Ted Olds, Hall of Fame recipient

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Minnesota Trappers Association

“Hall of Fame”

TEDDY LEE OLDS

Born: December 15, 1932
Died: 1985
Hometown: Grand Rapids, MN

Ted then worked for Hallet Construction Co. in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as a truck driver until he was inducted into the Army on February 17th, 1953. He received the National Defense Service medal and the Army of Occupation Medal in Germany as a PFC 28 Rank, US Army. He was then honorably discharged March 15, 1956, at Fort Sheridan, Illinois.

In the winter of 1979-1980, the state was divided into eight districts. Ted was appointed as the president of district #4 by the then president of the Minnesota Trappers Association. Ted was then re-elected every 2 years until his death, when his wife Deloris filled in as president until the end of his term.

Teddy Lee Olds was born December 15th, 1932 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota to Florence Melvina (Roberts) Olds and Ralph Alphonzo Olds. He was born the third boy in a family of 7 boys and 2 girls. He went to grade school (1-7) at Unorg. and Hawley schools in Outing, Minnesota and high school in Remer, Minnesota.

After the army Ted worked in the iron mines at Crosby, Minnesota as a truck driver until 1961. While working in the mines, he was diagnosed with diabetes. On June 24th, 1961, Ted married Deloris Caroline Narveson in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

In 1964, Ted and Deloris, along with their children, Carol, 7, Janet May, 5, and Robert Russel Olds, age 1 moved to Grand Rapids. In 1967 Ted and Deloris built their cabin on the creek between Lawrence and Roosevelt lakes in Outing. That's where they stayed on weekends until in 1972 when they moved back to Outing where they bought a shop that serviced and sold snowmobiles and also bait.

In 1973, because of Ted's diabetes and all the trips that had to be made to the Veterans Hospital in Minneapolis, they sold the shop. In 1974 Ted was the recipient of a kidney from his brother, Russell. After his recovery, he then became even more active in community services, hunting, fishing and trapping.

In 1975-1976 Ted was a member of the Cass County Sheriffs Safely Patrol under Louis Chalich. On December 9, 1975 the Emily, Outing Snowmobile dub was formed with Ted as a charter member. He did many things to help organize and support the dub with his working-brushing trails, leading snowmobile rides, and the like.

Ted was especially interested in seeing "young people" take an interest in trapping. He and Deloris brought several "young people" to Trappers conventions in Duluth and in North Dakota. Ted, because of his desire to see young people involved in trapping, started what they called "The Grub Stake Award".

In 1979 Ted placed 3rd in the "Handicap Multi" and in 1980 he placed 1st in the same event. Also he was awarded with the Male Trapper of the Year and Who's Who award.