Schweer was born on April 28, 1896, in
Ocheyedan, Iowa, and moved to Crete Township in 1905. She attended Trinity Lutheran School, where she took classes in
German, and Miles Business College. Schweer became a
pilot and later trained
World War II pilots. Schweer's husband, Arthur F. Schweer, held the position of tax collector from its creation in 1933 until his death in 1965; they married in 1923 and he had previously served as
Crete's fire chief. During her later years, she was reluctant to run although agreed once nominated. Schweer was a lifelong
Republican and frequently attended
Will County Republican Party events. She was also active in the Crete Historical Society, and drove until shortly before her death. Schweer was also known for her elegant manner of dress; in one incident in 2001 she arrived late to her swearing-in ceremony because her shoes and purse did not match. A friend described her, saying, "Emma was such a refined lady. She always dressed like she was going to church. Toward the end, she had some loss of hearing, but she was very lucid. She read a lot and knew everything that was going on around the world." Due to her position as the country's oldest elected politician, Schweer received national media attention in 2001, and was featured in the
National Enquirer. She died on July 25, 2001, at St. James Hospital in
Chicago Heights, Illinois, at the age of 105. ==Electoral history==