Martin M Olsen Jr.

Martin M. "Marty" Olsen, 67, Mandan, died April 27, 2012, at Medcenter One Hospital, Bismarck, from lung cancer with his wife and daughter by his side. Services will be held at 1:30 pm May 4, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck. Burial will be in the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan. Visitation will be held from 2:00 pm until 9:00 pm Thursday, May 3, at Parkway Funeral Service, where a prayer service will begin at 7:00 pm. Marty was born January 14, 1945, in Bowman, ND, to Martin and Clara Domagala Olsen. He attended Grand River School in rural Bowman, ND. At age 14, Marty left home and went to work for various ranchers in the area. He continued this until age 18 when he went to work for Joe Hawks Seismograph. He later went to work for Milton Rue Company, a bridge building contractor and this would become his chosen career. In December 1967, Marty was drafted in to the US Army and was stationed in Stuttgart, Germany, where he was a communications specialist. He received his honorable discharge in November 1969. He returned to work for Milton Rue Company which later became Annco, Inc. where he worked his way to the foreman position and then construction superintendent. In April 1990, Marty began employment as a field construction superintendent with Wanzek Construction, Inc., based in Fargo, ND. He finished his last project for Wanzek last summer which was a bridge north of Mandan, ND. Due to his illness, he was unable to return to work but through the years, Marty worked on numerous bridges, small and large; water treatment plants; wind towers; power and ethanol plants; building and poured thousands of yards of concrete. On February 1, 1975, Marty married Deborah Bender in Washburn, ND. On March 4, 1986, the couple was blessed with the birth of a daughter, Jessica Marilyn. Marty's life was complete with the birth of his daughter and she quickly had him wrapped around her finger. Marty enjoyed the outdoors and took pride in his meticulous yard. He enjoyed his annual deer hunting trip to Bowman, ND, where he hunted with his family. Marty was a diehard fan of the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He was thrilled to attend Viking and Twins games with his daughter and her fiancée. Marty got to walk his daughter down the aisle on February 27, 2012, in Las Vegas, NV, when she married Brandon Voegele. He also got to see her graduate from the University of Mary in April 2012, during a special ceremony at Medcenter One. Marty will be greatly missed by his wife of 37 years, Deborah, Mandan; his daughter, Jessica Brandon Voegele, Mandan; two sisters, Punky Bergquist, Bismarck, and Ardyce Phil Menager, Renton, WA; two brothers, Dean Sue Olsen, Bowman, and Bob Clee Olsen, Bowman; two grandsons, Kameron and Jordan Voegele, Mandan; 18 nieces and nephews and their families and numerous friends. Marty was preceded in death by his parents, Martin Olsen Sr. and Clara Olsen Erickson and her husband, Clarence; his brother, Larry Olsen; and one nephew, Marc Bender.

Martin M Olsen Jr.

January 14, 1945 - April 27, 2012