Evelyn Schwebach

Evelyn Ahlers Schwebach of Graceville, MN, age 91, passed away on March 11, 2018, at Grace Home in Graceville, MN, surrounded by family.  She will be greatly missed.  A great-grandson voiced, “God will be happy!”

Mass of Christian Burial will be on Saturday, March 17, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church Chokio, MN.  Celebrating the Mass will be: Fr. John Paul Knopik, Celebrant; and Fr. David Breu, Con-Celebrant.  Visitation will be held on Friday, March 16, 2018, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church from 5-7 p.m., with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service on Saturday.  Burial will be at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery.

Evelyn Ida Ahlers was born on March 26, 1926, to Joseph and Pauline (Bricher) Ahlers at her home on the family farm in Moody County, SD.

Evelyn attended and graduated high school from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Dell Rapids, SD.  After high school, she pursued nurse’s training in Mitchell, SD.  She encountered many types of patients; she even tended to some of the four-legged variety!

Her future husband, Ambrose Schwebach, tormented her in grade school.  There is a rumor of a young, light-haired Evelyn chasing a slightly larger, black-haired Ambrose around the school room with a book.  The two eventually fell in love and were married on September 2, 1948, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Dell Rapids.  After 47 years of marriage, Ambrose passed away in 1995.

The couple lived west of Graceville for five years, then bought a farm four and one-half miles east of Collis, MN.  This union was blessed with six children: Shirley, James, Paula, Joanne, Jeanne, and Thomas.  She was an active member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Collis.  She was on the church council until 1988. After the church closed, they began attending St. Mary’s in Chokio.

Evelyn always had a big garden. She utilized her perfect aim with her .22 to keep the rabbits out.  She canned massive amounts of fruits and vegetables from her garden.  The canned goods were used to feed her family, hired men, and anybody else her husband would bring to the house.  She baked bread weekly and made the best pies.  Evelyn was an excellent seamstress who made many of her own patterns.  At an early age, her daughters learned to sew straight or redo it.

Evelyn loved to crochet and made many beautiful doilies and angels.  She was a member of St. Mary’s Guild and Christian Women’s Club.  She enjoyed her weekly craft group meetings. They sold their crafts at the annual bazaar. Evelyn was a dedicated member of the church choir.  She could often be heard humming or singing as she worked around the house or farm.

Evelyn is survived by her children: Shirley (John) Tritz of Dumont, MN; Paula (Ed) Baxter of Graceville, MN; Joanne (Dale) Marihart of Dumont, MN; Jeanne (Chuck) Meidl of Barrett, MN; and Thomas (Roxanne) Schwebach of Fennimore, WI; daughter-in-law, Renee Schwebach of Dumont, MN; many grandchildren; many great-grandchildren; brothers: Joe, Vince, and Arn; sister, Marce Rave; sister-in-law, Wilma; and many nieces and nephews.

She was proceeded in death by her parents: Joseph and Pauline Ahlers; husband, Ambrose; son, James; grandsons: Nicholas and Isaiah; and her brothers: Sylvester, Don, and Jerome.