Eileen Ann Howe

Eileen Ann Howe, of Menomonie, passed away peacefully Wednesday morning, September 30, 2026. She was born on July 19, 1931, to Ann and Edward Hofacker in the town of Elmwood.

Eileen was a 1949 graduate of Elmwood High School. Always a woman of action and one who valued a strong work ethic, Eileen held a variety of positions after graduation. Those jobs included working at the hospital in Plum City, Parker Pen Company in Menomonie, and the Sears department store in St. Paul.

On July 8, 1952, Eileen married Maurice Howe at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Menomonie. The story goes that Eileen and Maurice met at the wedding dance of Maurice’s brother, Eugene. Apparently, Maurice swept Eileen off her feet; Eileen claimed that she dated Maurice because he had a car. The rest is history.

Eileen and Maurice settled in Menomonie after their marriage and eventually started Menomonie Transportation with one school bus. The couple raised two children, Tom and David. Both boys claimed their “favorite” job during the summer was washing and waxing the buses. Eileen drove school bus for 20 years, transporting students safely to and from school and occasionally to the local DQ.

In addition to driving bus, Eileen was a well-known and respected landlord in Menomonie up until the time of her death. Well into her 90s, Eileen remained actively engaged in her rental business and could most likely tell you with accuracy the name and address of a tenant from decades ago. Hundreds of Menomonie residents and UW-Stout students rented apartments and homes from Eileen during the years.

Eileen was a member of the Moose Lodge and a long-time and devoted member of St. Joseph Catholic Church. She was also a dedicated shopper at the Menomonie Farmers’ Market. If you knew Eileen well, you knew that she had a knack for finding wonderful homemade bakery not only at the farmers’ market but at bakeries within a wide radius of the Menomonie area.

Eileen and Maurice enjoyed traveling to many parts of the United States with family and friends. Some of Eileen’s best memories were of road trips taken with Maurice, her sister and brother, and their spouses. After retiring, Eileen and Maurice enjoyed spending the winter months in North Ft. Myers, Florida. Closer to home, Eileen thoroughly enjoyed hosting or attending gatherings of family and friends. Inquisitive by nature, Eileen enjoyed chats with family, friends, and others she met during her days “out and about.” Never at a loss for words, she was able to draw almost anyone into her conversational “orbit.”

Eileen is survived by her son, Tom (Joanne) of Sheboygan; her daughter-in-law, Lori; her grandson, Ryan (Alicia) and children Carson and Carmen; and her grandson, Kyle (Brooke) and children Elena, Eva, and Isabella. She is further survived by her sister, Marlys Robole of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota; her sister-in-law, Shirley Hofacker of Altoona; as well as much-loved nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

In addition to her parents and husband, Eileen was preceded in death by her son, David; her brother, James Hofacker; and her brother-in-law, Robert Robole.

A visitation for Eileen will be held on Sunday, October 11, at Rhiel Funeral Home ~ Menomonie from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church on Monday, October 12, at 11:00 a.m. with visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to St. Joseph Catholic School, St. Joseph Catholic Church, or an organization of the donor’s choice.

Eileen’s family expresses heartfelt thanks to the many people in the Menomonie community who have assisted and supported Eileen during the past few years. Whether you stopped by for a visit, drove Eileen to the farmers’ market or grocery store or went for a “joy ride,” fixed anything and everything Eileen needed fixed, or dropped off a piece of Eileen’s favorite bakery (which was almost any kind of bakery!), please know your friendship was a precious gift to Eileen and to her entire family. Thank you.

To share a memory, please visit Obituaries at www.rhielfuneralhome.com