Olive Joanna Holliday, 95, of Cedar Falls, died Wednesday, December 13, 2000, at the Western Home of natural causes. She was born January 9, 1905, in Tracy, Minnesota, daughter of Jonas and O'Della Danielson Jorstad. She married Everett Edward Holliday in 1934. Mrs. Holliday was an associate professor of home economics at the University of Northern Iowa for 25 years. She was a charter member of the Sons of Norway. Survived by: a daughter, Joan Ogden of Cedar Falls; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; a brother, Lester Jorstad of Adams, Minnesota; and three sisters, Viola Austin of Walnut Creek, California, Ethel Edgren of Des Moines and Vida Rankin of Boone. Preceded in death by: her husband; a brother, Otis Jorstad; and a sister, Hila Klatt. Services: will be later. Barr Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Memorials: may be directed to the Cedar Falls Western Home or the Unitarian Universalist Society of Cedar Falls.
Copyright Waterloo Courier, December 14, 2000, p. B2.
Olive Joanna Holliday was born January 9, 1905, in Tracy, Minnesota, daughter of Jonas and O'Della Danielson Jorstad. She married Everett Edward Holliday in 1934. Olive taught country schools and elementary grades at Meservey and Dumont after attending Ellsworth College in Iowa Falls. When she married, she could no longer teach because married women weren't permitted to teach during the Depression. After her husband's death in 1944, Olive began teaching Home Economics in Colo, then moved to Hudson and taught while attending Iowa State Teachers College. She earned her Home Economics teaching degree in 1947, then continued teaching at Sadorus, Illinois, while completing a Master of Science in Home Economics degree at the University of Illinois. Olive returned to Iowa State Teachers College in the fall of 1949 as a teacher of Relationships and Child Development in the Home Economics Department. (The Child Development lab had an observation booth with a one-way glass so Mrs. Holliday, visiting parents, and students not assigned to work with the preschoolers on a given day could watch activities without being seen.) She enjoyed her role as freshman adviser, and was adviser for Theta Theta Epsilon, the department's honor society, until 1970. She continued to support Phi Upsilon Omicron, the national honor society, which replaced Theta Theta Epsilon.
Olive retired from classroom teaching as Associate Professor in 1974, but continued to teach a correspondence course in Relationships through Continuing Education until 1989. In retirement, Olive enjoyed exercise classes and her hobbies of gardening, especially caring for houseplants, dancing, and cards. She loved to travel, spending several winters in Arizona, Alabama, and Texas. She also spent a winter in Europe and had other shorter excursions there. Yet another four month winter vacation was spent on a freighter cruise traveling with her sister and brother-in-law. For several summers she drove a travel trailer for relatives going on RAGBRAI. She was a charter member of Sons of Norway, a member of N. E. Iowa Weavers and Spinners and Friends of the Cedar Falls Library. For a number of years Olive served on the Cedar Falls Human Rights Commission. She also was a member of the Family and Children's Council. Olive died December 13, 2000, at the Western Home of natural causes. She is survived by a daughter, Joan Ogden of Cedar Falls; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; a brother, Lester Jorstad of Adams, Minnesota; three sisters, Viola Austin of Walnut Creek, California, Ethel Edgren of Des Moines, and Vida Rankin of Boone; and many nieces and nephews. Her husband; two brothers, Otis and Fred Jorstad; and a sister, Hila KIatt, preceded Olive in death. A memorial service will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Cedar Falls on Friday, February 23, 2001, at 10:30 a.m. Memorials may be directed to the Cedar Falls Western Home or the Unitarian Universalist Society of Cedar Falls, 3912 Cedar Heights Drive, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613.
Copyright Waterloo Courier, February 21, 2001, page B2.