Olga Ragnhild Garaas Bauman, 86, of Minot and rural Roseglen, died Thursday, January 28, 2010 in a Scottsdale, Arizona hospital.

Olga was born February 20, 1923 on a farm near Svene, Norway to Ole and Flonda (Johnson) Garaas. Her father returned to Norway bringing his young family with him and he died there before Olga was born. In 1925 Flonda returned to the United States with her three children Laura, Howard, and Olga. They settled on a farm near Grenora, ND where little Olga walked three miles to attend a one room country school. In 1940 Olga and her mother moved to White Plains, New York where she graduated from White Plains High School in 1941. She enrolled at North Dakota State University in Fargo, majoring in Home Economics. She was a member of the university choir and crowned a Lilac Princess for NDSU.

Olga married Frank O. Bauman on May 22, 1944 in Fayetteville, NC. As so many of her generation, she was a war bride with Frank leaving for Italy shortly after their wedding. Olga finished college in Fargo and signed a contract to teach in Rolette, ND. She taught high school science and home economics until Frank returned from the war. They moved to Parshall, ND where both taught until she gave birth to their first child, daughter Beverly. In 1950 they moved to Makoti, ND where her husband was superintendent of schools. Their second child, son Donald, was born in 1951. During these years they also purchased land in the Parshall, Makoti area and began a lifetime of farming together. While Frank attended graduate school at UND in Grand Forks, Olga taught school in Alvarado, MN. In 1956 she and Frank moved to Minot where Frank became a professor at Minot State University and Olga managed the family home and worked on their farm.

Upon Frank's retirement from the college in 1979, they built their farm home near Roseglen. Olga always totally participated in the farming operation spending many years operating farm equipment even driving their combine during harvest. Hunting and fishing brought her great joy and she shared these experiences with husband, Frank and son, Donald. Olga was also a gifted writer, easily composing poetry about even the most common occurrences. In mid-life her intellectual curiosity led her to take classes in Russian. Her sense of humor always made her friends and family smile. Love of travel led her and Frank on many adventures throughout the world. She was an avid reader interested and curious about everything from world events, medical research, to people and situations locally. Her incredible gifts created for her family a loving home, marvelous meals, and an example of perfection in whatever she did. Two of the greatest joys of her life were her grandson, Justin and granddaughter, Rachel. She spent many, many days with both often commenting they were more than grandchildren, if that could be possible, and more like her own children. In the last two years nothing would thrill her more than watching her great grandchildren, Aizalyn and Mylah play.

Olga's loving family includes her children: Beverly (Marvin) Flaten of Garrison and
Billings, MT and Donald (Edith) Bauman of rural Roseglen; grandchildren: Justin (Melissa) Flaten and Rachel (Andrew) Jacoby; great grandchildren: Aizalyn Grace Flaten and Mylah Elise Flaten and numerous nieces and nephews. Olga will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed as a wonderful mother, gentle grandmother, and elated great grandmother.

Olga was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Frank, sister, Laura and brother, Howard.

Funeral Service: Thursday, February 4, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. in First Lutheran Church - Minot.
Interment : Rosehill Memorial Park Minot.
Visitation: Wednesday from 2:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. in Thomas Family Funeral Home - Minot.
Memorials are preferred to the Frank and Olga Bauman Scholarship Fund at Minot State University.