Karen Olson Memorial

I STARTED EARLY – TOOK MY DOG
BY EMILY DICKINSON

I started Early – Took my Dog – 
And visited the Sea – 
The Mermaids in the Basement 
Came out to look at me – 
And Frigates – in the Upper Floor 
Extended Hempen Hands – 
Presuming Me to be a Mouse – 
Aground – opon the Sands – 
But no Man moved Me – till the Tide Went past my simple Shoe – 
And past my Apron – and my Belt And past my Boddice – too – 
And made as He would eat me up – As wholly as a Dew 
Opon a Dandelion’s Sleeve – 
And then – I started – too – 
And He – He followed – close behind – I felt His Silver Heel 
Opon my Ancle – Then My Shoes would overflow with Pearl
Until We met the Solid Town – No One He seemed to know – And bowing – with a
Mighty look – At me – The Sea withdrew – 

Karen Davidson was born in Gastonia, NorthCarolina, on September5 ,1949 to Murray Edwin Goins and Pauline Elizabeth Davidson. She was a precocious child, protective older sister,and an exceptionally talented student, attending Bryant High School and the University of California, Berkeley in the early 70s, ultimately making the Golden State home. From her earliest days in college until the end of her life, she was politically active, committed to living out her values of pacifism, social justice, and environmentalism. 

Karen met her husband Dean Olson in 2003 through mutual friends. Karen and Dean became members of the Grass Valley Friends Meeting soon after and found a deep sense of community with their fellow Quakers. They were married under the care of the meeting in 2006 and have been devoted to one another ever since. 

Karen was a gifted teacher, preschool director, and professional storyteller. She was able to connect with children in a way that few can, by deeply respecting their personhood and meeting their sense of wonder and joy with her own. From finding fairy houses in the woods, to spinning fantastic tales of underdog victories, to edifying (and messy!) arts projects, Karen made the world magical for her students and her four children. 

Karen was deeply curious and enchanted by the world and what it could be. She loved taking walks with her dogs, reading fantasy books, dancing to the Grateful Dead, arguing about politics, tending to her garden, and hosting big gatherings with loved ones full of food, laughter, and stories. Nobody told a story like Karen. 

Joy and playfulness were intricately connected to Karen’s sense of justice. Whether she was registering people to vote, protesting against illegitimate wars, volunteering at schools and in shelters, or advocating alongside the Nisenan community, she knew our liberation is inherently tied to one another, as the indigenous activist Lilla Watson proclaimed. She understood that one’s own community is often the best place to begin, and spent forty years sharing her many gifts with Nevada County. 

Karen made home wherever she was, not just for her family, but for anyone who had the privilege of finding themselves in her miraculous orbit. Karen is survived by her husband Dean, her children Kate, Greg, Jessica, and Adrienne, her sister Elaine, and two cherished grandchildren, Anthony and Isaiah.