JoAnne Ruth Olson Blake, 85

JoAnne Ruth Olson Blake, 85, of Kalispell, died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020, at her residence at the Spring Creek Inn in Bozeman. “Jo” was born on July 20, 1935, in Missoula to Ellen (Shaffer) Olson and Carl Olson. Carl was a 100% Swedish first generation Montanan and Ellen was from Howard, Kansas, a standard mix of early American heritage. Ellen was cutting hair in her late teens in Butte when she first met Carl, a Butte native and mine laborer. From this marriage came Charles “Snooky” Olson and later, JoAnne herself.