No. 124, January, 2010
Journal
Evelyn's Wisconsin Funeral
By Delores Miller
The obituary said Evelyn, age 89 died the day after Christmas 2009. What the obit did not say was the real story of her life. We were friends and neighbors for 50 years.
Married in 1938 and began dairy farming, 50 black and white Holstein Milk cows. With her husband until he died in 1995. Evelyn was an equal partner, everything from milking cows, and keeping a large garden with beautiful purple dalhias. Big John Deere tractors and equipment, she knew how to use each and every one for the 120 acres. Field work of corn, alfalfa, oats. Built a new silo and she climbed to the top.
Four sons arrived and they helped farm until they went off to college. None wanted to farm. Grandchildren, 13 of them who often stayed on the farm, overnight or weeks at a time. Followed by 25 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild. She loved them all and welcomed them to the farm.
Sold the cows in 1983 and spent 12 years traveling. Sold the machinery and we bought a manure spreader from them that served us well.
Her husband died in 1995, the spirit and spunk left Evelyn, dementia and Alzheimer's took her brain and she spent the last 8 years in nursing homes before she was called home to heaven the day after Christmas.
Then the typical Wisconsin funeral in our Lutheran Church with our young energetic minister preaching a sermon on the happiness of Christmas and of Evelyn going home.
Burial in the church cemetery which had been covered with snow. And then a lunch in the parish hall for 150 people. Ham buns, potato salad, baked beans, cheese, jello, cakes, strong coffee. Visiting for several hours after.
Their farm now is a housing development and Evelyn and her husband an end of an era.
copyright Russell and Delores Miller, 2010