After nearly 100 years of a life well-lived, Evelyn Hanwick McMahan went to be with her Lord and Savior on January 2, 2019. She was born on April 3, 1919 in El Paso to Amanda Arnett Hanwick and Henry P. Hanwick. Evelyn lived her entire life in El Paso and attended El Paso High where she made good grades and many friends. She was particularly interested in typing, shorthand and bookkeeping. In her senior year she was offered a job with El Paso Saw and Belting Supply Company which she accepted. She loved working and helping support her family. Evelyn lived a joyous Christian life from her teen years forward. She joined Immanuel Baptist Church as a high school freshman and remained a faithful follower of Christ her entire life. She met the love of her life, Harold Franklin McMahan at a Sunday School Party where he bought the box lunch she prepared for auction. They were married 5 years later after he returned home from the war in 1945. They remained sweethearts for 61 years until the time of Harold’s death in 2007. Evelyn was a teacher in many forms her whole life. She was a Sunday school teacher, a substitute school teacher, a mother of 3, and even helped her loving caretakers at the end of her life solve their personal dilemmas and further their education. She was a problem solver with a strong clear system of thinking and organization and always had an opinion and a tip if you asked for one. Oil painting was her favorite hobby but she also loved playing cards and strategy games. Evelyn and her family spent most vacations in Ruidoso at the family cabin on the creek. Fishing was another favorite hobby and Evelyn knew how to catch them and cook them. She was a wonderful homemaker and taught her 2 girls to sew at very early ages. Family was most important in her life. Evelyn is preceded in death by her parents and husband and daughter, Lynda. She is survived by son, Harold Lee, daughter in-law Shawn McMahan, daughter, Elva Knight, and son in-law Michael Knight. Evelyn and Harold lost their oldest daughter, Lynda Olson in 2003 to cancer. Dave Olson remains our brother. Evelyn has 3 grandchildren: Derrick Olson, Amy Fannin, and Seawillow Knight Berry. She also has 4 Fannin great-grandchildren. Graveside Service: Thursday, January 10, 2019 at 10:30 a.m., Ft. Bliss National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Wounded Warriors Foundation in Evelyn’s name.
