Harriette “Muffy” Marshall Olson

Harriette "Muffy" Marshall Olson "flew away" (as she always liked to say) on November 22 after 94 years filled with fun, adventure and happiness.  She lived a life for the ages, as full as anyone could ever hope for.  There were lows such as the loss of her mother when she was ten and the loss of her beloved brother when his troop ship - the legendary U.S.S. Dorchester - was sunk by a German torpedo in 1943.  And there were highs, ranging from being a fashion model in Chicago during World War II, to what was probably the highest point of her life in the 1980's as she ran her own business, Olson Quivira Real Estate, while her five children graduated from college and her husband, Colonel John E. Olson enjoyed his retirement.  She spent 25 years in real estate and loved nothing more than listing and selling homes from her lakeside house at the south end of Lake Quivira.  Her daughter Jackie eventually joined her in the business and took it over when she retired in the 1990's.     Muffy grew up as the daughter of Major General Richard J. Marshall who became the "right hand man" to American icon General Douglas MacArthur.  He was Deputy Chief of Staff to MacArthur and is said to have spent more time at MacArthur's side throughout World War II than any other officer.  Muffy attended Gunston Hall Girls Finishing School along with classmate Margaret Truman and was part of the last graduating class in 1942 before the school closed because of the war.  She married West Point graduate John Olson (1917-2012), then a major, in 1947.  He had fought in the Philippines and survived Japanese prison camp.  They have now joined granddaughter Annie, and are survived by six grandchildren and their children, Eric, a lawyer in Missoula, Montana and wife Mary, Jackie, a real estate agent in Shawnee, Suzie, a science writer in Sonoma, California and husband Ralph, Randy, a filmmaker in Los Angeles, and Mike, the current Mayor of Lake Quivira and wife Lisa.

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