Evelyn was born in Fresno, California, on August 30, 1926, and spent most of her long life in the community she called home. Raised in West Fresno by first-generation German-Russian parents, she grew up with strong ties to family, faith and community.
Her family was part of the Free Evangelical Lutheran Cross Church, where Evelyn’s grandfather was an original founding member. The church and the German-Russian community of West Fresno helped shape traditions she carried throughout her life.
Evelyn graduated from Edison High School in 1944, coming of age during the Great Depression and World War II. Over the next eight decades, she witnessed tremendous changes in Fresno and the world while remaining connected to the family and community where her story began.
In 1947, Evelyn married Melvin Leroy Forath, a World War II Navy veteran and fellow Edison graduate. They made their home in Fresno, raised three children—Karen, James and Robert—and shared 57 years of marriage until Melvin’s death in 2004.
Family remained at the center of Evelyn’s life. She had the rare gift of watching the family she and Melvin began grow across four generations, becoming a grandmother and great-grandmother, and remaining an important part of their lives.
On August 30, 2026, Evelyn celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by her extended family. Four generations gathered to celebrate a life that had begun in Fresno exactly a century earlier.
Evelyn is survived by her daughter, Karen Klein and her husband Ken; her son James Forath and his wife Janet; her son Robert Forath; eight grandchildren; and thirteen great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Melvin Leroy Forath.
Evelyn’s legacy is found not simply in the extraordinary number of years she lived, but in the family, history and traditions carried forward through the generations that followed her. After 100 years, her story remains woven into the family and Fresno community she called home.
