Olivia R. Peterson

Olivia Rae Peterson, age 20, of Eau Claire, WI, passed away on Wednesday, Oct. 26.

She was born June 18, 2002, in Wausau, WI, to Casey Hickcox and Christian Peterson. She grew up in Menomonie and graduated from Menomonie High School in 2020.

Olivia had a big heart and a smile that could light up a room. As a young girl, she found great joy in spending time with her cousins and friends, playing games, school and house. She had a blast running the MOLG café with her cousins, where they “served dinner” to many celebrities. She was a self-proclaimed noodle-aholic and would make quick stops with Josie after school to get noodle packets when she was in the mood. She loved all things sparkly, including her favorite silver sequined hat.

She had a passion for children and was loved dearly by the many children she babysat. As the children outgrew the need for a babysitter, she enjoyed running into the them and their families around the community. She had special connections with so many.

Olivia loved to sing. Together she and her brother Jake often sang “Home,” accompanied by Jake on his guitar. She often led the family in “God We Thank You,” her favorite mealtime prayer sang as a round.

She participated in musical theater, performing in the high school production of Grease and other Red Cedar Youth Stage performances. In high school, she also was involved in choir and tennis.

Olivia loved the independence she gained after graduation and enjoyed her new-found freedom. As much as she loved to have fun and be with people, she valued her downtime too. She spent many hours binge watching Friends and Grey’s Anatomy. She found peace through writing, journaling and assembling puzzles.

While Olivia loved all her siblings, she had a special bond with Jake and admired him so much. Even as they got older, they would carve out special time together to grab dinner or just drive and listen to tunes. In more recent years, Olivia was the ringleader for movie nights, game nights, and family dinners (including Grizzly’s parmesan pasta as a staple) with her new siblings, who all looked up to her. As a family, holidays and trips, barbies, coloring and countless crafts were special with Olivia.

Spending time with family was important. She spent a lot of time with her grandparents, and in later years loved to out-smart her grandma in a game of Scrabble. Going to the Peterson cabin in Siren was a special treat, where she spent many weekends with her great uncle and aunt, and all the cousins. She loved to travel to New York and Florida to spend time with the Cohen cousins. She was always game for an adventure with the Mittlestadt crew and fit in just like a big sister.

She will be missed greatly by her family, her best friend Josie, and best four-legged friend, Esther.

Olivia is survived by her mom Casey Hickcox and dad Christian (Jill) Peterson; brothers Jake Peterson and Justin Evans; her dog Esther; step-siblings Hailey Looker, Brek Gullicksrud, and Lincoln Brenner; grandparents Robert and Laurie Hickcox, Steve (Pam) Peterson, and Pamela Peterson; aunts and uncles Heidi (John) Cohen, Amy (Aaron) Mittlestadt, and Brady (Caitlin) Hickcox; and cousins Ellie, Eva, Nathan, Madeline, Landon, Gavin, Harper, Anika, Amelia, Nolan, Ian, Ben, Eliana, Ivy, and Keeva.

She is preceded in death by her great-grandparents and her special youth leader, Kathy Jacobson.

Memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 1, 2022 at Olson Funeral Home in Menomonie, WI with a reception to follow. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service.