Elijah Shaver

Elijah J. "Eli" Shaver, age 48, of Chilton died on Friday, January 9, 2026 at the Calumet Medical Center in Chilton. He was born March 8, 1977, son of Charles R. & Deborah J. (Ware) Shaver. He married Rosemary Schneider on August 5, 2000.

He is survived by his wife: Rosemary; his children: Jack Shaver, Lizzie Shaver and Gabe Shaver; his parents: Charles & Deborah Shaver; his siblings: Stacy (Alan) Rudig and Myhre (J.D.) Dorman; his parents-in-law: Steve & Kathy Schneider; and siblings-in-law: Jim Schneider, Anne (Jeff) Lisowe, David (Jessica) Schneider, and Joseph Schneider. He is further survived by aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.

A time of gathering will be from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm on Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at the Wieting Family Funeral Home (411 W. Main St.) in Chilton. There will also be a celebration of Eli's life later this summer and those details will follow as those details become available.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in the name of Elijah J. "Eli" Shaver to the Engler Center for the Performing Arts or the Chilton Public Library are greatly appreciated.

A complete obituary is forthcoming; please check back for more information.

Some people arrive loud.
Others arrive steady.
Eli arrived like ground beneath your feet
and somehow made you feel taller for standing there.

He was kindness with a backbone,
inclusion with intention,
a brilliant mind that never needed to dominate to be heard.
He could stand in a crowd of opposing voices
and speak clearly, calmly,
moving the needle not with force
but with reason and care.

Rock solid.
That’s how we knew him.
Unshaken by hard questions,
never afraid of the work it takes
to make humanity lean a little more toward good.

He explained things the way good teachers do,
not to prove he knew more,
but to help you understand.
And somehow, you always left the conversation
feeling smarter, steadier,
and more hopeful than when you arrived.

Eli smiled.
Always.
In theaters and grocery aisles,
on bikes and behind cameras,
in passing moments and gathered ones.
He had that rare gift
of making strangers feel like friends
and friends feel like family.

And when he was with his family
oh, how he beamed.
Pride gentle and radiant,
arms full of love,
children and Rosemary tucked close,
as if the world made sense right there
and nowhere else mattered more.

He loved music, took his own path,
played guitar, built fires for kids to gather around,
and somehow understood people
before they fully understood themselves.
He made room.
He made space.
He made you feel like someone.

This loss is immeasurable.
A hole torn in the fabric of this community,
one that cannot be filled,
only held.

But his influence remains.
In the way we explain instead of argue.
In the way we stand steady when it’s hard.
In the way we gather children close to warmth and light.
In the way we choose kindness
even when our hearts ache.

We will carry him forward.
We will use the strength of character he inspired
to care for those he loved most.
And we will remember Eli
not only for who he was,
but for who he helped all of us become.

***a compilation of memories from family and friends, composed by our dear friend Jenie Farrell.