Edna Corbett Olsen

Edna Corbett was born in a small, one room cabin on the Corbett Ranch, located a short distance south of Salmon, Lemhi, Idaho. She was the third child and daughter born to Edward H. Corbett and Maud Hayes. She and her two sisters, Elizabeth (Beth) and Tuana worked on the family ranch starting at a young age. She learned the value of work and had a good work ethic. She attended schools in Salmon until her senior year of high school, which she finished and graduated from Juarez Academy in Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico in 1960. The only exception being that her family lived in Missouri in 1952-53 while her father served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

While in Mexico she met and fell in love with George Arno Mortensen, Jr. They married December 9, 1960 in Mesa, Arizona. To this union was born four girls and one boy over a span of eight years.  Edna was a talented, excellent homemaker.

In 1968 the family moved from Mexico to El Paso, Texas for a time and then to Tucson, Arizona. Edna and George divorced in 1970. Edna moved back to Salmon with her children to be near family.  In 1973 she met and married Donald E. Olsen in Salmon on August 11th.  Don was a widower who had five children of his own.  Edna worked hard to make the transition and blending of the two families successful.  Today this Mortensen-Olsen family of twelve has resulted in a legacy of 35 grandchildren, 37 great grandchildren and 2 great, great grandchildren.

She worked at Rigby’s Pharmacy in Salmon starting in 1979, first as a retail clerk and then furthered her education to become a pharmacy technician. She retired from this work in 2002.

Edna was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints her entire life. She served in many different church callings over the years. She was known in the Salmon River Valley for her acts of kindness and service. She was also well known for the fruits of her homemaking skills and talents, for such things as homemade berry or fruit syrup, pickles, cakes, cookies, candy, cinnamon rolls, and quilts.

Edna passed away in Idaho Falls, Idaho on January 24, 2020, as a result of a stroke. She is preceded in death by her parents, Ed and Maud Corbett; husband, Don Olsen; sister, Beth Tolman; brother-in-law, Rex Tolman; brother-in-law, Clyde (Jack) Gillespie; son-in-law, Patrick Moore; nephew, Michael Tolman; and grandsons, Blake Erickson and Joshua Nichols. She is survived by her sister, Tuana Gillespie; children: Shirley Olsen, Nonda (Curtis) Nichols, Wayne (Jackie) Olsen, Lynette Moore, Dell (Brenda) Olsen, Tuana (Jay) Jones, Brenda (Russell) Aardema, George Edward (Juanita) Mortensen, Lisa (Don) Gosline, Angela (Kenneth) McDaniel; and her grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great, great grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held for Edna Olsen on Friday, January 31, 2020 at 1 pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 91 Highway 28, Salmon, Idaho. Her body will be laid to rest in the Salmon Cemetery after the service.