Armella T Olson

Armella Olson, 98, of Ottawa, passed away Monday, February 9, 2026 at LaSalle County Nursing Home.

A gathering of family and friends will take place on Saturday, February 14, from 9:00am until 10:15am at St. Columba Church. A rosary will be prayed by the Catholic Daughters at 9:00am. Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 10:30am. Burial will be in St. Columba Cemetery.

Armella was born March 25, 1927 in Chicago, IL to Joseph and Helen (Ignatowski) Piekarczyk. Armella always worked as a caregiver. She started working as a nurses assistant taking care of Polio Patients and later became a CNA after she retired. She worked for Allstate Insurance in Skokie for over 25 years as well as she worked in catering at the Palmer House in Chicago. In her free time, she loved to travel. She took numerous trips to Europe, Switzerland, Hawaii, and California. She was a fantastic cook and was always bringing people together hosting parties. She was a strong, Polish, Catholic woman, with a heart of gold. She was a member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas and the Moose Lodge.

She is survived by her children, Constance (Richard) Anish and Diane (Robert) Solberg; her grandchildren, Eric Anish, Melissa (Jeffrey) Kramer, James (Emily) Solberg, and Carrie (Michael) Zalewski; and her great grandchildren, Rocco, Zane, and Clark Kramer, Andrew, Keith, Annabelle, and Jackson Solberg, and Reese, Henry, Ella Mae, and Cecilia Zalewski.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Helen; her spouses, Stanley and Howard; a child in infancy; her grandson, Keith Solberg; and her siblings.

The family extends a special thank you to the nurses, CNAs, and staff of Lasalle County Nursing Home, OSF Hospice, and Jessica for their exceptional care shown to their mom over the years.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Armella's honor may be directed to St. Brigid Parish (St. Columba Church) or Mercy Home For Boys & Girls in Chicago.

In the word's of Armella's famous song "I love you, You love me; We both love each other, Because we are one."