Van Orrin Oleson (Sep 22, 1895 – Sep 18, 1928) was born in Neenah, Winnebago County, Wisconsin. His father Mentz Biller Oleson (July 14, 1869-December 4, 1918), migrated from Kongsvinger, Hedmark, Norway, in 1888, and his mother, Geolena Evenson Oleson (March 17, 1870-November 12, 1953), was born in Clayton, Winnebago, Wisconsin. They were wed on February 24, 1892, in Neenah, Wisconsin. By 1910, they had relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico. The 1910 census records Mentz as a millwright at a lumber company. Mentz’s death certificate lists the cause of death as pernicious anemia.
Van graduated from the University of New Mexico (UNM). While at UNM, he was a member of the Alpha Delta fraternity. He is listed among several participants in a UNM Weekly article dated January 30, 1917, as having attended the fraternity’s annual informal dance.
Van was employed as a clerk with the Continental Oil Company in Albuquerque when he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served from December 15, 1917, to May 19, 1919. He was a Sergeant First Class and an Observer with the 102nd Balloon Company. During World War I, observation balloons played a crucial role in aerial reconnaissance and the direction of artillery fire. Tethered a few miles behind the front lines, observers in a wicker basket could report on enemy troop movements, artillery batteries, and trench systems. Tethered balloons enabled World War I observers to see as far as 40 miles behind enemy lines, allowing them to spot troop movements, chart trench systems, and direct artillery fire. This was extremely hazardous work, as the hydrogen-filled balloons were flammable and vulnerable targets for fighter pilots (“balloon busters”). Balloon crews faced significant danger from enemy “balloon busters,” who would attack them with machine guns. Observers carried parachutes and would have to jump when attacked.
After serving in the war, Van wed Kathleen Darrow (December 17, 1900 – October 19, 1988) on March 9, 1922. Her occupation was listed as a stenographer with an oil company in the 1920 census. They had two children, Van Orrin Jr. (April 11, 1923 – May 12, 1991) and Janice Eileen (March 13, 1927 – October 7, 1969).
After the war, Van returned to Albuquerque, where he worked in the Office of Masonry as Secretary of the Temple Lodge of Masons and the Shrine. On September 18, 1928, while driving with fellow Shriners on Shrine business from Albuquerque to Clovis, New Mexico, a car parked along the roadside suddenly switched on its headlights, blinding Van and causing his vehicle to leave the road. He was fatally injured in the crash, just a few miles north of Clovis. The other vehicle failed to stop and render aid. Van died shortly afterward from his injuries, as did one of his passengers, Nelson Newton Buckland, who was a well-known pharmacist from Belen.
Van Oleson was a highly respected member of the community. His funeral procession stretched for a mile.
Following Van’s death, passenger records of the S.S. Honolulu reflect that Kathleen and her daughter, Janice, were on board on December 15, 1928. At just six years old, in December 1929, Van Jr. traveled alone aboard the S.S. Honolulu. Van Jr. was later adopted by his uncle, Donnald Darrow, in Hawaii, and he eventually changed his last name to Darrow. According to family sources, Van Jr. became a well-known and expert surfer and even taught the family dog to stay on the board with him. He joined the Army after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Van Jr. married Dorothy (Dottie) Alvira and had four children: Deborah Lei, David Link, Danni Kealoha, and Dayna Kealani.
Janice Eileen Oleson married Donald Breithaupt and had four children: Donald Kahekili (Donny), Gideon Frederick (Ricky), Steven and Carol Anne.
His widow, Kathleen Darrow, later married Elmer Byers on September 22, 1939. She had remarried a second time and, at the time of her death, was known as Kathleen Hesler, residing in King, Washington.
Van Sr. is buried at Historic Fairview Cemetery in Albuquerque in a family plot alongside his parents, Mentz and Geolena.
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Van Oleson’s granddaughters: Dayna Kealani Darrow, Deborah Lei Lease, and Danni Kealoha Komatsu, during a visit to Albuquerque in June 2021.
Photo courtesy of Danni Kealoha Komatsu
Author: Lori A Mann, great niece of Van Oleson Sr.Date: November 10, 2025
Sources:
- Balloon Busters. The daredevils of World War One? https://www.historyisnowmagazine.com/blog/2014/7/6/balloon-busters-the-daredevils-of-world-war-one
- Family history information and photos courtesy of Danni Komatsu, granddaughter of Van Sr.
- Exter Family history: https://www.exterfamily.net/
- Featured photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.