Evelyn Irene Briney

On Sunday, 7 January 2024 , Evelyn Irene Briney, 98, closed her eyes in Pensacola, Florida, and opened her eyes in Heaven. She had been a resident of Southern Oaks Care Center (now Coral Bay) since October 2019.

Evelyn was born 25 February 1925, in Louisville, Kentucky—the middle of the “Roaring 20s”—to a 47-year-old, successful carpenter/builder, and a 38-year-old mother. She was the youngest of six children of Frank Barnett and his wife, the former Ella Wood Sidebottom. Evelyn had three older sisters, Valerie, Gladys and Beatrice, and two older brothers, Edward, and Clifton, a jockey. Another brother, Virgil, was born in 1924 and died the same day.

William Joseph Sidebottom, a cousin of her mother, lived with the Barnett family in their home at 200 Wampum Street, Louisville, Kentucky. “Cousin Joe” was like a beloved second father to Evelyn; she often recalled him reading the “funny pages” to her or finding an extra nickel for her to buy candy. She also lovingly spoke of the time he brought her flowers while she was sick and confined to bed with scarlet fever. She didn’t rest until years later when she was able to find his grave and put flowers on his tombstone.

As Evelyn started school, the Great Depression bore down on the Barnett family. She recalled that one day she came home from school to find the family’s piano had been sold before she was able to get lessons—like her older sisters had. Evelyn said she enjoyed school, especially art. However, she left school early as her mother Ella asked her to go to Indiana to help her pregnant sister Gladys—which ended Evelyn’s academic career.

Evelyn met her future husband, Samuel Ocie Bartlett, at a cafe that her brother, Clifton, ran at the L&N railroad complex in Louisville—where Sam worked. At just 16 years old, Evelyn married Sam in April 1941 and soon after moved out of Kentucky to Alabama with the whole Bartlett family. The newly married couple lived with, or close by Sam’s parents, a daunting challenge for the young Kentucky bride, Evelyn recalled later in life. She became a mother at age 17 with the birth of Carolyn in 1942. The Bartlett family continued to grow with the birth of Marilyn in 1943, Patricia in 1946 and Terry in 1953.

However, the marriage between Sam and Evelyn ended in divorce. They both remarried.

In Louisville Evelyn met and married Frederick Glenn Briney. The couple had one son, Derek. Her husband, Fred, died in 1986.

Evelyn worked full-time in Louisville, including several years at a printing business. Besides her day job, Evelyn stayed busy helping to renovate a fixer-upper the couple purchased in West Buechel, a suburb of downtown Louisville. She later worked several years on a General Electric appliance factory assembly line. Evelyn was proud to be able to do the hard labor that men were usually expected to do on the assembly line, but she believed many of her job assignments were designed to get her to quit “men’s work.” However, she continued to work but suffered physically, and was eventually medically retired.

Not slowing down, at age 72 (!!!), Evelyn began serving on the city council of West Buechel. She served on the city council for six years, until narrowly losing reelection in 2004. Her home was directly across the street from city hall, and she was proud of her civic accomplishments.

Evelyn continued living in her own home until early 2011, when she needed extra help and moved to Niceville, Florida, to live with her daughter Carol. That same year she was diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer—but she successfully beat the disease. For the next several years she was able to revisit her beloved home in West Buechel at least once a year.

Evelyn enjoyed visiting with her children throughout the 1960s, 70s, 80s, 90s and into the 21st century, including in Alabama, Nebraska, Montana, Virginia, Tennessee, Florida, New York, Washington DC and Germany, to name a few. Her children also enjoyed taking her on vacations and sight-seeing trips while she visited them. She particularly enjoyed being able to visit Germany, the 9/11 Memorial in New York City, and taking a Caribbean cruise with her daughter and granddaughter, Debbie.

Evelyn never lost her love of shopping at thrift stores and always enjoyed bargaining to get a better price. She also enjoyed playing Bingo with other seniors, and enjoyed winning prizes no matter what they were. She loved reading current events in newspapers and magazines well into her 90s. She also liked reading about celebrities, and often relaxed with find-a-word puzzles.

In late September 2017 Evelyn felt she was capable of living on her own again and moved back to West Buechel, Kentucky. However, health issues in December of 2017 forced Evelyn to seek hospital care in Louisville, followed by several months in a Kentucky senior care facility. In May 2018 she returned to Niceville, Florida.

Evelyn loved dogs. She taught many tricks to her beloved poodle, KoKo. But her best friend, a mini-pincher named Ruger, was Evelyn’s faithful companion until his death in late 2019. They were inseparable and constantly “talked” to each other.

Shortly after the passing of Ruger, Evelyn’s health began to decline to the point she required the services of a full-time care facility, Southern Oaks Care Center in Pensacola. Her family celebrated her 95th through 98th birthdays there, milestones for Evelyn whose goal was to live longer than her siblings. In 2020 Evelyn contracted, then beat Covid-19, another tribute to her physical tenacity.

Evelyn is predeceased by her parents, all her siblings and her beloved daughter Patricia Harrell; she is survived by her daughters Carolyn (Del) Lessard of Niceville, Florida, Marilyn (Bob) Bishop, of Mobile, Alabama; sons Terry (Linda) Bartlett of Pensacola, Florida, and Derek (PJ) Briney of Louisville, Kentucky, 12 grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.

After a funeral in Pensacola at Eastern Gate funeral home, Evelyn will be interred alongside her husband Fred Briney at Evergreen Cemetery in Louisville.

The family is grateful for the loving care of Evelyn during her stay at Coral Bay, especially the nurses and staff on the fourth floor, and Emerald Coast Hospice, especially Chaplin Janice and Nurse Joan.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests you donate to your favorite charity in Evelyn’s honor.

Evelyn will be sadly missed by her family… but we have great joy at knowing she had a strong belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, that she was re-baptized at the First Baptist Church in Niceville, on 10 February 2013, and that she will enjoy being in eternity with Jesus in Heaven.