NEW ULM

Richard "Ricky" Lee Olson, age 56 of New Ulm died unexpectedly on Thursday, April 6, 2017 at the Sleepy Eye Medical Center in Sleepy Eye.

Funeral services are pending.

Arrangements are being handled with the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home of New Ulm.

Richard is survived by his sisters, Lori Hunter of New Ulm, Susan Nielsen of Moundsview; brothers, David and Mark Olson of Hayward, Wisconsin; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Richard "Ricky" Lee Olson was born January 24, 1961 in New Richmond, Wisconsin to Richard and Lois (DeLaMeter) Olson.  He attended grade school at South Central in Minneapolis and eventually attained his GED.  Ricky enjoyed the simple things in life best.  He liked playing video games, doing crossword puzzles, and playing cribbage with family and friends.  He will forever be remembered for his fantastic sense of humor, and his kind and giving ways.  He may not have always been the best at showing it, but deep down, Ricky truly was a loving and caring person.  He always did what he could to help others.  Ricky's life, and his passing can be best summarized in the poem, Gods Garden:

God looked around His garden
And He found an empty place
He then looked down upon the earth
And saw your precious face
He put His arms around you
And lifted you to rest;
God' s Garden must be beautiful
He always takes the best.
He knew that you were suffering
He knew you were in pain
He knew you' d never ever
Get well on earth again.
So He closed your weary eyelids
And whispered "Peace be thine "
Then He took you up to Heaven
With Hands so gentle and kind.
It broke our hearts to lose you
But you did not go alone,
For part of us went with you
The day God welcomed you home.