Joseph Edward Earl Olsen

Joseph Edward Earl Olsen, 76, of Independence, Iowa, passed away unexpectedly at his home on Friday, May 22, 2026, with his wife, Judy by his side.

Joe was born on January 9, 1950, in Menomonie, WI, the son of Edward H. and Gretchen (Anschuetz) Earl. In 1951, Edward and Gretchen were in a tragic motor vehicle accident, and Joe was later adopted by Kay T. and Mildred (Keil) Olsen. He grew up in Menomonie and graduated from Menomonie High School in 1968. He continued his education at Luther College in Decorah, IA, earning a degree in social work in 1972.

On May 21, 1973, Joe was united in marriage to Susan A. Hurd. The couple moved to Milwaukee, WI, where Joe attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and earned his master’s degree in social work in 1975. In 1976, Joe and Sue made their home in Independence, IA, and had two children, Adam and Amanda. They later divorced in 1991.

Joe began his career at the Cromwell Children’s Unit at the Mental Health Institute, and later joined Keystone AEA, as a school social worker for several schools in Fayette and Clayton counties. Joe dedicated his life to helping others through his work until his retirement in 2005.

As a father, Joe was heavily involved in both Adam and Amanda’s lives and activities. Whether attending school events, planning family trips, or teaching important values of kindness and respect, Joe treasured time with his family. He was a huge advocate for family dinners and made it known when it was time to eat, and expected prompt attendance at the dinner table. He was a wonderful cook and thoroughly enjoyed sharing his cooking creations with others.

Joe went on to meet Judith A. Heusinkveld in 1992, and they married ten years later on June 29, 2002. They made their home in rural Independence and frequently traveled to northern Minnesota and all of Wisconsin. As much as Joe liked sticking around town and supporting local, it wasn’t outside of his repertoire to drive to Manchester for sourdough bread or to Coggon to pick up an order of farm-grown vegetables.

As a lifelong dog lover, Joe especially adored Irish Setters, so much so that he dabbled in the dog food business because nothing beats quality dog food for quality dogs. After 5-6 years, he called it quits and moved onto whatever the next endeavor was that he had up his sleeve. He also shared his love for dogs with others in the community. Once a week for 17 years, Joe would take his dogs to Helen Lukes’ classroom where they would read to her third-grade students.

Additionally, Joe found great joy in being outdoors. He was passionate about gardening apart from the tedious task of weeding, took the dogs on daily trips to the Indee Bark Park, and annually traveled to the wilderness of the Canadian Boundary Waters with his lifetime friends. This year would have marked his 50th year of going. Joe was a lover of nature and found peace in getting his hands dirty. The dirt was his therapy, and Judy’s beautiful floral bouquets never ceased to put a smile on his face throughout the summer.

Community service was a key element of Joe’s life. He volunteered throughout Independence for many years and was actively involved in the LACES program, and mentoring within the Independence Community Schools. Intermittently he has supported projects of the Buchanan County Historical Society, the Indee Brew-B-Que, downtown beautification, and promoting local arts. Joe also served on the Independence Community School Board, including several years as president. Many also knew him as the “Voice of the Mustangs” at high school basketball games. In addition, Joe founded the Independence Farmers Market and managed it for over 13 years, helping it become a treasured community tradition.

Joe is survived by his wife, Judy Olsen of Independence, IA; his son, Adam Olsen of Troy Mills, IA; his daughter, Amanda Olsen of White Bear Lake, MN; four sisters, Emilie (Loren) Anderson of Eau Claire, WI, Kathy (Richard) Larson of Falcon Heights, MN, Susan Adamek of Morristown, IL, and Virginia (Lee) Molgaard of Ames, IA; along with many nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his birth parents, Edward and Gretchen Earl; his adoptive parents, K.T. and Mildred Olsen; a sister, Gretel Earl; and two brothers and their wives, Tom (Janelle) Earl and Dr. Dennis (Kathleen) Olsen.

A visitation will be held from 2-5pm on Sunday, May 31, 2026, at the Reiff Family Center – Funeral Home & Crematory in Independence, IA. A Celebration of Life will be held at the same location at 11am on Monday, June 1, 2026. In memory of Joe, please wear bright colors for the services.

Joe’s latest passion project was Light the Dam. His family suggests memorials be directed to Light the Dam Fund.

Light the Dam Fund Link: https://www.cfneia.org/donations/light-the-dam-fund/

To share a memory, please visit obituaries at Reiff Family Center.