Brailey and Olivia Blackmer

Brailey Shae Blackmer (9) was born on November 5, 2015, in Spokane, Washington. Olivia Elaine Blackmer (7) was born on December 30, 2017, in Portland, Oregon. Brailey passed away on February 10, 2025, in Byron, Wyoming, alongside their sisters, Jordan and Brooke Harshman. Olivia passed five days later, on February 15, 2025, in Salt Lake City, Utah, after a brave fight. Brailey’s essence was ever-present in the hospital room, and both beloved girls were completely held and drenched in the love of dad Quinn Blackmer, bonus mama Katelynn (Goulding) Blackmer, and grandma “MumMum” Paula Blackmer as Olivia was ushered into heaven by her dear sisters.

Brailey and Olivia were kind.

At their core, they were generous with their love—intuitively noticing and tending to the feelings of those around them. They were leaders in their classrooms, quick to help peers whenever a need arose. Brailey and Olivia were perfectly happy sitting next to anyone and enjoyed visiting others, making peers feel special and seen—often without knowing how much their natural friendliness meant to so many. Both girls received awards at school for outstanding citizenship.

Brailey and Olivia were smart.

Curious and inquisitive, they were eager to explore the world. Their minds were sharp, and they consistently earned top marks in school. Both earned Academic All-Star Awards for excellence in reading, writing, and math.

Brailey and Olivia were spunky.

They were silly, vibrant little redheaded spitfires—spirited, confident, and full of contagious playfulness. Their spark radiated from them, making them natural performers well suited for the dance and music classes they enjoyed. On the bus after school, Brailey and Olivia’s energy was so infectious that other students asked to break from their assigned seats to sit closer to them. And if you ever needed to correct them, their cheeky, disarming smiles might make you forget what you were worried about in the first place.

Brailey

Brailey had a special gift for making people laugh, just like her dad. It was her humor—along with her sweet smattering of freckles and bright red hair—that made her Quinn’s twin in many ways (but cuter, of course!). When given a task, The Brailey Way was big, loud, and silly—yet intentional, intuitive, and focused. If she was reading aloud, you could be sure she would seize the opportunity to give the characters silly voices! Brailey had a distinct, raspy voice, a wide, squinty-eyed smile, green-blue eyes that changed with the weather, and the most contagious laugh. She loved bringing out the goofiness in others, like demanding daily Grinch impressions from her school principal or making up silly songs to get her whole second-grade class to sing and laugh together. Brailey’s presence was a tidal wave.

With Brailey, creativity and silliness went hand in hand. She loved singing, dancing, baking, reading, and dreaming up games and dances with a creativity that felt like magic. Whether crafting her own Lego masterpieces or inventing new adventures with Olivia, her imagination knew no limits.

Early in the school year at Southside Elementary, Brailey was identified by her teachers as a role model for students who needed extra social support. She was kind and patient with these students, modeling taking turns, trying new things, and compromising creatively during play. Even outside designated learning time, she asked these students to play with her at recess and be partners during class activities. Within and beyond that circle, Brailey became many students’ first real friend. To her, friendship was as it should be—easy and uncomplicated.

Olivia

Olivia was always up for a challenge, whether it was in the pool—flipping from dad Quinn’s hands with fierce concentration until she mastered the tight tuck—or on stage at a dance recital, twirling fearlessly in front of a crowd at only five years old. Olivia also loved to play games and had no business beating MumMum and Pops Blackmer at Crazy-8’s as often as she did, sweetly reveling in each victory.

Olivia had a serious side. She absorbed the world, always listening attentively to stories and answering questions with a thoughtfulness and confidence beyond her years. She was driven by a deep desire to understand the world. And then once she felt ready, she’d launch fearlessly and joyfully into the fold, savoring each moment to the fullest.

With Olivia, her eyes said it all. Her electric blue eyes danced with excitement when she was happy and energized, framed by her striking red hair and a dazzling constellation of freckles. Olivia always had big ideas to share, and took a little emphasized intake of breath right before she told you something exciting, her brain and her breath impatient for the words to come.

You were lucky if you experienced one of Olivia’s “magical hugs,” as noted by several school staff members. In the classroom and in life, she was known for her assertiveness, wit, and warm smiles. Olivia was a force of nature in her own right, yet she always relied on Brailey for reassurance and calm.

Brailey and Olivia Were Each Other’s Home

They were sisters, confidants, little co-mamas to their baby siblings, creative allies, favorite co-stars in their many co-written dances and songs, chatty bus buddies, best friends, and goofy partners in crime. They belong to each other, and their bond is forever.

Family

Quinn is the ever attentive, goofy, loving dad every little girl deserves, and doted on Brailey and “Liv” (for dad, her full name was only for serious matters!) since the moment they were born. He cherishes every special memory with his girls—including elaborate bedtime rituals, which consisted of hugs, kisses, secret handshakes, and the special song, “I Am a Child of God.” The medical professionals caring for Olivia in her final days could feel Quinn’s love in the way he tended to her. They knew he was a selfless father.

In 2020, Katelynn Goulding and Cliff Harshman were added by love to either side of their families, becoming treasured bonus parents. Katelynn and Cliff consider it one of their life’s greatest honors to have loved and been loved by Brailey and Olivia.

From the start, Brailey and Olivia were drawn to Katelynn’s fierce yet gentle love and her unparalleled attunement to their needs, accomplishments, and little girl ponderings. For Katelynn and her girls, being together was pure joy also sharing and taking part in her own elaborate handshakes and bedtime rituals with the girls. They reveled in the mundane moments just as much as Christmas morning snuggle puddles, car karaoke sessions and weekend adventures to the Oregon coast. She would move mountains for them, and they knew it. It was easy for Brailey and Olivia to rest in the solid love of their “Momma Kakes.”

Over the past three years, the girls were overjoyed to welcome three baby siblings: Brooke Harshman in 2022, Jordan Harshman in 2023, and Hudson Blackmer in 2024. As proud big sisters, they doted on their little siblings, their fierce love forging an unbreakable bond.

It is astonishing how much love and light Brailey and Olivia brought into the world in their short years. They should have had a lifetime more with us.

Brailey and Olivia are survived by their devoted father, Quinn Blackmer; bonus mama, Katelynn (Goulding) Blackmer; baby brother, Hudson Blackmer; bonus father, Cliff Harshman; grandparents Jeff (“Pops”) and Paula (“MumMum”) Blackmer, Todd (“Papa”) and Grandma Julie Goulding, and Grandpa Dennis and Grandma Rhonda Coplen; as well as an army of loved ones from the Blackmer, Coplen, Goulding, and Harshman families, including countless aunts, uncles, cousins, and dear friends.

The family has felt love from around the world in response to this tragic incident. To show our appreciation, we have chosen a larger venue than previously discussed for the service to accommodate those wishing to offer their support to Brailey, Olivia, and our family during this difficult time. We kindly ask attendees to be respectful of the immediate family, friends, school staff, officers involved in the case, and Olivia’s medical personnel, for whom this event holds special significance. Attendees are encouraged to wear the girls’ favorite colors: pink(Olivia’s), and/or purple(Brailey’s) to the service.

In the coming days, we will also share a livestream link for the service here, on Olivia’s GoFundMe page and on Quinn and Katelynn’s Facebook page.

The funeral will be held on Saturday, March 1, 2025, with a viewing from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., followed by a funeral service at 11:00 a.m. A graveside service will follow at the nearby Pleasant Grove Cemetery.

Address for Viewing and Service:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints—Stake Center
56 S 1300 W
Pleasant Grove, UT 84062

Obituary written by Heather Ensign (1st Cousin to Quinn Blackmer)