Carl E. Swoboda Jr.

Carl E. Swoboda Jr. was born on Oct. 13, 1920, the second child to his parents: Carl Earl Swoboda and Anna Martha Bucher Swoboda.  

He spent most of his life in Cairo: educated at St. Joseph School and St. Joseph High School and then  he graduated from The David Rankin Jr. Mechanical Traders School in St. Louis, where he was educated in mechanical design and refrigeration.  

He served in World War II as a technical sergeant, 35th Combat Engineer Regiment and helped build the Alaska-Canada highway that is still used today.  

Everybody knows Mr. Carl as the Maytag Man in Cairo, where he operated his store on Commercial Avenue from the late 1940s with the help of his sister Dorothy and brother-in-law, John Milford, and then alone with his wife, Elsie Mae, until he retired in 2012.  

He was an avid golfer and was awarded the Spirit of the Harvest-Connell Cup at the Egyptian Country Club in Mounds.

He was also a member of the Elks Club in Cairo and enjoyed the Thursday night dinners and fellowship. 

Also, he was a devout Catholic and sang vigorously in the choir at St. Patrick’s Church until it disbanded.  

Finally, he was an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan, which he enjoyed his whole  life.

Mr. Swoboda was married for 60 years to Elsie Mae Hudson Swoboda, until she died in 2009.  

They had one child, Carl Edward Swoboda Jr., who resides in Germantown, Tenn. His grandchildren are Mary Jane Swoboda Matthies (Steven) of Memphis, Anthony Carl Swoboda (Sara) of Germantown and Timothy Carl Swoboda (Christina) of Ladera Ranch, Calif.

He was blessed with seven great-grandchildren:  Olivia and Ava Matthies; Violet, Charles and Alexander Swoboda; and Savannah and John Carl Swoboda.  

Mr. Swoboda had been living in Germantown with his son since 2017 and got to enjoy all of these offspring in his final years.  

He died on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021.

Graveside services were at Green Lawn Memorial Gardens Villa Ridge on Saturday, Nov. 13, at 11 a.m., with Father Chris Mujule officiating.

The family requests with gratitude that memorials may be made in the form of Masses to St. Patrick’s Church of Cairo.

Crain Funeral Home in Cairo was in charge of arrangements.

To view the obituary or to leave online condolences for the family, visit www.crainsonline.com.