Evelyn Popelka, 98, passed away peacefully April 30, 2024. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2:00pm Saturday, June 15, 2024 at Cross Church on Birdcreek in Temple. Evelyn was born near Cyclone, Texas, to Alfred and Lydia (Schiller) Stepan June 1, 1925.
From the time that Evelyn was eleven years old, she was family-oriented. At that time, she had to drop out of school to raise her sister, Mabel, who was five years younger than she, to do the household chores and cook meals for her sister and father. For years Mabel would send Evelyn cards for Mother’s Day.
Evelyn always knew that she wanted children of her own, and after her marriage to Martin in 1945, she was blessed with three sons (Martin Lynn, David and Allen) and a daughter (Margaret). She raised her children with love and integrity and felt proud to see the responsible adults they became.
Evelyn’s religious faith was always her inspiration—the pages of her Bible are well-worn, and she strove to live an unselfish and godly life. When she was no longer able to attend her church, she listened to religious services on T.V.
Evelyn was a people-person and could strike up a conversation with anyone anywhere. She believed it was important to stay in touch with friends and enjoyed calling them to let them know that she was thinking of them or that she appreciated something they may have said or done in the past.
Evelyn was always happiest staying busy, which at one time meant gardening, mowing the lawn (which she did well into her eighties), canning vegetables or pickles, baking (delicious kolaches, cookies and bread), sewing and quilting. Her meals were feasts, and instead of “left-overs” she served “planned-overs.” Some of her favorite years were when she worked at Lamar Middle school as the cookie maker.
When her body finally told her to slow down, she filled her days reading, quilting and crocheting. She remained an avid fan of the Texas Rangers, the Texas A&M Aggies, and the Dallas Cowboys and loved watching their games on T.V. She also loved listening to talk radio shows and to the Czech Melody Hour, which always set her toes to tapping and put her in a happy mood. She loved her friends and family and considered her life to be very blessed.
Preceded in death by her parents, and her husband Martin in 2008, Evelyn is survived by her sons Martin (LaVerne) Popelka in Abilene, David (Rebe) Popelka in Colleyville, Allen (Julie) Popelka in Temple, and her daughter Margaret (Patrick) Wong of California; grandchildren Andrea Popelka Levrets (Reid) of Abilene, David Popelka (Shannon) of Allen, Katherine Kelly (Thom) of Grand Prairie, Matthew Wong of Chicago and Callie Wong of Milwaukee; great grandchildren Jackson Levrets, Rylee Levrets, Andrew Popelka, Luke Popelka, Ethan Popelka, Paul Kelly and Philip Kelly, and a sister Mabel Wernecke of Oregon, along with numerous nephews and nieces. The Evelyn Popelka family wishes to express our gratitude to the staff at the Our Hospice House for their loving care and expressions of love they gave our mother.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Our Hospice House, 2608 N. Main Street, Ste. B Box 195, Belton, TX, 76513 or online at www.ourhospicehouse.org
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
v.1.11.0