Evelyn B. Anders

Evelyn B. Anders was born in Cleveland, Ohio on January 15, 1926 during the Roaring Twenties and Prohibition. She saw the dawn of radio, TV, telephones, refrigerators, clothes dryers, dishwashers, air conditioners, computers, and the internet, among many other things in her 95 years. She was the daughter of Joseph and Catherine Barzen (nee Kundmiller) and had six siblings: Angie, Larry, Bea, Phil, Joe, and Kay (all deceased) whom she loved very much. She was known by many names: Evy, “my bride”, Mom, Grandma, Nonnie, and Aunt Evy. Her life was dedicated to loving and caring for her family. In many of her own notes regarding her history, she consistently refers to her times with family, both with her own parents and siblings, as well as those with her husband, Ralph (deceased), and their five children as the best times of her life. She was a very caring, loving, compassionate, giving, determined, and motherly soul, who drew many people, even those outside of her family, to her. As her own siblings passed, she was the aunt that our remaining cousins and their own children looked up to not only as an aunt, but also as a mother and grandmother.

She enjoyed life and spending time with family and friends, whether she was at a picnic and playing baseball in the Cleveland Metroparks, going on dates to the movies or prom with her then soon to be husband, going to Cedar Point with her friends and later with her own children, taking her kids, nieces and nephews berry-picking and then a day at Wildwood Water Park, throwing family parties and reunions, having card parties, hosting cancer dressings with church friends, square dancing, or going on many family vacations throughout her life... Evelyn loved it all and lived life to the fullest!

At the center of her life was her deep Catholic faith which she actively practiced daily. In fact, she herself mentioned that her parents showed her that God was the focal point of her life. It was that deep love of God and her faith that she wanted to pass on to her own children and grandchildren. She and her husband put all five of their children through Catholic grade school and high school, a huge accomplishment for two people raised during the Depression. She was fervent about going to Mass and had a great devotion to Mary which she expressed by praying the Rosary daily. Evelyn lived her faith; she was a “Right to Life” volunteer and Eucharistic Minister, participated in “Garden of Innocence” events at El Camino, made rosaries for various groups, sewed cancer dressings, made blankets and other items for babies and hats and scarves for the homeless well into her 90’s. She loved babies and even chose a spot at El Camino right near the “Garden of Innocence”.

Evelyn enjoyed many hobbies such as sewing, needlework, crafting, gardening, and square dancing. She never hesitated to help a family member, friend, or neighbor. With the help of her two sons, Ron and Ralph, and their families who also live in San Diego, she lived independently in her own home until she passed there peacefully on a warm, sunny San Diego day, on February 3, 2021.

Evelyn was the loving mother of five children: Dianne (Craig), Ralph (Casandra), Ron (Anita), Mary Sue, and Lori; adoring grandmother to Zac, Tara, Andrew, Michael, Aria, Corbin, Aaron, Kiana, Adam and Hannah; and proud great-grandma of Irelyn. Beyond her immediate family, Evelyn touched the lives of her many other relatives, friends, neighbors, and extended family who were charmed by the welcoming love and compassion she always shared. We feel so blessed to have had Mom in our lives for so many years and will miss her dearly!

A Mass in celebration of Evelyn's life will be held at 12:00 p.m. PST on Monday, February 15, 2021 at Good Shepherd Church to be followed by a burial service at El Camino Memorial Cemetery. A live stream of the Mass can be found at https://venue.streamspot.com/event/MjUyNjkyMA== (Take note that if you click the link before the scheduled time, it will give you the option to add this event to your calendar.)

A video in memory of Evelyn can be found at the following link:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vRGB3ADDno5Tc3fUbNmq0FDmKw9n2jaWBMttq2ZJyTM40H-xStiuqAN4hfJzHhTaVyv6-igYWHOfxEd/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000

(Be sure to click the full screen button in the bottom right corner of the video!)

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Evelyn's name to Garden of Innocence, P.O. Box 722, Carlsbad, CA 92018 (Also online at https://www.gardenofinnocence.org) OR to St. Bernadette School, ℅ In Memory of Evelyn Anders, 2300 Clague Road, Westlake, OH 44145.