Clarence Gregory Olson, age 69 of Hanover, MN, passed away peacefully on August 30, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. He was born on April 2, 1957, in Marshall, Minnesota, to Roger and Carol (Walquist) Olson.
Clarence grew up in Osseo, Minnesota, where he graduated with the class of 1975. He continued his education at Suburban Vocational Technical School, studying carpentry and beginning to build the skills that would become an important part of his life.
On June 28, 1980, Clarence was united in marriage to Maribeth Leadens at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. Together, they shared 46 wonderful years of marriage, building a life centered around family, faith, hard work, and love.
In 1996, Clarence founded C. Olson Concrete, a business that became a reflection of his strong work ethic, craftsmanship, and commitment to his community. He took great pride in his work and in the relationships he built along the way. For Clarence, however, his greatest accomplishments were always his family.
Clarence was a family man through and through. He especially loved working alongside his family, whether they were farming together or working at the business. He treasured every opportunity to spend time with his grandchildren and loved being involved in their lives every step of the way. His family was his greatest joy, and the memories they created together will be cherished forever.
A man of deep faith, Clarence was very active in his church and remained devoted throughout his life. His faith was an important part of who he was and guided the way he lived and treated others.
Clarence was known for his warm smile, gentle nature, and kindness to everyone he met. He was genuine, honest, humble, and hardworking. He earned the respect of those in his community not by seeking recognition, but simply by being the good man he was.
He is preceded in death by his father, Roger, Sr.
Clarence is survived by his wife, Maribeth; sons, Carl (Heather) and Tony (Andrea); grandchildren, Hannah, Haylie, Charlie, Noah, and Vivian; mother, Carol; brother, Roger, Jr (Gail); and several nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.
Evening visitation will be held Wednesday, September 2, 2026 from 4:00 – 7:30 PM at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 20000 County Rd 10, Corcoran, MN.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday, September 3, 2026 at 11:00 AM at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 20000 County Rd 10, Corcoran, MN. Visitation will begin one hour prior to the service. Interment to follow at St. Thomas the Apostle Cemetery.
Arrangements have been entrusted to The Peterson Chapel of St. Michael – Albertville. Online condolences for the family may be directed to www.thepetersonchapel.com
Got to know Clarence on a Mission Jamaica trip. What a great guy. I will miss his witty humor
I remember Clarence from St Vincents harvest festival in late 70s and 80s he always treated me like one of guys even though I was just a kid.
RIP buddy.
Met Clarence and Tony at our plant in Sioux Falls. Clarence had a passion for his work and certainly knew what he was doing. I haven’t seen him for a few years but truly enjoy the time I got to spend with him. I will never forget C-Olson Concrete. Prayers to the whole family.
My prayers go out to you and the family. What a great man.🙏🏽
Clarence was a great man and mentor. Thoughts and prayers to his family all those who cherished him. ❤️
I remember Clarence’s sense of humor, love of his family, and hard work from whenever I encountered him. Keeping the family in my prayers.
I cannot say anything different or better about Clarence’s obituary. Beautifully written about a very special man. My heart goes out to Maribeth, their son’s and their children, his mom, and all his relatives who loved him dearly. I will miss his smile and kind ways.
Clarence knew the value of connections—with people, with friends, and most of all with family.
I will always remember Clarence as one of the happiest people I ever knew. He was always smiling, always ready with a joke, and always talking about the people he loved. His family meant everything to him.
Clarence and I went to the same vocational school, with him a year ahead of me. He had a great sense of humor, and I still laugh remembering how he would sometimes “bribe” the teachers with cigars to help make sure he got a good grade.
But that was Clarence. He knew how to make people smile, and he also knew how to help people. When Dan and I needed work, Clarence helped me get a job within a week. He knew the contractors, he knew the contracts, and he knew how to connect people. That was just who he was.
We stayed friends for nearly 50 years. During the last ten years especially, Clarence came to visit me almost every year, just as Dan did. Those visits became something I looked forward to, and now I realize just how precious they were.
There are people who pass through your life, and there are people who become part of your life. Clarence was one of those people.
He was a remarkable human being—in heart and in hands. He worked hard, helped others, loved his family, and never seemed to lose that smile.
I will miss my friend deeply. But I will always be grateful for the five decades of friendship, the laughs, the visits, and all the memories.
Rest easy, Clarence. You made this world a little better simply by being in it.
— Joe
There are no words that you haven’t already heard. Clarence was a genuinely kind and good person. He loved life and his family, that was for sure!
Clarence was my 1st boss, taking me under his wing when my Dad brought me to work with him at PCI in the shop in 1974 and 75. We became coworkers again in later years when we would call Clarence whenever a project would fit his expertise. I looked forward to that as he was always a joy to work with. Mentor, friend ,I feel fortunate my sons were also able to know him as he was a role model I always admired and respected. Anybody who knew Clarence is a little better person because of it. Will catch a crappie just for you (again) this year. RIP good buddy.
Rest in Peace Clarence!
I can’t really express how important Clarence was in my life and the lives of our family. Clarence was one of my best friends before he married my sister Mari Beth. The day they were married was one of the happiest of my life because we were 21, married and Clarence was now my brother.
We raised our families together always being at each other’s houses and Clarence became like a second father to our children. He was the finest man and role model we could have asked for.Through the years working on a project whenever I got in a bind Clarence seemed to magically appear.
We will all miss Clarence but maybe the most precious gift he left us besides his children and grandchildren was the lesson of how to live and enjoy life.
Goodbye my brother and friend. Rest in the peace you so richly deserve. Love you.
Clarence was a great man. Friend of my dad’s Jim Allan. Always kind hearted and caring. Will be greatly missed. I recall riding his horse “Cowpuncher.” Later years he would come in to rent concrete saws at my employer and was always good to catch up.
I was able to catch up with Clarence two School Class Reunions ago. He made me laugh and was just as kind and friendly as I remembered him to be. My condolences to the family.
I’m so sorry for your loss my prayers go out to you and your family
Clarence was a good friend as we went through high school. Later i ran into Clarence when our bussness moved to Maple Grove and him and his boys had been plowing the lot. I knew him so kept him on after we took over the building. We did get together for a few beers to reminisce. About the time he mentioned retiring I retired as well. I will miss him and I have to say all of the comments about how good of a person he was are all ture and maybe under stated. He may very well be the nicest man I have ever been privileged to know.