9E

Tempe resident and former McClintock High Home Economics teacher, died peacefully January 29, 2017. Mollie was the sweetest, most genuine and even-tempered person we ever knew and remained so to the end. Born March 5, 1919, on the prairie in southern Illinois, she was a true farm girl and the youngest of Terry and Julia Sneed’s five children. She graduated from Southern Illinois University and married Harlan Hall in 1941. During WW II, Harlan trained at Williams Field, AZ, and Mollie joined him there. Their dream of becoming parents finally came true after the war, when Helen Leslie was born in 1948 in Belleville, Illinois. In 1953, Harlan’s plane went down on his 30th mission over Pusan Bay in Korea. Widowed at age 34, Mollie decided to return to a place with happier memories and restart her life in Arizona. She moved with Helen Leslie to Tempe in 1956 to obtain her Masters degree at ASU. There she met Jerry Olson, who soon became her loving partner and husband, and a surrogate father to Helen Leslie. In 1958, a second daughter, Julie, was born in Tempe. Mollie and Jerry’s marriage lasted 59 years until Jerry’s death on April 25, 2016. Mollie was a wonderful homemaker and gardener. She sewed clothes for the family, made beautiful dolls and quilts, and could even upholster furniture. She restored antiques and "caned" chairs. She cooked delicious meals for family and friends, and Jerry pretended to count how many thousands of amazing meals she’d made in a row. She was mentally and physically active, playing golf into her 80s (including two holesin-one) and bridge into her 90s. Mollie drove home to Illinois most summers, bringing daughters and granddaughters in tow. There she was a favorite with nieces and nephews. Mollie was a constant presence in the lives of each of her granddaughters, and they all loved spending time with her. The girls will deeply miss "Mom-Mom." Mollie and Jerry also hosted foreign students. Ji Sun Lee lived with them for years and remains part of the family. Mollie is survived by daughters Helen Leslie Hall [Ted Jarvi] and Julie Olson; and granddaughters Thea Lewis [Steve], Jessica Jarvi [Sergio Jasso], and Amber Olson, [Brandon Smith], and Amanda Olson, and many great grand-children, nieces and nephews. Services will be Saturday, March 4, 2017, 11:00 a.m. at Community Christian Church, 1701 S. College Ave. Tempe, 85281. Donations may be made to ASU, www.asufoundation.org.