Eileen Sawtelle

Eileen was the beloved wife of the late Peter G. Sawtelle, Sr.; cherished mother of Debora (John) Kaemmerer, Peter G. Sawtelle, Jr., and Dawnalyn (Joshua) Rodriguez; devoted Yia-Yia of Nathalie (Brendan Lavell) Kaemmerer Lavell and Jaden Kaemmerer; dear sister of Walter (Sylvia) Kyllonen, dear aunt, cousin, and a friend to many in her lifetime.

Eileen enjoyed playing card games with her family, specifically trying to beat them at Five Crowns. Her biggest Five Crowns accomplishment was not a win, but a complete tie between all players.

Eileen’s passion aside from her family was gardening and flowers. She enjoyed strolls around the Missouri Botanical Garden, took pride in the lush garden at her home, and sent her family on hikes to take pictures of her favorite wildflowers. Roses were her favorite. She always kept one in her home to honor her beloved husband, Peter.

Eileen retired from the Parkway School District as a special education assistant, where she instituted a program that taught empathy towards students with special needs.

Eileen’s retirement was filled with adventurous travels around the globe. She embarked on domestic quests to visit family and friends along with international journeys to far-flung locales such as India, where she rode an elephant. She traveled often to various countries in Europe, including her ancestral homeland of Finland. Eileen loved taking special trips with each of her children and grandchildren, one by one.

Eileen was fiercely proud of her Finnish heritage. She loved telling anyone who would listen that she was 100% Finnish. She embodied the Finnish concept of sisu and instilled it in everything she did and everyone she loved.

A Memorial Visitation will be Saturday, May 10 at Hoffmeister Colonial Mortuary, 6464 Chippewa Street, Saint Louis MO 63109, from 12 noon until 2pm. The Memorial Service will commence at 2pm.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Eileen's memory to the Missouri Botanical Gardens or The Humane Society of St. Louis would be greatly appreciated by her family.

Please leave a fond memory of Eileen for her family to cherish at the "Add a Memory" link below.