Deanna Mae Torn

Deanna Mae Torn, age 71, the second of the six "Olson girls" was born in Blanchardville at the home of her parents Arleigh and Eva (Miller) Olson on May 20, 1938. She passed away peacefully at home on Friday morning June 12, 2009, and rests now in the loving arms of our Heavenly Father. Deanna grew up in Blanchardville and graduated from Blanchardville High School in 1956. She enjoyed and appreciated many types of music, and had a beautiful soprano voice. She sang in church choirs and played the trombone in the BHS band. She attended UW-Madison where as a freshman she was accepted to sing in the advanced-level flagship Concert Choir. She was also a member of the UW Marching Band. Deanna worked at Oaktron in Monroe before relocating to Lynwood, CA in July, 1961. She worked in the office at the Armstrong Floors plant in South Gate, CA until her marriage in August, 1962. She and her husband managed the apartment building where the family lived. She also was very active in the church and her daughters' school. Deanna was a Girl Scout growing up and started first a Brownie troop and then a Junior troop so that her daughters would also have that experience. Her involvement extended to the council level and beyond: she was the director of and spent two years planning for an International Girl Scout event held in Long Beach, CA during the summer of 1971 called "Aboard the Queen Mary". She was a lifelong member of Blanchardville Lutheran Church, except for the brief time in California where she was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church. Deanna's Norwegian heritage was very important to her. This was reflected in the name of the restaurant that was part of Blanchardville for nearly twenty years - Bit of Norway. It was reflected in the décor with all the rosemaled plates on the walls and the trolls on the shelves. It was reflected with klub served in the winter. It was reflected on the menu board on the wall - "mange takk". This is where the family came when they moved back to Blanchardville in 1975 and took up residence on Main St. Deanna had Ole Vamstad build a special extra long bench to put out front of the restaurant. She could often be found there with a ready smile and a cheerful greeting willing to chat a little before she had to get back to work. She trained many young waitresses, more than one generation! She trained young men, too, taking the time to talk to them when they would come on Saturday evening to mop the floors. She was always genuinely interested in others. It was more than a business…she touched many lives, both people from town and visitors passing through. Deanna is survived by two daughters, Joni of Culver City, CA and Christine of Orange County, CA; three grandchildren, Sylvia Christine, Christian Julian III and Devynn Shane; two sisters, Nancy (Dale) Anderson of Fort Atkinson and Kim Marty (Randy Jensen) of Blanchardville; two brothers-in-law, Orlin (VaLois) Mandsager of Burnsville, MN and Robert Marshall of Westfield, WI; thirteen nieces and nephews and their children; and her close friend and companion of twenty years Chuck Schaus of Blanchardville. She was preceded in death by her husband of twenty-five years, Christian Julian Torn Jr who died July 23, 1987. Also preceding her in death were her parents; three sisters, Patricia Mandsager, Karen Ingwell and Arlene Marshall; and two brothers-in-law, Vivian A. Ingwell and Virgil Probst. A memorial service to celebrate Deanna's life will be held on Saturday, August 22, 2009 at 11:00 AM at the Blanchardville Lutheran Church in Blanchardville. The Saether Funeral Home in Blanchardville is assisting the family. She will be missed - "jeg elsker deg".