Obituary: Verden Dean Olney
Verden Dean Olney was born January 18, 1938, in rural Redding, Iowa to Carl and Vane (Paxson) Olney. He passed away on May 4, 2026, at the age of 88 in Mt. Ayr, Iowa.
Dean left home at 17 years old and went to Chicago then to Texas and lived with the Caldwell family. He then went to California where he found a family waiting that badly needed him.
Dean was united in marriage to Dorothy Kircher on August 17, 1968, in Los Angeles, California.
Dean worked many jobs throughout his life and most recently for Latham Lumber and Budget Towing in California. He lived in Sacramento, California but also called Redding, Iowa his home as he spent a lot of time here too. He enjoyed sports, playing pool, pegs and jokers, dominoes and darts. Dean was often seen at the Maryville and Grant City Senior Centers. He liked to garden, hang clothes on the line and home baked rolls with elderberry jelly. Dancing was a favorite for Dean and spent many nights doing what he loved. Dean was always a sharp dressed man even at a young age and always had a great memory. He overcame lots of battles and health concerns from his 18-year battle with blood cancer.
Also preceding him in death were his parents, wife Dorothy on November 18, 2015; two children: Madeline Morgan and Bernice Morgan, brothers: Marvin, Evan, Rod and Carroll Olney, sister Lila Bradley, sister-in-law Rita Olney, Judy Olney, and Geraldine Uresk).
Left to cherish his memory are children: Mary Jo (Curt) Olney, Frank (Colleen) Morgan, Jack (Tami Ogle) Houle, and Paul Olney; brothers: Curt (Mary Jo) Olney, Joe Olney, Duane (Shirley) Olney, Dale (Lou Shimer) Olney and Danny (Maria) Olney; sisters: Sherry (Bill) Davidson, Nola Olney and Melody Withee, and brother-in-law Jim Bradley; Aunt Donna Paxson; many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
Funeral Services will be 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at the Prugh-Dunfee Funeral Home in Grant City, Missouri. Visitation will be at 1 p.m. to service time. Burial will be in the Redding Cemetery in Redding, Iowa. Memorials may be made to the Redding United Methodist Church, Worth County Senior Center in Redding Frontier Hall.
