Charlotte Olson-Larson

Charlotte Olson-Larson, age 59 of Cottage Grove passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, April 1, 2016 at United Hospital.

Funeral 11 am Thurs., April 7, 2016 at Kok Funeral Home, 1201 Portland Ave., St. Paul Park with visitation one hour prior. Interment Ft. Snelling National Cemetery. A very special thank you from the family to all of the health providers for their care and support.

Char was born October 1, 1956 in St. Paul, Minnesota. She came from a large family with four brothers, David, Marvin, Laverne, and Dwayne and five sisters, Marion, Karen, Phyllis, Esther, and Linda.

She had one daughter, April, from her first marriage. In 1990, she met and fell in love with John Larson whom she married on August 18, 2000. Char and John made Cottage Grove their home for many years. John has two daughters, Jodie and Jolene and one son, Jeremy who passed away in 1996. With this blended family comes a total of eight granddaughters, Katelyn, Kaylee, Brooke, Gabby, Nevaeh, Naomi, Ana, and Averi.

One of Char's loves was traveling abroad with John. Together every winter, they would venture to a warm destination. Mexico, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic were some of their favorite get aways. If you ask Char and John, they would say that their "home away from home" was beautiful Jamaica. In Jamaica, the two of them were nicknamed "Ja Americans". The beautiful beaches and watching the ocean were what Char loved best. This past September, Char was able to fulfill her "bucket list" by going to Paris with John. She enjoyed every second of her time there and had fulfilled a dream. She was never happier.

Another enjoyment for Char was cooking. She was a fabulous cook, but her recipes were top secret! Hands down she made the best gravy ever! Anyone who ever had her gravy will truly miss it. The past three years of her life she enjoyed shopping at Goodwill and Kohl's. She was a bargain shopper and always found the best deals. She enjoyed shopping for deals for hours. One of her collection at home were little wooden boxes.

Char fought cancer for the past eight years, but it never got her down. She was outspoken and a true fighter. Char did not show her pain, or when she was suffering. Cancer was not going to get the best of her. She enjoyed life with her family and friends while fighting the battle with cancer.

Char was loved by many. She was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a sister, an aunt, and a friend. She will be truly missed.