Olga Vasilyevna Kuznetsova, age 76, passed away peacefully on Friday, March 29, 2019 at her daughters' home in rural York, ND. A memorial service will be held June 1, 2019 and her ashes will be taken to her homeland later this summer.

Olga was born on August 12, 1942 in Russia during the German invasion of her country. Her parents were Maria Shubochkina and Vasily Ponkratkin, but she never met her father because he died fighting the Nazis before she was born. Olga grew up in a village about 200 miles south of Moscow and she was a graduate of Moscow Technology College in Samara, Russia where she met her future husband. She married Yuriy Kuznetsov on May 1, 1965 and she had two children, Larisa and Sergey Kuznetsov.

Olga worked as an engineer and at the time of her retirement in 2003, she was in charge of managing the buildings and roads in Kirov, a precinct of Samara, Russia. During her retirement in Russia, she worked extensively in her large garden and participated in a singing group that performed around Samara. Olga first came to York, North Dakota to visit her daughter in 2005 and she made another 6 trips and enjoyed watching over the cattle and horses, gardening, and spending time with her daughter, Larisa and son-in-law, Lee Dirkzwager. She was able to visit Disneyland, San-Diego Zoo and Sea World, Universal Studios, Vail, Minneapolis, Las Vegas, Ozark Lake, Philadelphia Historical places.

Olga truly lived life to the fullest through simple pleasures; singing and dancing, playing ping-pong, traveling, beautifying surrounding by planting flowers and shrubs, decorating the house, and baking delicious cookies.

Olga is survived by her daughter, Larisa Dirkzwager; son-in-law, Lee Dirkzwager; son, Sergey' daughter-in-law, Lubov; grand-daughter Maria Kuznetsova.

Olga was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Yuriy.