Worcester--Helen Victoria (Olson) Hagstrom, 87, of Shrewsbury, formerly of Westboro and Worcester, died Tuesday, May 25, 2004, at the UMass Memorial Medical Center after a brief illness. She was predeceased by her husband of 55 years, Raymond C. Hagstrom. She leaves a brother, Verner Olson of Sylvania, OH; a nephew, John Olson of Marietta, GA; cousins Ethel Frykholm of Worcester, Irving Stewart of Ashburnham, and Carl W. Stewart of West Townsend; step-nieces Willa Nebel of Oaklawn, CA and Joan Van de Steeg of Grass Valley, CA; a step-nephew Harry Krause of Friant, CA; and a close friend, Anna Granquist, Holden.
Born June 1, 1916, and raised in Worcester, she was the daughter of Carl E. and Mamie (Nelson) Olson and lived in Worcester most of her life. She began her piano study at age 9 continuing on to North High School where she played for choruses and musicals, graduating in 1935. In 1940, after completing the three-year course in two years, she graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, where she majored in piano and studied with the late Julius Chaloff and gave recitals in Jordan Hall and Worcester. After graduation, from 1939 to 1945, she maintained a piano studio in the Day Building, Worcester, teaching and nurturing many students. She studied organ and was assistant to the late Donald Gilley, organist-choir director at Wesley Methodist Church, Worcester. She was a substitute organist for numerous churches throughout the area. In 1942, she was appointed organist-choir director at the Belmont Baptist Church, Worcester, where she met Raymond. From 1948 to 1959, she was organist-choir director at Zion Lutheran Church, Worcester, developing the music program to 4 choirs providing music for 2 services every Sunday, and in 1957 she accompanied the youth choirs to a countrywide youth convention held in Chicago. She was organist-choir director at St. John's Episcopal Church, Worcester and then organist at the Burncoat Baptist Church, Worcester until June, 2003. For many years she was accompanist for the Mendelssohn Singers and the Greendale Men's Chorus presenting music for the weekly meetings of the Retired Men's Club of Greendale and for countless special functions, dedications, at schools, nursing homes, for First Night of Worcester, and at the State House until the time of her hospitalization on May 20, 2004.
She held memberships in the New England Conservatory of Music Alumni Club of Worcester County and once served as president; the Music Guild of Music Worcester; the Music Club of Worcester; a charter member of the American Guild of Organists; John Ericsson Lodge and the North Worcester Aid Society. She was an honorary member of the Retired Men's Club of Greendale. Although afflicted with a disability, Helen overcame great physical odds and conquered the challenge of playing the grandest instrument, the organ, and shared her musical gifts in churches throughout the area. She leaves countless friends who loved and admired her spirit, gentleness, sense of humor and propriety, commitment and faith, refinement, dedication, talent and selflessness.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, June 5, at Zion Lutheran Church, 41 Whitmarsh Ave (handicapped access). Burial was May 28, in All Faiths Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to: Memorial Fund, Belmont Baptist Church, 25 Belmont St., Worcester, MA 01605; Memorial Fund, Burncoat Baptist Church, 475 Burncoat St., Worcester, MA01606; Resident Activity Fund, Lutheran Home of Worcester, 26 Harvard St., Worcester, MA 01609, Memorial Fund, Zion Lutheran Church, 41 Whitmarsh Ave., Worcester, MA 01606, or Memorial Fund, Quinsigamond Corps of the Salvation Army, 84 Millbury St., Worcester, MA 01607.