Louise Minerva Prestlien

  Research Notes:

Summary: I have found very little evidence regarding Louise Prestlien. She was likely born around 1929 and likely at Prince George, BC, although it is possible she was born at home in the area north-east of Giscombe BC.

Her parents moved to the Vancouver area around 1939. There are a few newspaper articles in the Vancouver newspapers. She was a model for many Vancouver area retail stores.

On 29 Oct 1949, she married Allan Olson. And likely in the summer of 1953, they moved to Toronto. Using newspapers.com, there are a few notes of Louise Olson as model for various retail situations in the Toronto Star newspapers, some with photos, but it is difficult to tell if this the same person as Louise Prestlien.

Allan and Louise had at least one daughter, Lisa Brook who was born on in Toronto. A couple of Ancestry Family Trees note that Louise had 3 children, but no information on names or dates of birth are noted [see below



RE: Louise Prestlien

- married to David Goodwin Harris, 1935-2011. There is an obit posted on the Star.com [Toronto Star] - this is a bit unsual, since he had written it or most of it. He died on 29 Jun 2011 "... the only reason for this entry is to let people who knew me or my dear wife Nancy Alcok..." - so: did he marry again ??

the above note that Louis Prestlien had married David Goodwin Harris:
Kathrine Mackenzie FT [katmackenzie]; access 27 Sep 2023 [ she is from Eyebrow, SK]
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/154092097/person/272204210416/facts
- very minimal information re Louise
- born 1929 Eagle Lake, BC; died 1997 [no location noted] [another FT records her birth as 3 Apr 1929]
- can't make out a family relationship

another: Cecily harris FT [cecily harris-Sanford] access 28 Sep 2023
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/85796523/person/36527982236/facts
- records Louise's death as 1997, but no location or source is noted
- appears that the owner of the FT is a granddaughter of Louise and David Goodwin Harris, 1935-2012, but since she has a bit more detail of David Harris, perhaps she is the daughter of David's from a previous marriage ???

another: Harris FT [jessedharris]; access 29 Sep 2023
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/28584479/person/12064465121/facts
- again, very minimal information; [search David Goodwin Harris]
but shows he was married times, one spouse with son; and
another wife, Louise [no info] with one son and 2 daughters
- FT owner likely a granddaugther of David Harris and his "1st wife'
[Ellen P Andrews; married 1971, but divorced 1985] - this comes from an ancestry link to CT marriages and then divorce collection]

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1. Louise Prestlien was a model in the Vancouver area stores.

2. Marriage to Allan Olson in 1949; likely a second marriage to

there are a number of articles in Vancouver Papers, some with photos of Louise 1947-1949

The Vancouver Sun, issue 18 Jun 1949, page 17
"Louise Won't Leave US: Too busy Modelling to Think of Movies" [Our Town Section]
this article gives some genealogy information, along with 3 different photos:
- born in Prince George - "lived in Vancouver since I was 10, "I'm 20 now" ++ therefore moved to Van 1939, born 1929
- went to John Oliver and King Edward schools
- lives at 1311 The Crescent with her father, Mel, and her sister, Sylvia, 12 [ b about 1937] ... no mention of other siblings,
nor her mother, Minerva
- finance Allan Olson, age 24 [b about 1925]

The Province [Vancouver, BC] issue 13 Oct 1949, page 33
"Glamous Province Model Bride to be Real Wife and Homemaker"
- engagement announcement
- includes a photo of her and future husband Allan Olson*, son of Mr and Mrs Victor Olson of Regina

The Vancouver Sun, issue 31 Oct 1949, page 23
"Model Louise Prestlien Allan Olson's Bride"
- wedding on Saturday at the Canadain Memorial Chapel; therefore wedding on 29 Oct 1949

The Vancouver Sun, issue 11 Jan 1957, page 34
"Mr and Mrs Allan Olson [nee Louise Prestlien) ... annouce the birth of their daughter, Lisa Brooke, 7 Jan 1957
at Toronto Western Hospital
note: the above birth announcement is also published in: The Toronto Star, issue 8 Jan 1957, page 26, col 2


The Vancouver Sun, issue 2 Apr 1949, p 28

The Province Newspaper, issue, 17 Dec 1953 page 34 has a photo of both Louise and Sylvia Prestlien [Louise on the right]; the article notes that Mr and Mrs Olson had left for Toronto a few months ago, but in Dec 1953 she was visiting in Vancouver [ thus, they moved to Toronto, likely in the summer of 1953 ]

Nanaimo Daily News, issue 22 Jun 1978, page 4
Mrs Louise Harris of Toronto ... visiting Nanaimo ... guest of her sisters, Mrs Evelyn (Stewart) Lee and Mrs Sylvia (Ron) Cavin

  Noted events in her life were:

1. Death, 1997 - uncertain, Abt 1997, Canada. The date of death for Louise is uncertain. I have not found any direct evidence of her death, such as a death certificate, newspaper notice or any other source. The year 1997 is recorded on a couple of Ancestry Family Trees, but there is no source citation. It is also unclear the location of her, although she likely died in the Toronto area.

Louise married Allan Olson.