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Pastor Olen Marshall Vining,
Jr. • 1920 - 2003 Olen was born April 22, 1920 to Olen M. Vining, Sr. and Ella Edwards Vining in McComb, Mississippi He grew up in Louisiana and joined the US Army in 1941. While stationed in Nebraska he met Alice E. Hickman and married her on July 2, 1944 in Alliance, NE. After his discharge from the Army, he worked in several different professions before entering Manhattan Bible College and becoming a minister. He preached in several churches in Kansas and Nebraska besides working as a typesetter for newspapers. They moved to North Dakota in 1964 and he worked as a social worker for Rolette County in Rolla until 1975. He then moved to Velva where he worked for the National Child Safety Council for ten years before returning to the ministry full time. His last church was St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Butte, ND, where he served for nine years. After his retirement, he started doing wood crafts and enjoyed making gifts for family and friends. He spent a lot of time with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Following Alice's death on April 12, 1993, Olen continued to live in Velva. He served as chaplain for the Velva American Legion for over 20 years. Survivors: Sons, O. Marshall (Jean) Vining, Fargo, Mark Vining, Devils Lake, and Daniel (Belinda) Vining, Rolla; daughters, Donna (Gene) Jenson, Velva, Mary (Serge) Fournier, Las Vegas, NV, and Doreen (Rolf) Sullivan, Bloomington, MN; 11 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; sisters, Annie Fortenberry, Biloxi, Mississippi and Inez Perriloux, Ponchatula, Louisiana; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins survive. Olen was preceded in death by his wife, Alice; his parents; two brothers and one sister. Funeral: Friday, February 21, 2003, at 1:30 p.m., at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Butte, ND. Visitation: Thursday, February 20, 2003, from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m., at Thompson-Larson Funeral Home, Velva. Burial: A private burial will take place at a later time. Officiant: Rev. Mary Chadburn Music: Congregational Hymns: "Old Rugged Cross,"
"How Great Thou Art" "Amazing Grace," and
"In The Garden" Honorary Bearers: Olen's grandchildren Active Bearers: Wally Johnson , John Haugen, Alfred Letvin, Gust Krueger, Tim Schatz, Delbert Bauer |