Eileen Mara Zwinger
Eileen Mara Zwinger was born in St. Paul, Minn., on July 20, 1926, to Roy and Betty Churchward.
She went peacefully home to her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on March 11, 2011 from the ECF in Bonners Ferry, Idaho.
A memorial service will be held for Eileen on Saturday, March 19, 2011, at 1 p.m. at Community Fellowship Church on Ash St. in Bonners Ferry.
Eileen was working at an auto dealership when she met the love of her life Frank Zwinger. The couple was married on Jan. 25, 1947.
Their son Steven and daughter Kathleen were born in St. Paul, Minn. Shortly after, the Zwinger family, including Frank's parents, siblings and their families moved to southern California where Eileen and Frank welcomed another daughter, Lynda.
Eileen kept busy as a wife and mother until the death of her beloved Frank on March 21, 1966. At that time, as a young widow with little work experience and teenagers to raise, Eileen put herself through college and earned her medical records degree.
She moved to Escondido, Calif., where she worked in the medical records field until 1984 when she moved to Bonners Ferry to be near her son and his family. In Bonners Ferry, she worked at the Boundary County Community Hospital in the Medical Records Department for about 10 years until her retirement.
Eileen opened Zwinger Ceramics shortly before her retirement and her whole basement was filled with the tools of her hobby. She taught 4-H Ceramics and as a special keepsake for her children and grandchildren made each of them a porcelain doll.
She was known for her wonderful smile and her generous and caring heart. She was a member of Community Fellowship Church faithfully attending from 1984 until a couple years before her death when she was no longer physically able to attend services.
She developed a love for card making, and whenever she learned of someone in her family, her church family, or someone she knew in the community who was sick, having a birthday, or just needing a word of encouragement, she would send them a card.
She was the "birthday lady" for CFC's Awana ministry and many Awana clubbers received her cheery cards for their special day.
Eileen also loved gardening. Many a late winter, Eileen would be pouring over the Springhill catalog or a vegetable seed catalog, planning what she would get for the coming spring. She had a beautiful rose garden and often spent early mornings and warm evenings sitting on her porch with her cats, Jack and later Shadow, enjoying her flowers.
She loved her Lord, she loved His word, and loved Ladies Bible Study which she faithfully attended until her health prevented it.
She also was a valiant prayer warrior, and prayed faithfully for her children, grandchildren, and the many others she heard about who needed prayer.
Eileen is survived by her son, Steven (Diane) of Bonners Ferry, daughter, Kathy McPherson (Jerry) of Naples, Idaho, daughter Lynda Lloyd of Magalia, California, and grandchildren: Sarah Zwinger of Waynesburg, Pa.; Frank Zwinger (Kelli) of Hayden, Idaho; Kristen Zwinger of Bonners Ferry; Tina (Matt) Matson of Chino Hills, Calif.; Jim Parker (Mary) of Lake Elsinore, Calif.; Robert and Sierra Lloyd of Magalia, Calif., and great-grandchildren: Katelyn, Jason, Brandon, Nadia, Christian, and Mason, and numerous nieces and nephews and their families.
Eileen was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Roy; husband, Frank; son-in-law, Ken; and grandson, Ben.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Community Fellowship Church's Building Fund, P.O. Box 1164, Bonners Ferry, Idaho 83805
Family and friends are invited to sign Eileen’s book at www.bonnersferryfuneralhome.com Arrangements are entrusted to the care of Bonners Ferry Funeral Home.