Rita Swinghamer

Rita was born to Bernard and Helen (Miller) Soller on July 5, 1925, in La Crosse, WI. She was united in marriage to Walter Patrick Swinghamer on April 22, 1950. They were married for 40 wonderful years.

Rita had a very full life with her family and nursing career. She ended her nursing career by serving as Head Nurse in Labor and Delivery at St. Francis Hospital in

La Crosse. She delivered quite a few babies that came too quickly for the OB doctor to arrive in time for! She always remembered the prematurely delivered baby the OB nurses nicknamed Peanut, who survived a delivery at 6 months gestation. That was pretty miraculous in those days.

Most recently, Rita resurrected her passion for her nursing roots. She spent the last couple years studying about the US Cadet Nursing Corps, through which she and countless other women received their nursing educations. They staffed hospitals throughout the US during World War II. This year, she was instrumental in bringing a group of surviving Cadet Nurses together to pay them honor, with much help and support by Shirley Harrow (Quincy, MA) and Elsie Szecsy (Tempe, AZ), and Louis and Jim of the La Crosse VFW. It was her wish that these nurses be recognized for their service to our country before they go to their ultimate rewards. She was responsible for getting the La Crosse, WI Mayor Kabat and Wisconsin Governor Walker to make official Proclamations which honored Wisconsin (and Tri-State) Cadet Nurses in May and July 2013, respectively.

In May 2013, she had the unbelievable honor of going on a Freedom Honor Flight to the Washington, DC WWII Memorial and was able to visit the Women in Military Service for America Memorial.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Wally, parents Bernard and Helen, and 5 little angels that didnt survive pregnancies. She is survived by daughter, Sandy (Dan) Fanning, 6 step grandchildren and 7 step great grandchildren; and son, Jim (Kim) Swinghamer, and granddaughters Erin and Kelly. She is also survived by a brother Victor Soller; sisters, Mary E. Davy and Patricia (Tom) Taylor; and many nieces and nephews!

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday, October 19, 2013 at the Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman in La Crosse. Rev. Charles Stoetzel and Rev. John Swing will officiate. Entombment will follow in the St. Francis of Assisi Mausoleum at the Catholic Cemetery La Crosse. Friends may call at the Schumacher-Kish Funeral and Cremation Services La Crosse chapel, 200 West Ave. South on Friday evening from 6:00 until 8:00 pm and again at the church on Saturday from 9am until the time of Mass. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Viterbo University for the St. Francis School of Nursing Scholarship Fund in Ritas memory.