Olsson’s legacy one to celebrate
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Editor,
I recently attended the funeral service for Don Olsson Sr. in Ronan, the patriarch of the Olsson banking family in the Mission Valley. At his passing, I want to acknowledge his lifelong contribution to the Mission Valley and Western Montana. Don was the leader of Ronan State Bank (now Community Bank) from the early 1960s until his son, Don Jr., took the reins. I feel fortunate to live in a community served by outstanding locally owned banks, and I put Community Bank and the Olsson family at the top of that list.
We live in an era of banking consolidation, where the largest banks are “to big to fail, or jail.” While some may describe these banks as amoral, a more realistic assessment acknowledges their malevolent manipulation of national and global markets, thereby enriching themselves while eroding the well being of the rest of society.
In contrast, the kind of community banker that Don Olsson, Sr. spent his life being must be celebrated and revered. This tradition of community involvement benefits the bank and the community it serves. Don was the second generation of the Olsson family to lead Ronan State Bank, which remains family-owned and is now managed by the third and fourth generation. Don always exhibited a “tough love” for the Mission Valley and Western Montana; in his way of working behind the scene, he provided lifelong service that has benefitted our region. There is scarcely a volunteer board in the Mission Valley whose membership does not include either a member of the Olsson family or a staff member from Community Bank.
While I send my condolences to the Olssons, I also want to congratulate them for their accomplishments, both by this patriarch of our valley and his descendants. Don’s was a life very well-lived, and his spirit of community is alive and well, both in his family and in our community he served so faithfully.
Jay Wilson Preston
Charlo
