Obituaries

Jennifer Lynn Olsen, 48, of Eau Claire passed away on Monday, February 10, 2025, at Grace Lutheran River Pines in Altoona, WI. Jen passed peacefully, surrounded by the love of her family and friends following a courageous battle with ALS/Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Jennifer was born on June 17, 1976, in Omaha, Nebraska and grew up in Loyal, a small farming community in central Wisconsin. In 1996 she began attending University of Wisconsin-Stout where she studied Apparel Design & Manufacturing. Jen was inspired to pursue design out of frustration at the lack of diversity and representation in the fashion world. Upon graduation, she joined the North American tour of the Ebony Magazine Fashion Fair as a Wardrobe Stylist & Couture Garment Tailor.

Jen's career took her to Shopko Corporation and Land’s End, where she designed apparel, handbags, and accessories. In 2007, she became a Designer & Product Developer at Allegro/Conair Corporation in Los Angeles, where she lived and worked until 2023. As a Senior Lead Designer & Product Developer, she managed the design and development of products for Allegro’s largest clients, sold worldwide. In her design career she was able to live out her California dreams and travel the world—London, Paris, Tokyo, Seoul, China, South America, and Hong Kong (her favorite!).

Those who knew Jen would tell you that her creativity, work ethic, and professionalism may have fueled her successful career, but it was her love for making people laugh that made her so many life-long friends. Jen was voted “Funniest” by her colleagues so many times, it was no longer a contest.

Jen’s friends and family would tell you she is the most loving, loyal, thoughtful, generous, and hilarious sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin, favorite Aunt, confidante, and friend. Despite her busy schedule she never failed to return to Wisconsin in the summers and every Christmas as well as quick trips in between to celebrate weddings, graduations, and birthdays.

If you met Jen, she would not tell you these things. It was not about her, and she would rather hear about you anyway. What she would tell you is that—above all—her greatest pride and joy lay in the loving family she built with Amin, as devoted parents to their eight-year-old son, Thomas. Thomas, whom she lovingly referred to as her Beautiful Boy, was her inspiration. He was the sole reason she made the sacrifices she made, battled ALS as fiercely as she did, for as long as she could, right to the end. Jen would tell you, he is “the sun, the moon, and all my stars.”

Jennifer is survived by her son Thomas and his father Amin Eshaq of Westlake, CA. Her family in Wisconsin including her brother John Edwards and his wife Nancy, and their children Kayla (Spencer), Paige (Garrett), and Zach (Ayesha). Her grandniece Caroline, and grandnephew Kade. Her sister Stephanie Olsen Kuohujoki and husband Sage, and their daughters Eva and Aoki. Her Uncle Bill Olsen, his wife Dori, and their children Luke and Lauryn. Jennifer was preceded in death by her beloved grandparents Arthur and Beverly Olsen, her Aunt Audrey Olsen, all of Loyal, WI, and her cousin Pat Olson of Marathon City, WI.

We want to extend our humble and heartfelt gratitude to the Nurses, CNAs, and staff at the Grace Lutheran River Pines Long Term Care Facility in Altoona, WI, the St. Croix Hospice Nurses and staff, and the Appeal to Heaven team. We are so blessed to have these kind, professional, and dedicated care givers in our community. We cannot thank them enough. And if you or someone you know is facing end of life, we would love to recommend Deirdre Jenkins for her compassionate death doula services. Truly life-changing work.

A celebration of life will be held in West Central Wisconsin the summer of 2025. In lieu of flowers, Jen’s wishes were to encourage donations to her Team Jeno Walk to Defeat ALS team, as part of the Chippewa Valley ALS Walk which will also occur this summer 2025. More details will be shared on the celebration of life and ALS Walk on her social media and this site.