Lenore Olson-Hinerman, 94, died November 3, 2023 at Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital of natural causes.
Lenore Ardice Frisch was born July 17, 1929, the middle child of seven, to John and Sylvia (Borland) Frisch, the only one of the siblings born in a hospital, the original Glasgow Deaconess. They moved from their Hinsdale South Bench homestead to a farm NW of town when she was small. She attended Hinsdale schools through third grade, then moved with the family to a farm west of Glasgow where she particularly loved saddle and, when she was older, work horses. She also loved playing the guitar. She completed her schooling at GHS in 1947.
She married Stanley Olson in April 1949; they lived on their Larslan-area farm for the next 39+ years – farming, ranching, and raising five children. Although her husband, children, and later, their children were first on the list, Lenore also loved both vegetable and flower gardening. She enjoyed sewing clothes, even patching jeans; she embroidered and crocheted as well. Swathing hay and hauling grain from the combine to the granary were both farm tasks she anticipated eagerly, particularly in the later years.
Community service was an important facet of Lenore’s life. She wrote the Larslan News column for the Glasgow Courier and wrote and compiled “Since Homesteading Days – Larslan, Sunnyside, and Avondale”, a bi-centennial project. She was particularly proud of having been an E.M.T. for more than fifteen years. As a Red Cross volunteer, she also taught First Aid and CPR. She was a Four-Leaf Clover 4-H leader for seven years. For nearly thirty years she served as a school, primary and general election judge, and also was a notary public. Lenore, a longtime member of the Historical Society, was currently its vice-president, filling in for the president as recently as this past September.
Church service was equally valuable to Lenore. Her faith journey included the Wild Rose Mission at Fuhrman School, then Our Savior’s Lutheran at Larslan, and presently First Lutheran of Glasgow. She taught Sunday School and Bible School over thirty years. She served in various offices of ALCW and on both the local and conference church councils. She represented her congregation nationally in Moorhead and Milwaukee.
After Stan died in 1988, Lenore moved to Glasgow in the fall. Later she owned and operated Lenore’s Country Ceramics, a storefront business in Glasgow for five years. She had started her career in ceramics back in 1974 and truly became an artist in the trade, earning numerous state awards and even a national one. Her first ceramic shop began in her farm home basement and was there for 11 years. She was involved in leadership roles in both NODANA Ceramic Association and the Montana State Ceramic Association.
She married Ray Hinerman of Whitefish in 1995 and they lived in Glasgow. They very much enjoyed traveling – bus tours and with their travel trailer – throughout much of the U.S., even Alaska and Hawaii, as well as parts of Canada.
Preceding her in death were her parents, husband Stanley, two infant daughters, daughter Ginny Enman, daughter-in-law Rose Olson, brothers Fred (Virginia) and Robert Frisch; sisters Margaret (Wesley) Soper, Lillian (David) Gregoryk, and Kay Frisch. In-laws who have already passed include Donald Peterson, Dale Thorton, Gail (Doris) Hein, Ethel (Lloyd) Maki, Alice Hinerman, and Ilene Hanson.
Survivors are husband, Ray; sons, Daniel and David (Michele) Olson, step-son Neal Hinerman, and son-in-law Elliott Enman. Her daughters are Kathy (Leland) Smith and Karen (Joe) Bergtoll. Her sister Helen Peterson survives. The six Soper nephews called her second mom: Robert (Helen), John, Stanley, William (Suzanne), James (Abigail) and Theodore. Many other nieces, nephews and cousins also survive and were in her heart always.
Her precious grandchildren include Danielle (Ty) Hallock, Jason Palin, Christina (Michael) Wilson, Shane Smith, Eric (Becky) Palin, Joel (Lara) Smith, Bradley (Rhonda) Olson, Alana Zayden, Joey Bergtoll, Ryan (Nichole) Bergtoll and Shyla (Austin) Svingen. Her great-grandchildren are Tia and Gage Hallock; Dallas and Jeren Wilson; Elizabeth Nyquist; Joey Zayden III; Jake, Dylan, Ava, Abby and Lucas Palin; Riley and Annika Smith; and Calvin Svingen.
Other survivors are in-laws Sam Hinerman, Jim Hanson and Norma (Bruce) Grossman.
Lenore lived a long, busy, happy life. She will be missed by family and friends.
Lenore’s family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. on Monday, November 13, 2023 at the Bell Mortuary. A Celebration of Her Life will start at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at the First Lutheran Church in Glasgow. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery. A reception will follow at the First Lutheran Church.