Chester David "Chet" Schwerd

Chester David “Chet” Schwerd, 78, of Meridian passed away Wednesday, March 26, 2025. Mr. Schwerd was a son of the late Edward Preston “Ed” Schwerd and Edith Alta Schwerd. Mr. Schwerd was born on November 30, 1946, in Portland, Oregon.

Mr. Schwerd attended Meridian High School. Chet’s father, Ed Schwerd, founded and built Meridian Meat Packers from the ground up in the 1950’s with his children at his side. Chet continued the family business and prided himself on the unique family recipes for pepperoni and jerky. The plant processed beef, wild game and poultry. During the holiday season thousands of local families enjoyed smoked hams and turkeys over the years. Chet enjoyed the labor-intensive work, but most importantly he loved working with the next generation and sharing the family recipes and techniques to ensure his family legacy continued. While many small, family-owned businesses have been replaced by large, national corporations, Ed’s Western Style Beef products are still shipped nationwide from the Treasure Valley and a fourth generation of the Schwerd family is now active in the company.

Chet loved being outdoors when he wasn’t working. Whether he was chopping wood with his kids in the mountains to heat their home in winter, playing in and winning tennis tournaments into his 60’s, water skiing at Lucky Peak Reservoir and Warm Lake or snow skiing on Idaho’s beautiful mountains, he loved the outdoors and loved sharing time with his family in these activities. He was a runner who completed marathons and the famous Race to Robie Creek billed as the “Toughest Race in the Northwest.” Chet spent years pretending to be an old curmudgeon, but everyone knew he was a teddy bear and a big kid at heart who loved competition and having fun in everything he did.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Jane Elizabeth “Liz” Porter Schwerd, his brother Edward “Bud” Schwerd and his sister Nola Sharon Schwerd Lee.

Mr. Schwerd is survived by his daughter, Tara Ann Hinson (Paul) of West Columbia, SC and his son, James Michael “Jamie” Schwerd (Korey) of Nampa, Idaho; grandsons Matthew Hinson (Cecilia) and Michael Hinson both of Columbia, SC; granddaughters Dayna Schwerd and Anna Schwerd both of Meridian, Idaho; brother Charles “Chuck” Schwerd of Glendale, Arizona and numerous nephews, nieces and cousins.

Please join the family at a Celebration of Life drop-in on Saturday, May 17, 2025, from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm at 2010 Cinebar Street, Boise, Idaho to share memories of a life well lived.

In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be made in memory of Chet to the Food Cupboard Fund at Cole Community Church, 8775 W Ustick Rd, Boise, ID 83704.