Ernest Everage

Ernest was born at home to Ernest Everage, Sr and Addie Alpha Everage on March 16, 1928, in Montrose, LA. His grandmother Traylor, uncles, aunts, and cousins all lived close by. He and his cousins played together and had a great childhood. Ernest remembered playing under his grandmother’s porch while she was churning butter and singing hymns like “The Old Rugged Cross”! All the community went to the same “Little Country Church” on Sunday mornings.

Ernest was preceded in death by two sons, Jim and Robert Everage, one daughter and son-in love, Carolyn and Gordon Edwards, and one daughter-in-love, Susie Everage. His heart was crushed. Almost every day Ernest would say, “I sure do miss my boys, Jim and Robert.” Ernest would say, “I miss Carolyn and Gordon”. When Susie passed away, he would miss “Susie Q” calling him and asking, “What are you doing, Dad”? It was a daily missing of his children.

Ernest joins his family that are gone on before him in heaven. His parents, Ernest Sr. and Addie Everage. His sons James Ricard and Robert Wayne Everage, daughter-in-love Susie, and daughter and son-in-law Carolyn and Gordon Edwards, two grandsons, Jason and Mark Edwards, one brother, Charles William Everage and his sister and brother-n-law, JoNell and Eddie Evans. Ernest was also preceded in death by two wives, Cynthia Kaye and Glenda Faye.

Ernest is survived by his wife of twelve years, Sandra “Judy” Brock Everage, one daughter, Wanda “Cookie” Joyce Gonzales, daughter-in-love, Patricia Everage, step-son, Billy Hebert (Karen), step-daughter, Lisa Ross, and step-daughter, Charisma Capps (Cory).

Grandchildren, Richie Everage (Allison), Amanda Eastman (Mike), Chad Everage, Robbie Everage, Tamatha (Cedric), Debbie Harrison, Jenny Buck, and Charity Roberts (Matt).

Thirteen great-grandchildren and numerous great-great grandchildren.

His nieces and nephews, Cindy, Wendy, Belinda, Steve, and Tom.

He also leaves special close friends, Wayne and Georgelle McGown, Van and Henry Rembert, Rev. C. J. & Linda Walea, Rev. Charles and Susan Stephens, Rev. Royce and Glenda Andrus, Bobby and Ola Lee, Billy Jack and Geneva Simmons, Rev. Jon and Julie Hair, and Tommy, who kept our yard landscaped for the last several years.

Ernest learned at an early age how to earn money to buy extra things he wanted like a bicycle. He was 11 years old went he started mowing yards with a hand mower to earn extra money. His daddy told him he would pay half for a bicycle if Ernest would earn the other half. Ernest earned the other half. When he had the money, he and his daddy went and purchased a Schwinn bicycle.

When Ernest was in Junior High and High School, he worked after school at the garage of a Mobile station for $50.00 a week.

In 1945, Ernest married his first wife Della and two years later at the age of 19, he went to work in Beaumont for Mid-City Motor, Cadillac and Pontiac. He went to General Motors College-University of Texas and worked there until 1953.

Ernest moved his family to Lake Charles in 1953 where he started working for Ed Toussig Ford. In 1960, Ernest and Mike Bono started an automotive business until 1969. From 1970 – 1996, Ernest owned filling stations with his son, Jimmy. He also had different businesses and worked as a service manager for different car dealerships. He owned the Kawasaki motorcycle business until he said interest rates went too high. Ernest last worked as a service manager for the Calcasieu Sherriff’s department in 1996.

Ernest married Glenda in 1992 and they started attending church with Billy, Glenda’s son at Eastridge Baptist Church. Ernest said this was to please Billy. In September 1995, Billy told Glenda, “I do not want to go to heaven without you”. So, Billy called Bro. Alan and asked if he would come over to his house that day. Bro. Alan came to the house and that day, Glenda and Ernest both repented, were saved and baptized. Ernest said his life was never the same after that day. He then realized how much he needed God.

Ernest loved to cook for his family, friends, church family, brotherhood, and men’s prayer breakfast. Everything he cooked was delicious and rice was involved in everything! He loved chicken and sausage gumbo, pork chops and gravy, chicken fricassee made by his daughter-in-love, Pat, banana pudding, peach cobbler, German chocolate cake, molasses cookies, cornbread dressing, and breakfast rice dressing. Ernest LOVED steak and fried chicken.

Ernest was very talented and had many accomplishments and interests in his lifetime. He was a fantastic mechanic who could build and rebuild a car. He knew how to make it run faster to win a car race. Just ask his good friends Van Rembert or Mike Bono.

Ernest had been a race car driver in the 1960’s and won many trophies. Ernest always said, “you win some of the races and you lose some”.

Ernest loved to play golf and fish. He loved boats and owned a few over the years. He and his children loved to water ski and were members of the ski club. Ernest loved to travel, see different states, and go on cruises.

The following is a tribute written by Sandra “Judy” Brock Everage:

Ernest and I met at Eastridge Baptist Church where at the time I was working for Mr. and Mrs. Melvin and Willie Slaven, a wonderful couple with a great, loving family. Mrs. Slaven had suffered a stroke, and I helped care for her and would take them to church. Ernest was good friends with Slavens and would bring food to their house, which I really appreciated. He was a wonderful cook, and I loved his food. Ernest was a mover and a shaker who always got things done. One day he asked me to go out with him. I responded, “I am 62 years old and have not gone out with anyone since I was 18”! When I told Joan, the Slaven’s daughter, that Ernest had asked me out, she said, “you should go and have fun”! And the rest is history! Ernest took me to Olive Garden where I “talked his head off”. While we were dating, Ernest only had 250 minutes on his phone. He told me, “We were talking so much I had to go and add 450 minutes to my phone”.

Ernest and I married on his 85th birthday on March 16, 2013. Ernest turned 97 this year. When I met and married Ernest, the Lord also blessed me with Ernest’s beautiful family who have shown me so much love and kindness through all these years; I love them all!

Ernest and I were married for twelve happy years, and I am so thankful for the man that God brought into my life. Ernest gave me love and joy into my heart and soul. The thought of not having Ernest by my side day and night brings deep heartache and sadness that I can’t deal with right now. But I know God will walk with me each day. I will always hear Ernest say, “Judy, I love you with all of my heart”. I will see him walk to my side of the bed for a goodnight kiss where he would always say, “that is what a husband does! Goodnight my sweet love! Forever I do”!

The family will welcome the public for visitation at J. E. Hixson & Sons Funeral Home Thursday, April 17, 2025 from 9:30am until time of funeral service at 11:00am. Interment will follow at Highland Memory Gardens Cemetery.