Eileen was the first of 5 children born to Florence (Bosselman) and John Bader in St. Paul, Nebraska. From early on she absorbed the pragmatism, humility and profound Lutheran faith of her German-American ancestors. As a child, she took on responsibility for her younger siblings, including during an extended illness of her mother. After high school, she served as a nanny for 2 energetic boys for an Omaha family, whose house was a setting for the movie “About Schmidt.” Following her graduation from nursing school in Grand Island, she enlisted in the Army and was initially sent to Denver, Colorado. Her train ride to Denver proved eventful when she came down with a serious kidney disorder that required the surgical removal of a kidney. After recovering she was sent to Fort Riley, Kansas.
Perusing a photo of Eileen in her military uniform at Fort Riley, during WW II, you see why she was nicknamed “Betty”— she bore a striking resemblance to Betty Davis. A favorite story of hers was that she (a lieutenant) would occasionally encounter young, male “non-coms” who would cross the street to avoid saluting her. Undaunted, she’d cross back over the street so they had to perform the required salute.
It’s not surprising that a young dentist, Dr. Robert (Bob) Chapin, was smitten with her gentle ways and beauty. A photograph of their war-time wedding shows a stunning bride dressed in white and her handsome groom in his military uniform slicing a cake for their Fort Riley friends.
After the war, Eileen and Bob moved to Omaha, where Eileen’s baking, cooking, meticulous housekeeping skills, and volunteerism became legendary. Raising her two rambunctious boys, Charles and Bill, became a central focus in her life along with the family’s attendance at the Lutheran Church. Eileen became renowned for washing and “mangling” the church’s altar linens—a volunteer project that saved the church thousands of dollars. Once, the church got an outside estimate of the cost of professional laundering and gave her a renewed respect for her diligent efforts.
For more than 2 decades, Eileen also became a highly regarded volunteer at the Immanuel Lutheran Hospital in northwest Omaha. She thrived on keeping active and helping others.
It was at their nearby brick rambler, which she and Bob built to suit their classic tastes, that Eileen became known for her hallmark cooking of Parker House rolls, croissants, chocolate chip cookies, pies, cakes, roast beef, all, healthy, delicious, often Betty Crocker meals that she prepared daily for the men in her life along with other family and friends.
After the boys had finished their respective medical and legal studies, and moved on; and just as Bob was about to retire, he developed cancer. Again, Eileen relied on her now rusty nursing skills, but she was determined to care for him at home. Eileen lost the love and anchor of her life when Bob died at the age of 71. For nearly 3 decades, Eileen lived independently in Omaha. Her sister, Linda not only a sib but a true loving friend and source of guidance , often took her to plays and excursions to visit family in St. Paul or to Roxanne and Pam’s family’s in Omaha. When came the time to move to a new locale she noted just how much she would be missing her former neighbors; the feeling was mutual.
When Eileen moved from her home to a retirement community, the realtor who came to discuss listing the house was astounded. She said she’d never seen a home of that age that was so immaculately clean.
Eileen took on the role of independent living, packing herself with remarkable diligence and thoughtfulness. Nieces Roxanne and Pam and their husbands Jim and Rick pitched in and helped her re-organize her new apartment. When the time came for her to move to Lincoln to be closer to her son, Bill, and his partner, Jane, and her granddaughter, Katie, Eileen accepted the transition gracefully into life at The Landing. She made friends and adapted to a new church, located a short distance down the hall from her apartment, where Pastor Rene understood her needs and sustained her faith in Christ with frequent devotions.
We will miss Eileen. We will think of her renowned cleaning, her scrumptious cookies, always a different kind, her mouth watering meals, and her exquisitely set table. We’ll miss hearing all of the nice things she said of others. Most of all we will miss the humility, goodness, and kindness that was a profound part of her personality and deep faith.
Eileen Chapin is survived by her 2 sons, Charles (Brenda) and Bill (Jane) Chapin; her granddaughter, Katie Chapin; grandsons Tony and Joseph Demma; her sister, Linda Etherton, many nieces and nephews. Eileen enjoyed her time at many functions with her sister Linda and her nieces Roxanne and Pam and their husbands and families.
Visitation Monday 1:00 PM till service time. Funeral Service 2:00 PM Monday ( 6/5/2017 ) at Pacific Hills Lutheran Church 1110 S. 90th St., Memorials to Pacific Hill Lutheran Church & Monarch Hospice in Lincoln. Interment Hillcrest Memorial Park.
