Eileen Mae Swoboda

Eileen Mae Swoboda, 94, of Chippewa Falls passed away on Friday, March 27, 2026, at Chippewa Manor Nursing Home in Chippewa Falls. 

She was born on May 5, 1931, in Cooks Valley to Richard and Emma (Boos) Sarauer.  Eileen attended schools in Cooks Valley and Bloomer.  In order to help her family during financially hard times, she left high school before being able to graduate and worked as a waitress at the Knotty Pine Café in Bloomer.

She married Charles Swoboda on September 28, 1948, at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Bloomer.  After marriage, she became a member of St. Charles Church in Chippewa Falls.  She and Charlie had two daughters, Charlene and Jane.

While farming alongside her husband in the town of Tilden, driving tractor and working in the barn and fields, Eileen grew a very large garden every year and always had a good supply of canned goods.  She enjoyed baking, bird watching, crocheting, music (especially the music of Daniel O’Donnell), dancing, reading, and putting together jigsaw puzzles.  She was an excellent seamstress and made many of her family’s clothes and her daughters’ school uniforms.

At the age of 43, in 1975, Eileen earned her high school GED diploma.  After retiring from farming in the early 1980s, she and Charlie took a trip to Hawaii visiting four different islands.  She also worked at the Pinehurst Dairy Queen and did volunteer work at St. Charles Church, cleaning the church and cooking for the funeral luncheons.  She was also a member of the prayer chain from St. Charles Church.  Eileen volunteered making potato salad for the Dairy Dinners in Chippewa Falls.  In 1986, she and Charlie moved from the farm to the city of Chippewa Falls.

In 2008, Eileen moved to an apartment at Chippewa Manor Residential Living, where she did volunteer work for the Spud Club, peeling potatoes and husking corn.  She also enjoyed playing cards, particularly cribbage and 500.

She especially looked forward to spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren and playing Trivial Pursuit and card games with her family and friends.

Eileen’s family did not call her Grandma.  Instead they called her Great, and that’s how she will be forever remembered.

Eileen is survived by her daughters: Charlene Drescher of Eau Claire, WI, and Jane Meredith of Lakeville, MN; four grandchildren: Dan (Rachel) Drescher of Eau Claire, Kate (Drescher) Flores (David Shaw) of Maple Grove, MN, Becky (Meredith) Hardy (Terry) of Elko New Market, MN, and Gregory Meredith of Rice Lake, WI; seven great-grandchildren: Carter, Owen, and Hayden Drescher, Caleb and Evan Flores, and McKenzie and Hunter Peterson; sister: Gloria Schindler of Colfax; and brother-in-law: William Bischel of Bloomer.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Charles; brothers and sisters-in-law, Gilbert (Elaine) Sarauer and Harold (Betty) Sarauer; sister and brother-in-law, Eunice (Gilbert) Schindler; sister, Janice Bischel; brother-in-law, Bernard Schindler; and son-in-law, Leonard A. Drescher.

The family thanks the nursing staff at Chippewa Manor Residential Living, Chippewa Manor Nursing Home, and St. Croix Hospice for their outstanding care and support of Eileen and her family.

Funeral services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 14th at St. Charles Church in Chippewa Falls. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery in Chippewa Falls.

Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until the time of services at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 14th at the church.

AFTER SERVICE NOTICE:

Funeral services for Eileen M. Swoboda were held at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 14th at St. Charles Church in Chippewa Falls.

Rev. Msgr. Michael J. Gorman was celebrant of the funeral Mass assisted by Mass servers, Matt Amundson and Ron Bresina. Interment was in Calvary Cemetery in Chippewa Falls.

Music during the Mass was provided by Curstin Lynch and the St. Charles Funeral Choir. Readings were given by Kate Flores and Becky Hardy. Gift bearers were Hayden Drescher, Hunter and McKenzie Peterson.

Casket bearers were Carter, Dan and Owen Drescher, Caleb and Evan Flores and Greg Meredith.

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