when Frances met Richard Byford, who became a long-time companion and business partner in an entertainment brokerage business in Palm Springs, Calif. There, Frances met and worked with many celebrities. On one occasion, she chauffeured Bob Hope in a golf cart at a charity golf tournament, where she nearly crashed the cart. He good naturedly asked how long she had been driving. After her mom’s passing, Frances continued with her passion for cruising, meeting old friends and making many new ones from across the United States. At last count, Frances had visited almost 100 countries. At some ports in Africa and Asia, Fran herself would become an attraction and approached by local residents who were fascinated with her permed silver hair and wanted to have their picture taken. At one port, her friend Richard was offered a cow as a dowry for compensation to marry Fran. Richard joked that he considered the offer, however, he needed Fran to be the navigator for their motorsport passion of racing their BMW in rallycross races across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Frances was a dedicated and protective mother and a loving wife and companion. She always prioritized her family’s needs and wants before her own, even at the very end of a life cut short by cancer. She had downsized, choosing a simple life with few possessions to make her passing easier on family members. Her gift to her family was a lifetime of memories, stories and photos from two continents, her prized collection of dolls from around the world and many hand-made as a little girl in England and Canada. She will be missed by her many friends on the next world cruise, who will raise a glass in celebration and remembrance of a friend. Her friend and cruisemate, Ann Simonsen, said it well in a memorial, saying: “My dear friend, beloved mother and dear friend to many, you are one of our life’s treasures. You are so loved and will be missed. Thank you for being you.”

Frances was preceded in death by her father, Henry in 1992; her mother, Julia in 2015; first child, Duane in 1963; and companion, Richard in 2020. She is survived by her brother, Derek (Andrea); two sons, Arlen (Elena) and Jeff (Xi E); four grandchildren, Jeffrey, Emily, Mark and Izabella; three great-grandchildren; niece and nephew; and many cousins.

Cremation has taken place, and at Frances’ request there was a private family graveside service. Cremation was handled by Malcom’s Brower-Wann Funeral Home.

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