Sonja Marie Olson

Sonja Marie Elliott Olson (83) died suddenly and unexpectedly on December 21st, 2025, at Illahee Hills Retirement Community in Urbandale, Ia. She was going to be a great grandma in 12 weeks. She was so looking forward to being a doting great grammy.

Sonja was born on January 9th, 1942, (a month and 2 days after Pearl Harbor she would tell folks) in Iowa City, Iowa, to Harold Elliott and Marjorie (Sanders) Elliott. She was an only child till her brother Mark entered the picture when she was 12. She moved to Newton at age 2 and graduated from Newton High School in 1960. She attended both Iowa Weslyn College and William Penn College. Graduating in Elementary Education in 1964 from William Penn. She taught in Ida Grove, Battle Creek, Belle Plaine, Iowa before returning to Newton to teach in 1969. Sonja married Lee Olson in June of 1965 and one daughter was born, Anita Marie.

Later in life she attended DMACC to earn an Associates Degree in Human Services. She moved to Marshalltown in 1978 working for CIRSI and Marshalltown Manor. She followed her daughter to the Des Moines are in the late 1980s. There she worked various positions, but ended up teaching again. She kept her teaching license current. She was a member of the West Des Moines United Methodist Church.

After retirement, Sonja loved attending her grandchild’s school activities and loved playing cards, watching movies with her friends at the Retirement Community. She would always try to make people feel welcome.

A family-led memorial service will be held at a later date at West Des Moines United Methodist Church, 720 Grand Avenue, West Des Moines, Iowa. Please be on the lookout through social media for the date. Burial will be at Jackson Township Cemetery in Montezuma next to her parents. Memorial Contributions may be made to West Des Moines United Methodist Church or to National Alliance for Mental Health.

Left to remember Sonja’s memory is her daughter, Anita (Alan) Olson-Kiene, granddaughter, Alanna (Nolan) Starmer, future great grandson, Oliver Gage Starmer, brother, Mark (Shirley) Elliott. Many friends and family.

Waiting to meet her are her parents, Harold and Marjorie Elliott and infant brother.

• Lovingly written by the family