(Audubon) The remains of Eli Olsen, who died during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, will be transported to Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon Tuesday morning and the family invites the public to line the highways to welcome him home. The transport will be leaving Offutt Air Force Base at around 9:00 a.m. and they are expected to be in Audubon by 10:30 a.m.
John Henry, of Jewell, Iowa, says his Uncle Eli Olsen was a Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class on the ship serving as a storekeeper on the USS Oklahoma and was 23-years old when he lost his life on December 7, 1941, during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Henry says it wasn’t until the summer of 1942 that crews could get the ship upright and remove the solder’s remains.
Funeral services for Eli Olsen will take place Saturday, September 25 at 10:30 a.m. at the Exira Lutheran Church, with burial in the Exira Cemetery. The family invites everyone to the Exira American Legion Park for a luncheon following the committal service. There will be some seating available, but everyone is encouraged to bring their own chairs.
