Eileen Marie Childers, age 70, of Missoula, passed away on Saturday, March 20, 2021, at Providence St. Patrick's Hospital.
Eileen was born on August 27, 1950, in Lewistown, MT to Arthur and Kathleen Wichman. She was the eldest of 11 kids and attended the Wild Rose one-room schoolhouse in Moore, MT. She graduated from Moore High School in 1968 then Montana State University in Bozeman in 1972 where she received her nursing degree and became a registered nurse.
She started her nursing career in Great Falls, MT where she met her future husband, Dave. They married October 6, 1973 at Saint Mathias Church in Moore, MT. After 3 kids, she decided to become a full-time homemaker and eventually they settled in Missoula and made Missoula home.
She was a devoted Catholic and raised her family in the Catholic faith. Like most good moms, she wore many different hats; she was the chef, baker, Sunday school teacher, regular school teacher, counselor, advisor, seamstress, dollar stretcher, accountant, time manager, chauffer, gardener, and even a baseball catcher for the aspiring pitchers in the family! She loved gardening and baking and made the best birthday cakes ever! She acted selflessly and put her family and faith first.
Diagnosed with Leukemia in 2015, she underwent treatment and received a bone marrow transplant in 2016. She battled the unkindliness of graft versus host with her humor intact and recently celebrated her 5-year rebirth anniversary. She chose the first day of spring for her final day on Earth, a time for renewal and rebirth. Now she can fly with the angels, and dance and sing with the birds once again. May her pain be forever gone, and she rest in peace. She’s probably already done resting and busy planting her garden and flower beds. Happy spring to everyone… “It will be okay.”
She is survived by her husband Dave, sons Brock (wife Emily), Aaron (wife Luisa), Kyle (wife Shalyce), daughters Kara and Kristin, grandkids Paige, Brooke, Darron, Braden, Peyten, Austin, Colten, Dylan, Maya, Stella, Luke, Killian, Lochlen, and Haygen, brothers Allen, Curtis, Roger, Carl, Philip, and sisters Lois, Kay, and Dora.
She is preceded in death by her parents, brothers Loren and Gregory, nephews Jason Wichman and Zachary Wichman, and her beloved pets Rudy and Pumpkin
The funeral mass will be held at 1:00 p.m., on Saturday, March 27, 2021, at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church with Father Victor Cancino officiating. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens under the care of Sunset Memorial Funeral Home.
The online obituary and guestbook is available at www.sunsetfuneralhomecemetery.com.