Irene A. Schwinghammer, 78, Waite Park

September 15, 1943 - May 1, 2022

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 7, 2022, at St. Nicholas Catholic Church for Irene A. Schwinghammer, age 78, who died Sunday at her home. Burial will be in the parish cemetery. A visitation will be from 9:00 -10:30 a.m. Saturday morning in the church.

Irene was born on September 12, 1943, in Freeport, MN to Ambrose and Arlene (Butkowski) Finken. She married Michael Schwinghammer on September 16, 1967, in Sacred Heart Church, Freeport, MN. Irene worked at the St. Cloud Hospital before raising her eight children. She loved to do gardening, bird watching, quilting, and caring for animals. Irene’s favorite time of the year was Spring, when she could plant flowers.

She is survived by her husband, Michael; her eight children, Todd (Melissa) Schwinghammer, Vicki (Shawn) Welle, Tammy Schwinghammer (Louie Lorentz), Margo Schwinghammer (Jon Freer), Marcia (Mac) Brady, Michelle (Chris) Brown, Sandy (Dan) Babcock, Michael Schwinghammer, Jr.; siblings, Rita Sunder, Ralph Finken, Roger Finken and Betty Kurr; 10 grandchildren, Kailey, Owen, Nathan, Eli, Lauren, Andrew, Megan, Liam, Maxwell, and Hope.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Millie Voight.