LEON OLSEN PASSES AWAY

Well known musician Leon Olsen has passed away.  The Minnesota Valley Funeral Home says Olsen died Tuesday at the New Ulm Medical Center.  He was a 1971 graduate of Tyler High School and taught and built concertinas at Brown’s Music Store in New Ulm and continued to teach concertina to all ages.  His band, the Leon Olsen Show has played ballrooms and polka fests all over the U.S including Las Vegas, Mesa, Arizona and several shows in Branson, Missouri.  The Leon Olsen Show has been nominated by the Minnesota Ballroom Operators Association for being one off the top bands in Minnesota 17 times and received the “Band of the Year” award in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012.  Leon was inducted into the World Concertina Congress Hall of Fame  and in 2013 he was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame.  Leon’s funeral is Tuesday morning at 11 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm with visitation Monday from 3 – 7 at Minnesota Valley Funeral Home South Chapel in New Ulm and then one hour prior to the service Tuesday morning at the church.