Iver B. Olson was born in 1866 in Blooming Prairie, Minnesota to Norwegian parents. He was married about 1896 to his wife Inga. They were Bemidji pioneers moving to Bemidji from North Dakota before 1900.
Iver B. Olson was the owner of a confectionary in Bemidji on the 1900 census. Wife Inga; two children: Alvin and Kern. According to the 1900 census, Iver’s birth date was May 27, 1867. Inga’s birth date was listed as June 1873. Son Alvin, b. Oct 1896 and son Kern, b. in 1899, were both born in North Dakota.
I.B. Olson was in the Twin Cities last week on business.(April 25, 1901)
I.B. Olson will open up a store of confectionery, fruits, cigars, tobacco, and has in connection a modern ice cream parlor in the Sather building on Beltrami avenue. Mr. Olson is well known to many of our people as an upright, honest, industrious young man worthy of liberal patronage. (April 25, 1901)
The New Ice Cream Parlor. I wish to announce that I have secured the agency from two of the largest ice cream manufacturers in the Twin Cities, the Crescent Ice Cream Co. of Minneapolis and the Milton Ice Cream Co. of St. Paul. Both of these firms make their ice cream from the pure cream and best flavors, and such as gelatin or other adulterations is not used. I will have my first shipment in the last of this week. Bemidji, I. B. Olson. (April 25, 1901)
Wm. P. Murphy of the United States court of bankruptcy was here yesterday taking an invoice of the I. B. Olson stock. The same will be sold at auction Nov. 18. (Nov 7, 1901)
The I. B. Olson stock of confectionery and fixtures were sold Monday to E. A. Sather, who held a mortgage on same. (Nov 21, 1901)
His business seems to have lasted about six months, as E. A. Sather advertised the sale of Christmas items and other merchandise in December 1901. “I will place on sale in a few days a complete and up-to-date line of toys and fancy goods at the confectionery store lately owned by I. B. Olson. E. A. Sather.” (Dec 12, 1901)
The Woodmen initiated a class of six at their last meeting, one of them being I. B. Olson. (Feb 1902)
It is currently reported that I.B. Olson will be a candidate for auditor this fall on the republican ticket. Mr. Olson is a pioneer of Bemidji, and has friends all over the county who will shout for him, if he is a candidate. (April 24, 1902)
Iver B. Olson was the Republic candidate for the office of Auditor in the election Sept 16, 1902.
He appears to have opened at another location in 1902, as he advertised in Dec 1902: Go to I. B. Olson confectionery store for your holiday goods. The largest stock in the city of candy, nuts and Christmas tree trimmings, etc. (Dec 18, 1902)
1905 Census – Merchant – Resident of 805 Minnesota Avenue, Bemidji
The Vortnyehjen Publishing Company has been organized for the purpose of conducting a publishing and printing business in Bemidji. The capital of the new venture, which is an incorporated company, is $5000 and has been largely paid in already. The subscribers and stockholders are all prominent Scandinavian business men of Bemidji and vicinity. The following are the officers of the new company President, I. B. Olson of Bemidji, Vice President, Anton Erickson of Rosby, Secretary, E. L. Oberg of Blackduck, Treasurer, Dr. W. R. Morrison. (Sept 21, 1905)
1910 Census: Iver B. Olson was Salesman for a retail store, residence at 921 Bemidji Avenue. Wife Inga, children, Alvin, Kern, Ernest, Mildred, Theodore, and George.
He ran for political office to be Register of Deeds in 1918.
1920 Census: Iver B. Olson resided at 921 Park Avenue. Wife Inga, children, Alvin, Kern, Ernest, Mildred, Theodore, George, and Gladys.
Café at 205 Second St., Bemidji: I.B. Olson (1920-1921)
I. B. Olson and son, Kern, have purchased the hotel property at 205 Second street where Mr. Olson has operated a rooming house and employment agency for some time. I. B. Olson will have charge of the building and a large amount of repairing is planned in the spring. (Feb 1, 1921)
Olson’s Café at 205 Second St., Bemidji (1927-28) (1931)
Iver B. Olson owned Olson’s Café at the time of his death on Aug 17, 1931.
Due to the change in the name of the street, Mrs. Olson’s address is listed first at Doud and then Birchmont Drive. Inga Olson, widow of Iver, residing at 1307 Doud Avenue in 1937. Residing at 1307 Birchmont in 1939. Inga Olson died July 20, 1958 in Hennepin County.
Obituary for Iver B. Olson
Funeral services for Iver B. Olson, a resident of Bemidji since 1900 who passed away at the Bemidji Lutheran Hospital Monday forenoon following an extended illness from cancer, are to be held at the First Lutheran Church Wednesday. Rev. A. E. Hanson will officiate and interment will be in Greenwood cemetery.
Mr. Olson, who came to Bemidji from Grafton, N.D. in 1900 and was engaged in the bakery business for a time, later operating an employment agency and more recently a restaurant on Second street, was born May 12, 1866 at Blooming Prairie, Minn. Last Feb 1, he was taken to a Minneapolis hospital where he was operated on, returning to Bemidji March 15 and entering the Bemidji Lutheran Hospital where he was confined until his death. Although suffering great pain, the past few weeks, he remained conscious to the end.
Mr. Olson was active in the Lutheran Hospital Association for a number of years and had served at different times on the board of directors of that institution. He also was a member of the Beltrami county board at one time.
Surviving Mr. Olson are his widow, five sons and two daughters. The sons are Alvin of Chicago, who returned home from a visit here shortly before his father’s death, Kern of Thief River Falls, Ernest of Seattle, Theodore of Paris, Illinois and George of Bemidji. The daughters are Mrs. Edgar Angvall and Miss Gladys Olson, both of Bemidji. Four brothers and one sister also survive.(Bemidji Daily Pioneer, Aug 18, 1931)