Rena Hazel Olschner, formerly of Chester

Rena Hazel (nee Wolfe) Olschner, 92, of St. Louis, Missouri, passed away Tuesday, September 19, 2017 at The Willows in Maple Grove, Minnesota.
She was born to the late John A. and Lila DeJennie (nee Shobe) Wolfe on January 14, 1925 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
She attended the University of Tulsa and Oklahoma State University and then trained in Medical Technology at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. At that time, she met Paul Q. Olschner and they married in Tulsa on September 3, 1949.
They were married for 60 years until Paul's death on April 16, 2010. Rena and Paul exuded a love for each other that many remarked on.
Paul worked as a professional engineer for Westinghouse Electric Corporation for 40 years. Rena stated that her greatest ambition in life was to be a great wife and mother.
She was both. Whether she was cooking delicious meals, hosting birthday parties, saying "I love you" every day, or dinner out with Paul, Rena's focus was on caring for her family.
Once when Rena was asked what she'd like on her tombstone, she said, "She served."
Rena did live a life of service. She was a faithful member of Richmond Heights Presbyterian Church, Webster Groves Presbyterian Church, and First Free Church.
For many years she drove each month to Tipton, Mo., to visit the women inmates at the Missouri State Penitentiary.
For over 40 years, one of her great joys was loaning their Colorado vacation home to people in Christian ministry. In her eighties, Rena went regularly to a local nursing home to read to the residents there.
Rena's deep passion was to live as a faithful follower of Jesus.
A year before Paul's death, Rena's Alzheimer's disease prevented her from caring for Paul in his declining health and so they moved to Chester, Illinois, to live with their daughter, Mary.
After three years, she began rotating living with each of her four children, which she did for two years.
Starting in 2014, she lived with her daughter, Paula, in Minneapolis. For the past two years she has lived nearby in a memory care home.
Survivors include Susy (Phil) Downer, Signal Mountain, Tenn.; Paula (Bob) Gilbert, Minneapolis, Minn.; Tom (Robin) Olschner, Denver, Colo. and Mary (Roy) Wunderlich, Chester, Ill.
Additional survivors include 15 grandchildren - Mark (Chandra) Gilbert, Abigail (Sam) Downer Bray, Andy (Stacy) Gilbert, Paul (Rachel) Downer, Timothy (Alisha) Gilbert, Matthew (Amber) Downer, Anna (Sam) Youngs, Joshua Downer, Alec (Carrie) Olschner, Kevin (Annalisa) Wells, John Paul Wunderlich, Hannah Wunderlich, Susanna Downer, Noah Wunderlich and Peter Olschner.
Other survivors are 23 great-grandchildren, one sister-in-law - Virginia Wolfe, Collinsville, Okla., and many nieces and nephews.
Rena was preceded in death by parents, husband -- Paul, one brother -- James Wolfe and one great-granddaughter - Alayna Grace Gilbert.
Funeral service will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 30, 2017 at First Evangelical Free Church in Ballwin, Mo., with The Rev. Phil Downer officiating.
Interment will take place at 6 p.m. Saturday at New Palestine Cemetery in Walsh.
Visitation will take place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at First Evangelical Free Church in St. Louis, Mo.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that you consider making a memorial gift to one of the following: Alzheimer's Association: www.alz.org/tribute; Compassion International (children ministry): www.compassion.com/donate or Prison Fellowship International: https://pfi.org/make-donation.
Pechacek-McClure Funeral Home in Chester is assisting the family with arrangements.
To view this obituary and sign the register book, visit www.pmfh.net