Susan Diane Roenfeldt-Schwager

life story

Loving Mother and Grandmother

"I love you to the moon and back"

About Sue

Susan Diane Roenfeldt-Schwager, born May 3rd, 1951 in Davenport, Iowa passed away on May 22nd, 2025 in St. Louis Park, Minnesota at the age of 74, with her children by her side, from renal failure.

Sue grew up in Davenport, Iowa, with her father, Robert Roenfeldt, and mother, Marge Roenfeldt (née Haigh) and her sister, Barb Callison (née Roenfeldt). The family owned multiple local businesses such as the Milk Route for Michael Dairy, Roenfeldt Food Products, 3rd and Fillmore Laundry, Rockingham Laundry, Northgate Laundry and the first coin car wash west of the Mississippi, Rockingham Coin Car Wash. Sue had many fond memories growing up, traveling the country with her family, playing sports with her father, spending time with extended family on the Mississippi and teasing her sister endlessly for attention. Sue attended Johnson Elementary, where her father started the Easter Hat Parade that lasted well beyond her years in school. Sue graduated from West High School with the class of 1969 and has remained in touch with many over the years who will miss her greatly.

Sue received her bachelor's degree for Interior Design from Ray-Vogue Schools in downtown Chicago, just blocks from the Sears Tower (now Willis Tower) and made lifelong friends with whom she continued to stay in touch with often. She also continued on the family tradition of being a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, and passed it along to her children and grandchildren.

She married Robert John Schwager (Bob) on October 11, 1975 and had two children, Jennifer Kelli Schwager (Jenny, formerly Padilla) age 44, and Jonathan Robert Schwager (John), age 42. During her marriage, they lived at the Park Ranger property at West Lake Park in Davenport, Iowa from 1976 - 1980. In 1980 they moved to Sullivan, Wisconsin at The Bark River Game Preserve. Her mom took up driving to come visit often. In 1984, Sue moved back to Davenport, Iowa with her two children, divorcing in 1985.

After moving back to Davenport, Sue worked for several advertising/print agencies but thrived when she became a freelancer and collaborated with friends and colleagues under The Creative DepARTment. In this role, she had large accounts with John Deere, John Deere Credit and Wells Fargo. It was during this time she became a proud homeowner on Elsie Ave.

As a single mother, Sue took on the sole responsibility of her children, whom she encouraged, taught a strong work ethic to, had fun with and showed her unconditional love always. She strived to put them first in everything she did and they were her life from beginning until the end. She had always allowed her friends to become family, and spent many holidays and celebrations creating lasting memories, particularly in basements, playing The Beach Boys. She loved taking road trips with her kids and her mom and traveled all around the mid-west for day trips or overnight trips.

She loved and encouraged her daughter through the military, school, her marriage, children and school again. She was John’s number one supporter for all of the sports he watched and played growing up and then became his biggest fan of his YouTube channel focusing on hiking and camping on the North Shore of Minnesota and surrounded herself with his photos on her walls.

In 2004, Sue moved for work, with John, to White Bear Lake, Minnesota and later to Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Minnesota became her home and she took pride in the teams, the people, and the land. She became a proud Minnesotan.

Some of her favorite musicians were The Beach Boys, Elvis and The Beatles, her favorite movies were anything with Rock Hudson and Doris Day, the Gidget movies and White Christmas. Some of her favorite shows were M.A.S.H, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and The Jason Show. She also had a lot of fun watching The Chrisley’s with Dominick and the Gilmore Girls with Kaitlyn.

In 2006 and in 2010 she welcomed her grandchildren into the world, Dominick Padilla and Kaitlyn Padilla and visited them often in Southern California until they moved here in 2016. She loved them fiercely and was part of all of their milestones and planned on many more. They were the love of her life. She played an active role in raising them, taking them on walks, going to the pool and helping them with homework from 2016 - 2024 when she left to be in an assisted living home. Suite Living Eden Prairie was a new facility that provided the extra care she needed and good friends and wonderful caretakers that made a real impact in her life.

Sue cared deeply for family and friends, keeping people and memories alive. She loved being the connection over the years and keeping in touch with everyone. She spoke daily with her best friend and sister, Barb. With her love of family and her father’s gift of helping her restore an old trunk brought over with the family from Germany, she began to gather information on her family tree as a teenager. Genealogy was one of her most beloved hobbies. She has some of the lineage traced back to 720 A.D. She had said “I love the hunt... I love the research and I love connecting things with history in general.”

Sue is survived by her daughter Jennifer Kelli Schwager (Jenny, formerly Padilla), son Jonathan Robert Schwager (John), grandson Dominick Graciano Padilla, granddaughter Kaitlyn Navil Padilla all of Eden Prairie, Minnesota,her sister, Barb Callison (née Roenfeldt), and her husband, Jim, of East Moline, Illinois. She also leaves her niece, Sally Langan, and her son, Joshua Osborn; and her nephew, Michael Langan (Mike), and his wife, Tammy. Sue also leaves behind many other beloved family members and friends who will miss her dearly. She was deeply loved and will live on forever in their hearts.

Sue is preceded in death by her parents, Robert (Bob) Ray Roenfeldt and Marjorie (Marge) Ruth Haigh and her grandparents Mary Grace Haigh (Grace, formerly Taylor), Walter Ben Haigh, Celia Roenfeldt (Ceal, formerly Johannsen) and Peter Roenfeldt (Pete).

Following a private cremation, the family plans to hold a memorial to celebrate her life on Memorial Day weekend, 2026.

memorial service

Celebration of Life/Memorial

May 24, 2026

Davenport Memorial Park 1022 E 39th St, Davenport, IA 52807, USA

Following a private cremation, the family plans to hold a memorial to celebrate her life on Memorial Day weekend, 2026.

Funeral/Cremation Provider: Crescent Tide Cremation Services