Evelyn (Lyn) Dorothy Wonstolen , beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, sister, and friend, made her peaceful transition on November 23rd, in her own bed, held by her husband, Al, as he sang to her in Norwegian. Her daughter, Judith, was also in attendance, along with her hospice nurse and chaplain. Before she passed, her son, Kenneth, and many family members were able to call in their goodbyes over a cell phone, sending her off with the love that she had so freely given in her lifetime.
Lyn spent her last year, in in-home hospice care, undergoing a steady decline, and experiencing increasing dementia. Although often confused, she always wanted to be near her husband, Al, of 71 years. To the end, Lyn expressed her care for her family and her appreciation for the wonders of life; during the last full moon in October, she repeatedly asked Al and Judith if they had looked out the high arched window to see how beautiful the moon was.
Born in Brooklyn, on April 12, 1925, Lyn grew up with her younger sister, Sylvia, and mother, Dagny Nordquist , enjoying an extended family of Norwegian immigrants settled in Bay Ridge. In particular, Dagney's sister, Elsie, and brother, Eddie, meant the world to her. Immersed in her Norwegian heritage, Lyn carried on those precious traditions for her children and grandchildren, and even made extra krumkake for the neighbors, every Christmas.
Lyn met the love of her life, Alfred Sigurd Wonstolen, another Norwegian -American, during a dance at Finn Hall, and waited until he had finished his service in the Army to marry him on June 25, 1949. After their first few years in Brooklyn, they bought a home in Queens Village, NY, where they raised “Kenny and Judy” in a secure and happy 1950-60s household.
In the summer of ‘64, Lyn and Al decided to move west, taking the children on a grand two-week cross-country adventure that ended up in Denver, CO. Although, a challenged local economy soon had them returning back east by late fall, Lyn fell in love with the Colorado Rockies, and would often reminisce about a magical night sitting around a campfire in Rocky Mountain Nat’l Park, under a million twinkling stars. (In fact, the whole family became so enamored of the Rockies that they all eventually returned to make Colorado their home!).
It was while living in Yorktown Heights, NY, that Lyn obtained her Driver License, at the age of forty and went back to her previous profession of secretarial work. In her youth, she had worked overlooking Rockefeller Plaza in NYC; now she worked in a Readers Digest office, as a high school secretary, and, after Al’s job took them to Ohio, in the Law School office of Akron University, until she retired. It was at Akron U where Lyn made longstanding, close friendships with many of her co-workers, especially Judy, Robbie, Jo-Ann, and Pat, who have all stayed in touch in the ensuing years.
Although she had become a “working mom,” Lyn kept a wonderful home, filled with family times and good meals. She finally agreed to a family dog, and Cindy joined the household. Lyn found time to be a Girl Scout leader, and not an Easter or Christmas passed, without her sewing a new holiday dress for Judith. (Fast forward a few decades, and she’d be typing her college papers!) Family traditions and celebrations marked each passing year.
There were many happy memories made with the Nelson family; Evelyn and Rolf were best friends with both Lyn and Al, going all the way back to confirmation class days at Bethany Lutheran Church in Brooklyn.The children in both families, grew up enjoying many adventures together. Lyn and Evelyn maintained their precious bond, all the way to the end, when even in dementia, Lyn always knew when it was “Evy on the phone.”
There were also many visits and holidays spent out on Long Island, where Sylva lived with her husband, Ozzie, and children, Steven, Gail, and Barbara, who will all miss her, dearly. Up in Boston, were nieces, Karen and Elaine, and nephews, Rick, James and John, children of Al’s sister Lillian, and her husband, Rick. Lyn’s memories made with the Wilson family included many long, soulful conversations by phone, with Karen, who helped Lyn and Al celebrate their 50th anniversary and, along with Elaine, their 70th. Gail came to see her in her last months, and her other three dear nieces were by their Tante Lyn’s bedside, via cell phone, in her last hours.
Lyn was the aunt who never forget a birthday, and always kept up with everyone’s lives. She was, likewise, a doting grandmother and great grandmother! One of her reasons for retiring in 1984 was to help take care of her first grandchild, Kaia. Lyn, who very sadly, lost a son, Peter Conrad, near to the end of a late -life pregnancy, made sure that she was on hand to help out Ken and her daughter-in-law, Laura, when she gave birth to Lyn’s first grandsons, Karl and Dan. When Judith’s son, Eric was born, Lyn was right there again, staying to help out.
All her grandchildren have fond memories of how special Grandma made their lives, growing up playing board games, cards, and passing on her great love of reading books. Nothing could make her laugh so joyfully as her grandchildren, and later, her great grandchildren! Kaia’s Ely and Zoe, the oldest two, treasured their overnights at “Grandma and Bestefar’s house,” and always knew every birthday celebration and holiday would be special. When Eric’s Aija came along, all joined together for the precious “4 Generation Sundays” that went on for many years, at Judith’s home in Lakewood. Lyn’s family is grateful that she lived to enjoy seeing the newest round of little ones, Alfie, Ellie, Oliver, Leif and Clark, as Karl and Dan brought them to visit, along with their wives, Keziah and Lindsay, making her smile, even during her last months.
Lyn will be lovingly remembered by her family and friends as a woman who clearly loved them and cherished so many things: sunrises and sunsets (had a photo album full of them!), the ocean and seashells, the moon and stars, autumn leaves, daisies , unicorns, giraffes , bunnies, and merry-go -rounds, mystery novels and children’s books, poetry and whimsical artwork, Disney movies (especially Pinocchio -she would tell her grandkids to think of her like Jiminy Cricket sitting on their shoulders, helping them make the right choices!); Nancy Drew, Anne of Green Gables, and Pippi Longstocking, and rocking her grandbabies to sleep. She was fascinated by archeology, ancient Egypt , even the legends of Atlantis, along with the many unknown mysteries of life.
Lyn lived her Lutheran faith; open-minded and compassionate, she was someone who could always be depended on to care and to help. She keenly felt the woes and injustices of the world, but looked for the silver linings in situations and people. She was the mother and grandmother who never stopped praying and believing in the best. She remained deeply devoted to her husband, as her best friend and soulmate, through all life’s ups and downs. In her last years of life, she was often heard remarking that with so many tribulations taking place in the world, how incredibly fortunate she felt, to be sitting there so peacefully in her Castle Rock living room, with its lovely mountain view, next to her beloved husband, appreciating and ever thankful for all their many blessings.
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