Eva Marie Meyer

December 7, 1930 – July 6, 2011

Eva Marie Meyer was born December 7, 1930 to Marion and Etta Littlepage in Illmo, Missouri. Eva was preceded in death by one sibling, a baby brother, who died shortly after his birth. Eva grew up during the Great Depression and was raised as an only child. Due to the Depression many families struggled to stay together. Marion was out of work and could not provide the basic necessities for his family. He left the family shortly after the death of her baby brother and Eva grew up without a father figure. Eva was strongly influenced by her maternal grandmother, Nancy Jane Randolph (Keesee). Eva and her mother, Etta, lived with Grandma Nancy for the first nine year of her life. The four room home in which they lived had no running water or electricity. Coal oil lamps were used for lighting and a wood burning stove for cooking. Grandma Nancy always had a large garden and Eva remembered growing up and picking cotton that Grandma had planted to be used as batting in her quilts. When asked about growing up poor during the Depression, she stated she never really realized just how poor her family actually was until she was older. Eva remembers at supper eating homemade bread that Grandma Nancy had baked with sorghum molasses poured over the top. She thought this was a real treat for dinner! Later she realized just how poor they actually were and that was all the family had to eat at times. Eva attended elementary school in Illmo until at the age of nine. Eva was an obedient student who seldom got in trouble. However, one day while at school, she was caught by the teacher chewing gum which was against the rules. The teacher made her stand with the gum stuck on the chalk board and her nose stuck to the gum! Fellow students would often tease Eva because of her name, asking “Where's Adam?” As far as the family knows, the violation of gum chewing at school was the only time that Eva ever got into any trouble in her whole lifetime.

Eva moved to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, at the age of nine. She graduated from Central High School in 1949. One of her first jobs was serving as a waitress at a diner located near Central High School. Eva worked in the diner during the lunch hour when students could eat a sack lunch at school, leave to go home to eat or they could eat out in town. She also worked at the diner in the evenings and on weekends. While in high school she fell in love with a slightly older boy name Robert (Bobby) George Meyer. When Bobby would come into the diner Eva would always get nervous, drop and break the dishes she holding! Bobby and Eva were married at the Grace United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on Sunday, August 5, 1951. Their first home was a small apartment above the local drug store. Bobby and Eva were married forty-one years until Bobby's death from Pancreatic Cancer on May 3, 1993. Six children were born during the marriage. The first was Michael, born in 1954, who died shortly after birth from water on-the-brain; Wanda Ann was born November 1955 and was killed in a tragic accident on February 12, 1962 after being struck by a truck on her way to school. Terri Lynn was born May 6, 1957, followed by Linda Kay on January 24, 1959, Robert Michael on March 25, 1966 and Richard Mark on June 11, 1967. When Wanda was killed, Eva was pregnant and later had a miscarriage.

After Wanda and Terri were born Eva and Bobby moved to their first home in Cape Giradeau, a two bedroom house that they bought from Bobby's older brother, Paul. Eva lived in Cape Girardeau until 1960 when the family moved to Collinsville, Illinois, as Bobby had taken a job at the downtown U.S. Post Office sorting mail. In 1963 they bought a home in the St. Louis suburbs located in Lemay, Missouri, where they both lived and raised their family until Bobby retired from the U.S. Post Office in March 1986. It was here that they lived the American dream of owning their own home in the suburbs and raising a family. After Bobby’s retirement they and their two sons, Bob and Rich, moved to Clearwater, Florida.

Once the first child was born, Eva became a stay-at-home mom where she excelled as a homemaker. Eva made all the birthdays and holidays special. She always baked a cake for everyone’s birthdays and baked a variety of pies and cookies during the holidays. She enjoyed all types of sewing projects. Eva made many of the clothes that the girls wore including fancy Easter dresses and coats. She was an avid ironer and never let anyone in her family leave the house in wrinkles. She was a pro at starching pillowcases and Bobby's dress shirts; he needed two a day when he worked at the Marquette Hotel in Cape Girardeau. She even ironed handkerchiefs and her husband's boxer's shorts. She enjoyed sewing, quilting, arts and crafts such as pottery. She loved to sketch, draw, and paint. She was an outstanding volunteer for the Girls Scouts, Boy Scouts, and in the elementary schools where her children attended. She enjoyed bowling and was on a woman’s league in St. Louis County and also in Pinellas County, Florida, until her Parkinson's Disease prevented her from doing so. When her children were older Eva was a Mary Kay Representative in St. Louis. She volunteered to work the local elections in St. Louis County and also in Pinellas County Florida after retirement. She worked at the Morton Plant Child Care center for several years after her husband died.

Eva became a member of the Central Church of Christ in 1993. Eva thoroughly enjoyed the companionship of the church ladies. Her best friend was Dottie Alessi, a neighbor and member of the Central Church of Christ. Dottie recruited mom into membership with the church. Eva enjoyed sewing children clothes and many other items for the Jamaican orphanage that the Church sponsored. She enjoyed many church activities especially the women retreat get togethers. Eva was a member of the American Legion Post #119 where she made the red poppies and enjoyed painting the poppies for the organization as fundraisers. She loved to visit the nursing home where she would do mending and sewing for the residents. She sewed many cloth carriers that fit over the handles of the walkers and made lap blankets.

Eva's favorite music was listening and singing gospel hymns. Some of her favorites included O How I Love Jesus, Safe in the Arms of Jesus, A Beautiful Life, and Amazing Grace. Eva's favorite food group was chocolate candy especially fudge and divinity. She also loved eating ice cream. Her favorite vegetable was sweet potatoes. When asked what other vegetables she liked she replied sweet potatoes. Eva's favorite flowers were orchids. Her favorite color was green. Eva loved the great outdoors and loved to go camping. As a family it was Eva's job to pack all the supplies for the trip while Bobby did most of the planning with maps and directions. It is hard to imagine today taking a family of six with four children camping across the United States but that is what she did and enjoyed the most while her children were growing up. Eva opened her family’s eyes to the world outside of where we lived. We visited many of the National Parks across America including the Grand Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone, Mesa Verde, Bryce Canyon, Smokey Mountains, Dinosaur National Park, Wind Cave, and the Badlands to name a few.

Eva had a quiet, kind and sweet demeanor. She would do anything for anyone if they were in need. Her life revolved around her family. She had a positive outlook on life and enjoyed the simple pleasure of life. She always thought of others before herself. When her children were growing up she always provided what they wanted over what she might have needed. Eva will always be remembered for her kind generosity to others. Her random acts of kindness were frequent. Her heart was made of gold for the benefit of others.

Eva was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease at the age of 59. In 2003 she chose to have the Deep Brain Stimulation Implant surgery. It took great courage and bravery to have this surgery. Eva never regretted the decision to have the surgery. It was her wish to remain in her home and her dream was reality with the help of the Granny Nannies, her son Robert who lived with her the past seven years, and the Suncoast Pinellas Hospice Ivory Team. Eva was blessed with many guardian angels who made her wish come true that she could remain in her home until her final life's journey was complete.