Elly Olson
1987 – 2023
Oakdale, MN

Elly Lorain Olson - 35 years young. Lovable little goofball who would make silly faces when she thought no one was looking. The most adorable and beautiful woman, mom, aunt, sister, daughter, and best friend. She was funny, silly and quirky. Like the way she would tell a funny story or joke and then immediately laugh at her own jokes.

Elly was wicked smart, always did well in anything she put her mind to, dominated at trivia, and despite all her daily pain, she always tried to remain positive. Little things truly meant the world to her.

She was a great partner in life because she wasn’t afraid to try new things like going kayaking in Lake Superior, and camping in a tent on an island all weekend. We had all kinds of wonderful adventures together as a family. Elly would get anxious when she cooked dinner for us cause she was nervous that we wouldn’t like what she made, but she was a wonderful cook. I loved how she would go online and try to find new recipes for us to try. Elly was awesome and amazing and such a wonderful person with a heart of pure gold. She completed me and we definitely did fit together perfectly. She was the best partner, mom and step-mom.

What happened: Elly slipped away from us late Sunday night on January 29th, and her immediate family was with her when she took her last breath at the hospital on Monday, January 30th, 2023. While at home on that Sunday, Elly fell and lost consciousness. She stopped breathing and I revived her with CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. But once Elly had lost consciousness, she never woke back up. She was found to have suffered a brain bleed which caused swelling, pressure, and closed off most of the major vessels, preventing regular blood flow to her brain, and therefore not enough oxygen to sustain brain function.

I have asked myself; how do you pick up the pieces of an old life? How do you go on when in your heart you begin to understand that there is no going back? There are some things that time alone cannot fix. Some hurts and pain that go far too deep, some torment that has taken hold and will not let go without a fight.

I am beyond grateful that Elly came into my life and was here with all of us. The world is not nearly as dark as I had once thought it to be. There is some good in this world, and it's worth fighting for. Courage is found in unlikely places, and Elly had more courage than anyone I had ever met. She fought through so much pain everyday and still kept going. Her strength had given me the courage to keep going.

Elly struggled often with daily pain and headaches. This caused her to be tired all the time. This poor little girl would be so worn out that she would fall asleep everywhere we went. Like even falling asleep at the State Fair, which was one of her favorite places to go. I used to joke that it was a good thing she was tiny cause it made picking her up and carrying her around so much easier for me. “You’re not getting any younger after all.” She would joke because I was a couple years older than her. But bless her little heart, she still made the effort and tried her best to keep up with the rest of the family on all the countless adventures we went on. Like camping. She loved camping because she could chill around the campfire and I would always cook for her. She didn’t like sleeping in tents as much though. So she absolutely loved picking out and getting our camper together and her favorite thing was how big and soft the beds were!

We were a very close and tight family. “Our weird little family,” as Elly called us. We would do dorky things like creating a family rock band and have fun coming up with silly song titles that we would then try to create lyrics to while driving on road trips. Elly was super nervous to meet my daughters Trinity and Ariel for the first time. Yet that lasted for all of two seconds, before the 3 girls became best friends and pretty much ditched me that first day.

Elly was such a light-hearted and wonderful person who brought happiness and joy to all those around her. She quickly made friends and formed deep bonds with Trinity and Ariel. Something I will always be grateful for.
Beyond being such a wonderful stepmom when she certainly didn’t have to be, she was a dedicated and loyal partner in all aspects of her life and although she was quieter and more reserved, her quick wit and infectious smile could win anyone over.

More recently Elly would brag that her greatest achievement was her son Leo. She loved being Leo’s mom more than anything in the world. As soon as he was born, he quickly became the driving force behind all the positivity in her life. She was so excited to meet him for the first time in the delivery room and was even more excited to introduce him to his two big sisters.

Elly had a very terrible pregnancy which caused her headaches to be at their worse, but she would tell me that all the pain was worth it when she finally got to see his tiny little face. The whole time she kept saying, “I hope he gets his daddy’s eyes”, and she was super stoked to see little Leo open those beautiful blues eyes for the first time. It made her heart melt, as well as mine. I was so proud of Elly for what she went through to bring Leo into this world.

Beyond our weird little family, Elly really looked up to and admired her dad. She would say that her dad could do anything. Elly was also deeply connected to her twin sister Erin. They did everything together growing up to include working all the same jobs. They both eventually became pharmacy technicians and that quickly became something Elly was very passionate about. She loved going to work and enjoyed what she did, which is rare these days.

Short of Christmas morning with the family, and the entire fall season of Halloween, her favorite holiday was Fourth of July. The sun and heat and just being outside. She loved spending it at her parents’ house, going on the lake, and being around her family and friends playing “silly yard games” like washers and bags and watching her dad light off fireworks.

Elly was also someone with endless patience and forgave easily. Despite the numerous bumps in our road, she always knew that she could count on me, and trusted me to catch her each time she fell. I never gave up on her because she never gave up on me. She was always by my side when I needed her most, especially after my dad committed suicide while he and I were deer hunting together. She helped me overcome that terrible loss and we kept the promise of never leaving each other’s side, no matter what. I told her that if you truly love someone, you will do anything for them, and we certainly tried to live that.

Elly, throughout your life we were all by your side with endless love, and now we are all still by your side with that same love in your death. Yet I can’t seem to put down in words how much you meant to me - to us, and how much I loved you; how much we all loved you. You were everything to our weird little family. Now there’s a giant hole in my heart where you used to be, and I have never felt more alone. You were an angel amongst us mere mortals. The most beautiful person in the entire world; always making everything brighter with your presence.

Elly, you need to know that Leo misses his mommy. Trinity and Ariel miss their stepmom and closest friend. Erin and I miss our little Ellbell. Even Luna misses you. (I know this cause Leo told me.) Your dad and sister Lainie miss you a lot. You are so incredibly missed each day. I love you with my entire soul as you already know. Please watch over us and give us your guidance, as we are lost, and our lives will never be the same without you. You will always be on our thoughts, and we will love you until the very end of our days.

I try to appreciate what I still have and hug those closest to me, because life is too short. I very much cherish what we had and I try to smile at the fond memories of our wonderful little lady.

Maybe Elly can walk through the fields of middle earth and spend time with the hobbits and elves. Maybe she is able to enjoy those warm summer days with her mom and sister Crystal. Her struggles are finally over and I, we, will shoulder any earthly burdens so that she may continue on to the afterlife pain free. Until we meet again, we very much love you Elly.