Evelyn Louise Wilkins Saunders

Evelyn Louise Wilkins was born on a tobacco farm to Rosa and E.B. Wilkins in Stem, North Carolina on November 2nd, 1922. Louise possessed an independent spirit, always an advocate for music and one's self-improvement. She was ahead of her time in many respects and especially for women's issues before the women's movement was popular.

At an early age she showed an interest in music and studied the piano. Louise left the farm when her musical skills earned her a scholarship to study at the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music in Winchester, Virginia. After graduation in 1943, she pursued her musical career, at one time working in a munitions plant at night to support the war effort. She had her own radio show of popular and classical music in Charleston, South Carolina. On one night while filling in for a friend at the USO in Charleston, she met Merchant Marine Lt. Arven H. Saunders, the chief radio officer on a Liberty ship who was on shore leave. He became the love of her life and they were married in January 1945. Louise and Arven were happily married for 61 years.

As was customary at the time, Louise followed her husband, the predominant "bread winner", where opportunities led for his airport management career. Thus, in addition to her duties as a mother of four children, Louise served in various capacities as organist, music and choir director at Episcopal churches in Durham, NC, Cincinnati, Washington, and St. Louis.

While living in the St. Louis area, Louise embarked on a second career in counseling. She returned to school at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville (SIUE) with the purpose of addressing the needs of mature adults and helping women to re-enter the work force. After completing a Master's degree in Counselor Education in 1974, she served as an academic counselor. Her advising and counseling was particularly committed to helping women wanting to return to campus. Louise initiated a Continuing Education for Women program and established two scholarship funds. The first was an annual merit scholarship for a music student at Shenandoah. The second was an annual loan fund at SIUE, aimed at helping women who were single parents with the financial means to pursue their dream of a college education.

Louise was a chairwoman of the Washington National Cathedral Association wherever she lived. In Edwardsville she was a member of American Association of University Women, Business and Professional Women, the Committee on Aging (to develop programs for care and education of the elderly), and the Career Education Task Force, responsible for developing new programs at SIUE.

Louise and Arven left St. Louis and lived in Saudi Arabia for 5 years, where she continued to teach voice and piano. Arven was ready to retire but had an opportunity in Hawaii, where they lived until deciding to retire in San Antonio in 1991.

Louise's hard work, dedication to her family, and spirit of independence were attributes often misunderstood by some, but much admired by other like-minded women.

Louise was preceded in death by Arven in 2006. She is survived by four children, twins Arven and Gail, Bryant, and Kent, wives Theodora, Julie, and Eva, and many grandchildren and great grand children.

There will be a memorial service at a later date.