Olga W. Elder , of Plentywood, Montana died Wednesday, October 14, 2009, 2 months and two days after her 100th birthday.

Olga was born August 12, 1909 in McHenry County, north of Velva, North Dakota, one of eleven children of Alfred and Amanda (Swedlund) Linquist. While she was a child, the family moved to Scobey, Montana where she graduated from high school, and then went to Fargo, North Dakota, for a 9-month secretarial course. She then began employment as a secretary with the Westland Oil Company in Minot, North Dakota. On December 23, 1934 she married James R. Elder in Williston, North Dakota. They made their home in Minot, where her husband was employed by the Westland Oil Company. After his retirement in 1971 the couple spent many winters in McAllen, Texas. Mr. Elder died June 23, 1988.

For nearly 70 years Olga was a member of Minot's First Presbyterian Church, serving as an elder, taught in the Sunday school, was active in the women\'s groups, and was still a member at her death. She was a 50-year member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood, active in PTA and Scout groups, and a volunteer at Trinity Hospital. She enjoyed the beauty of nature, especially flowers and trees, and treasured good music...classical music such as Bach and Mozart until her son Lee convinced her to add Scott Joplin to her repertoire!

In November 2000, she moved to the Pioneer Manor in Plentywood, where she attended the First Congregational Church, and was a member of the Golden Years Bridge group. Olga played golf until she was 91, read the Minot Daily News every day, and kept her "little red book" current with entries she recorded about world, local, and family events the book begins with events of family history in 1902! Her century of memories included helping her young, widowed mother serve meals from a cook car on the Henry Shipstead sheep ranch in northeastern Montana, serving as a substitute piano player for the Rex Theater in Scobey during the era before "talking pictures", and the development of the Westland Oil Company by the Coughlin family of Scobey and Minot she and her husband, Jim, both worked for the Coughlin family and the Westland Company prior to their marriage.

Olga is survived by her three children: daughter Mary Tvedt, of Plentywood, and sons Lee Elder and his wife Patricia, of Waldorf, Maryland and Richard Elder, of Apple Valley, California; by 8 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and a great-great granddaughter.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother and nine sisters.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM (MDT) Sunday, October 18 at the First Congregational Church in Plentywood, and at 11:00 AM (CDT) Monday, October 19, at First Presbyterian Church in Minot, with burial in Rosehill Cemetery at Minot Monday afternoon.

Fulkerson Funeral Home of Plentywood and Thomas Funeral Home of Minot have charge of arrangements.