Evelyn Gladys Blazek Stegall

Evelyn Stegall died on January 29, 2015, at the Crestview Retirement Center in Bryan, Texas. Evelyn was the second child born to Joe and Vlasta Blazek after her beloved sister, Cecelia Laura Blazek Chuoke. She was born at the Blazek family farm in Wheelock, Texas.

Evelyn and Cecelia attended a one-room schoolhouse in Wheelock when they were young and then went to the Franklin Schools. Evelyn graduated from Franklin High School and then went on to attend The University of Texas at Austin. She loved The University, as she would often refer to it, despite her future Texas A&M ‘ties’. Those ‘ties’ were to be solidified on August 12, 1949, in Hearne, Texas, when Evelyn married the love of her life James William Stegall, or as he was know around Robertson County, ‘Billy Jim’ or ‘Willy’ or ‘Bubba’.

In June of 1951, Jim and Evelyn welcomed their first child, Billie Lynn, (named for both her parents), in Hearne, Texas. Jim was allowed to return home from Camp Chaffee, Arkansas for 48 hours to see his new daughter and his wife. Within weeks he would receive the orders that would take him to Korea. Jim and Evelyn left Hearne on a train bound for San Francisco where Jim would immediately ship out to join the War Front.

Following Jim’s return from Korea he was offered a job teaching and coaching in Burkeville, Texas. He and Evelyn and Billie Lynn were on the way to East Texas where Evelyn would teach high school English and History and Jim would serve as principal, teacher, coach, groundskeeper, as well as janitor. The community of Burkeville became a much beloved home for the Stegall Family. Friendships formed during this time in their lives continues to Bless us today as remembrances, prayers, thoughts, and love come our way.

On April 5, 1954, Evelyn and Jim were thrilled to welcome their second child, a son, Joe Arthur, born in Jasper, Texas. They were thrilled to have both a son and a daughter.

In 1955 Jim was offered a job with the Bryan Independent School District. He accepted the offer, and the family moved to Bryan, which, as it would turn out, would be their ‘forever’ place of residence. They lived in Bryan for over 60 years.

As time went on and they settled into life in the Brazos Valley Evelyn decided she needed to do something outside the home. Both Lynn and Joe were involved in their school and other related activities, so Evelyn decided to take on creating the Pre School and Kindergarten Programs at their church, First United Methodist Church in Bryan. She enjoyed many years of teaching there and held sweet memories of her students and teaching companions of this special time in her life.

Evelyn also embraced the needs of the Bryan/College Station community through her volunteer work for many years. She was involved in the years helping to form what is now a 50 Year Volunteer Organization that is the - Crestview Volunteers. She was a member of the Neighborly Class at FUMC and served her church in numerous other ways over many years. Evelyn was also a member of the Woman’s Club of Bryan, having served as President in 1993. Both Jim and Evelyn were instrumental in too many volunteer organizations to list here. Each of these wonderful organizations was special and important to Jim and Evelyn in it’s own unique way.