Evelyn Herwegh's Obituary
Pennsylvania Born
Evelyn’s story began one Sunday in the fall of October 1942. She was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, a peaceful part of a world at war. Life was difficult for the family which grew to include four girls and one boy. Little ‘Evey’ learned early that family was number one.
Her loving nature attracted a young man into her life and it wasn’t long before she and Alfred Ayers were married. The pair became parents to Diane and Alfred, Jr who grew up to use his middle name Dave. When the children were young, Evey worked in the office at Ball and Ball Brass, Exton, PA.
In hopes of improving his severe arthritis and her asthma, Alfred moved the family to El Paso, Texas in 1979. Their daughter Diane, a sophomore upon arrival in the state, finished high school in Texas. After 22 years of marriage the couple divorced but remained friends.
Child Centric
Evelyn’s biological children, Diane and Dave, were joined by Jasen and James, her chosen children through adoption. She loved and nurtured all four of her children; her world revolved around them. Whenever she could, Evelyn went the extra mile to demonstrate her strong connection to her children. At times she and her young daughter wore hand sewn matching outfits – a public declaration of caring. As her children grew up and had kids of their own, she became a wonderful and proud grandparent.
Career Foster Mom
Foster a child, change a life! Evelyn took that phrase to heart. Prior to moving to Washington, she was a member of the Texas State Foster Parent Board travelling to various venues to attend meetings and conferences. Evie was a model foster parent who devoted many years to caring for drug addicted infants. Starting in 1994 in Washington she worked for Catholic Community Services. After babies were released from the Pediatric Interim Care Unit in Kent for drug addicted babies, Evie brought the babies into her home. She would assist recovered birth parents to reunite with their child or bridge the gap to appropriate adoptive homes. Evie truly cared about each child and family member, doing her best to remain active in their lives.
Life’s Delights
A fondness for interacting with people served Evelyn well when she worked for Wal-Mart’s customer service department. Her favorite past time, when she wasn’t babysitting or working outside the home, was searching through thrift shops in her quest to add items to her various collections. Perhaps she would find several Harlequin romance novels which she enjoyed reading or a figurine called Poppin’ Fresh, the Pillsbury Doughboy that she loved so much.
Television was important to her, especially daytime soap operas such as General Hospital, One Life to Live and All My Children. She loved to share all the details of a program with anyone she talked with on the telephone after a particular episode. The evenings were spent watching ice skating, Wheel of Fortune, Little House on the Prairie and The Walton’s.
Evelyn also had a love for food. Her favorite types of food were Mexican, preferring both chicken enchiladas with green chili sauce and chili rellenos; to her the dishes tasted better when her daughter was the cook. She also enjoyed time spent in the kitchen creating wedding or birthday cakes for family and friends to admire and devour.
While Evie’s hands were skilled in baking, they were also skilled in crafts. Whether it was making fancy photo album covers, crocheting afghans, baby sweaters, booties, and scarves or crafting dried flower arrangements, Evie was adept at producing something lovely to delight the intended recipient.
Evelyn had a place in her heart for old country music and its stars. Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, Willey Nelson and Kenny Rogers - she loved them all. A true fan of Kenny Rogers, what a treat it was to see him perform live one Christmas in New Mexico!
Friend
The generous and forgiving spirit with which she was blessed made her an exceptional friend. Evelyn was very outgoing, and because of her friendly nature, she had no shortage of friends, including those she had cultivated since the first grade. She was always willing to help others, sometimes to a fault; she would give the shirt off her back or money out of her wallet if someone else had a greater need. She didn’t hesitate to welcome friends or family with open arms to stay under her roof especially in times of trouble. According to her friend Paula there was “no one on this earth that was a better friend.” Evelyn continued to make friends toward the end of her life during her stay at Orchard Park in Tacoma, WA and Manor Care in Puyallup, WA.
Legacy
Christmas, the celebration of the birth of an extraordinary child, was Evelyn’s favorite holiday. Evelyn was a kind and loving Christian woman who took the words, “Let the little children come to me,” to heart and she did her part; to her every child was special. She was tough, stubborn and independent – traits that served her well through asthma attacks, multiple strokes, injuries and raising children. Evelyn made a difference in so many lives because she considered children and family her number one priority. The relationships with the children and families she fostered over the years were important and formed cherished memories for her. Most of all, Evelyn treasured her four children, Diane, Dave, Jasen and James, her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
What’s your fondest memory of Evelyn?
What’s a lesson you learned from Evelyn?
Share a story where Evelyn's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Evelyn you’ll never forget.
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