NEW ULM–Leon A. Olsen, age 72, of New Ulm, died on Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at the New Ulm Medical Center.

Funeral service will be 11 a.m. on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm, with Pastor Amy Karlson officiating. Burial will follow in the New Ulm City Cemetery. Visitation will be 3 – 7 p.m. on Monday at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home SOUTH Chapel in New Ulm, and will continue for one hour prior to the time of service at church on Tuesday. To leave an online condolence for the family, or to sign the guestbook, please visit: www.mvfh.org.

Leon is survived by his wife, Ann; daughters, Ashley Olsen and Alyssa Guggisberg: three grandchildren, Alexander (AJ) Guggisberg, Jackson Newgord, and Jayven Orlawski; sister, Lisa (Phil) Myhrberg; brother, Larry (Brenda) Olsen; and many nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and a sister, Doreen (Leon) Krog.

Leon Arnold Olsen was born in Tyler, MN on September 2, 1953 to Arnold and Lorraine (Pfarr) Olsen, of rural Lake Benton. He was baptized and confirmed at the First English Lutheran Church in Tyler, MN. He attended Lake Benton and Tyler Public schools. In fifth grade, Leon started playing trumpet. He was in several brass groups and also choir. At the same time, he had interest in the concertina, which his dad played in The Olsen Brothers Band. When Leon asked his mom if he can practice on dad’s concertina, she said, “Sure, take it out in the grove and practice it there”. Leon played his first “paying” job on the concertina, at the Checkerboard Café, in Lake Benton, at the age of 11. Along with the concertina, he also started playing the bass and rhythm guitar. He started his own band, playing a variety of music for all ages, which worked well for playing at homecomings, proms, and weddings in the area. In 1971, Leon graduated from Tyler Public High School, and expanded his musical career by teaching and building concertinas at Brown’s Music Store, in New Ulm. He continued to teach the concertina to all ages, and several of his students have gone on to perform on their own. Leon owned and operated Olsen Tractors in Klossner, Minnesota.

On October 16, 1982, Leon married Ann Nonnemacher. They had two daughters and three grandsons.

Leon was a Minnesota Music Hall of Fame board member, and also Vice-President of the Minnesota Ballroom Operators Association. He has performed at the majority of the ballrooms and polka fests in Minnesota, that have came and went, and are still operating to this day. The Leon Olsen Show has performed as many as 40 jobs a month, and has performed throughout the US; playing in Las Vegas, NV, Laughlin, NV, Mesa, AZ, Frankenmuth, MI, Billings, MT, Hamler, OH, Round Top, TX, and several shows in Branson, MO, for national and international television. Currently, Leon has 20 recordings, one which has the “Mega-Storm Laendler” on it, which Leon wrote after the 1991 Halloween Blizzard. Leon and his band were a nominee by the Minnesota Ballroom Operators Association 17 times, for being one of the top bands in Minnesota. The Leon Olsen Show received the MBOA’s “Band of the Year” award in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010. In 2012, Leon was inducted into the World Concertina Congress Hall of Fame. In 2013, Leon was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame.

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