Ole Martin Olson was born in February, 1885 in rural Homer Township, Day County, Dakota Territory. His parents Ola (Ole) Birkenes Olson and Anna Jobsdotter Birkenes emigrated to America from Etne, Norway in 1883 and homesteaded in the Dakota Territory.

Ole M. was the oldest of nine children. His siblings were Anna Julia, Joseph, Martha, Serena (Sena), Severen, Andrew (Ander), Engebert (Bert) and Myrtle. As an adult he moved northward to a homestead in Broderick, Saskatchewan, about 60 miles south of the Province's Capitol, Saskatoon and just east of the Saskatchewan River. Ole would help with work at the local grain elevator in Broderick when not doing field work.

Following harvest, Ole used to spend the winter months with his family in Langford, South Dakota. However, 1911 was to be an exception. He decided to spend the winter visiting his grandmother, Anna Johannesen Birkenes and other relatives in the Sunnhordland region of Norway. Ole intended to be back in Canada in time to begin spring plowing in April.