Eileen Marie Heiselmann

Eileen Marie (Plunkett) Heiselmann, aged 83, died peacefully on September 5, 2014, under the care of Hospice of Eastern Idaho at Fairwinds-Sandcreek Assisted Living in Idaho Falls, with family, friends, and caring staff at her side.

Eileen was born June 11, 1931 in Wadsworth, Ohio, the daughter of Edward and Irene Plunkett. Her family moved to Chicago, Illinois when she was eight years old, where she attended Catholic elementary and high schools, graduating from Alvernia Catholic Girl’s school in 1949.

She met her best friend and the love of her life, Harry William Heiselmann, while growing up in Chicago and they married on June 9, 1951. Shortly after that, Harry was drafted into the army during the Korean War, and she accompanied him to Huntsville, Alabama and to Pasadena, California where she worked as a staff assistant at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Eileen and Harry moved back to Chicago in 1954 after their service, bought their first house, and settled down to raise a family. Eileen’s generosity and commitment to family endured as she and Harry cared for their aging parents, started their own family of five children, and took in her younger brother after her parents passed.

Eileen could not resist the blue skies, fresh air, and mountains of Idaho when Harry was offered a job at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory in Idaho Falls in 1968. While raising her family, Eileen volunteered to teach physical education and helped with fund raising events at Holy Rosary Catholic Elementary school.

Eileen spent countless hours enthusiastically supporting her children at baseball, basketball, track, and football games. She enjoyed traveling, camping, boating, fishing, caring for her grand and great grandchildren, romance novels, cross word puzzles, and a good Manhattan with a shrimp cocktail!

Eileen is survived by her brother Timothy Edward Plunkett, and her four sons: Paul Heiselmann (wife Tara), John Heiselmann (wife Anne), Jim Heiselmann (wife Michele), and Bill Heiselmann. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Harry Heiselmann, and daughter Kathy Dial.

Eileen’s legacy of extended family includes eight grandchildren (Jay Heiselmann, Katy Howard, Laura Howard, Genni Youngstrom, Amanda Allen, Shannon Claver, Jennifer Cardon, and Owen Heiselmann) and twelve great grandchildren.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, September 12, 2014, at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, 145 9th Street in Idaho Falls, with Father Raul Covarrubias, celebrant. The burial will follow at Rose Hill Cemetery in Idaho Falls. A Rosary will be held from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. with a Visitation for family and friends from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. both on Thursday, September 11, 2014, at Buck-Miller-Hann Funeral Home, 825 E. 17th Street in Idaho Falls.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Hospice of Eastern Idaho, or to the Holy Rosary Catholic Elementary School scholarship fund. A special thanks to friend, companion and angel, Jeannie McDowell, for her loving and lasting care of Eileen in her twilight years.