Erin Austin

Erin Marie Austin passed away peacefully on her 45th birthday, December 12, 2024, at Mayo Hospital in La Crosse, Wisconsin, after a brief illness.

Erin was born on December 12, 1979, in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, the only daughter of Tom and Jackie Syens. She grew up in the village of Cambria and attended Cambria Friesland Schools and Randolph Christian Grade School before graduating from Central Wisconsin Christian High School in Waupun. Erin was confirmed at the First Presbyterian Church in Cambria, where she attended services with her family.

After high school, Erin moved to Madison, where she married Michael Austin. Following her father’s passing in 2007, Erin relocated to Tomah with her children. There, she and her mother established a state-licensed adult family home to care for veterans with serious mental illnesses. Although Erin earned an Associate’s degree in Human Resources from Western Technical College in 2017, she chose to dedicate her life to raising her children and continuing her work of compassion and care in the foster home.

Smart, funny, sweet, and loyal, Erin was a kind and gentle soul. She had a passion for travel, especially visiting her brother and his wife in Colorado, and she made it a priority to share the joy of travel with her children. Erin was a talented baker and an avid reader, often finding solace in her books. Above all, she was a loving and devoted mother, sister, daughter, and friend, who will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

Erin is survived by her three beloved children, Olivia (“Bean”) Austin and Thomas Austin, both of Tomah, and Johanna (“Josie”) Glenn of Madison; her devoted mother, Jacqueline (“Jackie”) Smedema Syens of Tomah; her dear sisters-in-law, Vanessa Haakensen of Colorado and Christina Stachowski of Kewaskum; her cherished nephews, two in Wisconsin and three in Colorado; as well as uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends.

Erin was preceded in death by her loving father, Thomas Syens, in February 2007; her beloved brother and lifelong best friend, Tim Syens, in March 2024; a special uncle, two aunts, and her grandparents.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 11, 2025 at 12 noon at First Presbyterian Church in Cambria. Visitation will be held on Saturday at the church from 11 a.m. until the time of service.