Bonnie Clare Olson

Bonnie Clare Peterson Olson (83) passed away peacefully April 27, 2025, surrounded by her loved ones. Bonnie was born March 14, 1942, in Vancouver, Washington, to Terry and Letha Peterson. She spent most of her childhood in the Lewisville area, and attended different high schools in the Idaho Falls area, graduating from Idaho Falls High School. She then went to Rick’s College and began her higher education, working towards getting her degree in Elementary Education.
In early 1963, Bonnie started dating Larry Ray Olson and was quickly swept off her feet. They wasted no time and were engaged and married later that year and were then sealed in the Salt Lake City temple in 1968, for time and all eternity. Their first few years were spent in the Idaho Falls area and then they moved to the Salt Lake City area in 1967, where Larry took a job with Hilti. While living in Utah they decided to grow their family and were blessed with 5 boys, who were the joy of Bonnie’s life. In 1978 they moved their family to Rigby, Idaho, where they stayed and raised their boys ever since.
Bonnie loved teaching children and spent 43 years teaching both preschool and elementary. She was a beloved teacher and every year she had parents requesting to have their children in her class. She earned multiple degrees, including her Masters, and also earned her National Teachers Certificate. She cared deeply for her students and made sure to have her classroom decked out in beautiful décor every year to brighten their classroom experience. She spent the majority of her career teaching in the Jefferson County School District and was invited to spend a year at BYU-Idaho to help train student teachers in their education department.
Bonnie was not only a loving granddaughter, daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, aunt and friend, but was also devout in her service to her Lord and Savior throughout her life. She was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where she valiantly served in many church callings and compassionately performed acts of selfless love to family, friends and others.
Bonnie was preceded in death by her parents, Terry and Letha Peterson, her son, Larry Ray Olson Jr., her brother Paul Peterson, and brother-in-law Dwain Helsing.
She is survived by her husband Larry Olson (Rigby, ID); son Cordon (Catherine) Olson (Alpharetta, GA) and their children Kassidy, McKylie, Jackson, and Tristan; son Tracey Olson (Rigby, ID) and his children Isabella, Trace and Sophia; son Robbin (Richelle) Olson (Riverton, UT) and their children Taylor (Kamryn), Donavan, and Bentley; son Terry (Aubrey) Olson (Idaho Falls, ID) and their children Blake, Ashlyn, and Damon; stepson Ted (Terri) Olson and his children Amanda and MaKayla; stepdaughter Thea (Floyd) Olson. Bonnie is also survived by sister Vicki Helsing (Rigby, ID); brother Lane (Joy) Peterson (Lewisville, ID); sister Nikki (Kevin) Virgin (Sugar City, ID); sister-in-law Tami Peterson (Rigby, ID); and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 3, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at the Rigby, Idaho, East Stake Center, 4021 E 300 N, Rigby, ID. Friends may visit with family before the services on Saturday morning from 11:30-12:45 at the church. Interment, Ririe Shelton Cemetery.
Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.eckersellfuneralhome.com