Eleanor H. Olsen, (née Marvin), age 93 of Elroy Wisconsin, passed away peacefully in her sleep April 14, 2023. 

 

She is survived by three of her children, Kathy (John), Anne (Ron) and Steven; eight grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren and one great great-grandchild, various nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Harry; son, Larry (Sue); son, Richard; daughter, Kristi and siblings.

 

After living in multiple areas throughout Wisconsin as a young child, she came to live with her aunt and uncle (Stretsbery) in Elroy, where she helped on the farm, attended school and held a job at the town newspaper. After graduating from high school, Eleanor went on to raise a family and work in the area.

 

Eleanor was a phenomenal cook. She was always looking to diversify her culinary repertoire through the use of new recipes. She loved spending time with family, and took joy in letting her grandkids create and bake anything their hearts desired. Additionally, and to the great delight of her family, she dabbled in cake decorating, making delicious and beautiful cakes of all shapes and sizes for birthdays and various celebrations. Eleanor also put her great cooking and organizational skills to use for the many guests of weddings, banquets and other functions held at the American Legion Auxiliary in town, where she served as an active member for decades.

 

An avid reader, Eleanor subscribed to a monthly book delivery service in the days before Amazon. Eventually, she moved on to utilizing the selection of books at the Elroy Public Library, walking there for the short jaunt from her home. She would go on to making her way through every book of her favorite genre there. (And then needing to request new books from other libraries to keep the supply going.) 

 

A pillar of her family, Eleanor was a role model in many ways, one of which was her unfaltering, and unconditional love for her family. She was gracious, extremely hard-working and one who leaned into her stubbornness like a strength to propel her on to completing tasks, sometimes a bit precarious, such as rearranging furniture, well into her 80’s.

 

She is loved fiercely by her family, who will be armed with the beauty of her legacy and all that she imparted onto them, every single day. 

 

Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at 12:30 p.m. at the Picha Funeral Home in Elroy, with Rick Tyler officiating.  Burial will be in the Millards Prairie Cemetery.  Visitation will be at the Picha Funeral Home in Elroy on Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., for online information go to www.pichafuneralhomes.com