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NEW ULM - After 37 years of service to Brown County, County Attorney Jim Olson and his wife Chris enjoyed an afternoon with colleagues and friends Thursday at the Lind House.

A 1969 DePaul University Law School graduate, Olson served as assistant county attorney from 1972 to 1985 before becoming the county attorney.

He tried a variety of cases over the years including murder, property condemnation and tax court cases.

The Danny Hauser court-ordered chemotherapy treatment for cancer case in May was among his more memorable cases. The case, which attracted national media attention, pitted the 13-year-old boy from Sleepy Eye and his parents against the court system. Hauser, after fleeing briefly to California with his mother, underwent chemotherapy and alternative treatments, and his tumor has shrunk.

"I'm hopeful for a good outcome in the case," Olson said.

"I've enjoyed my association with law enforcement and county personnel," he added.

Brown County Commissioner Andy Lochner of rural Sleepy Eye was among the throng that attended Olson's retirement party.

"I'll know I'll miss him," Lochner said. "He always gave us straight answers."

An Elmhurst, Ill. native, Olson specialized in injury law cases in the Chicago area before coming to Brown County.

His wife Christine attended St. Teresa's College in Winona and worked as a social worker for Brown County Family Services, retiring in September 2007.

The Olsons plan to do volunteer work and spend some time traveling during the winter. They have a daughter who lives in Denver and a son living in Superior, Wis.