“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You believe in God; believe also in me.
My Father’s house has many rooms;
if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."
Evelyn Marjorie Christensen Schaerdel (1925-2019)
Our mother was a first generation American, born in 1925 in Dallas, Texas. Her parents, (Martin and Minnie) both from Denmark, grew up in the same area of Jutland, but did not meet each other until after they immigrated to Dallas. Martin and Minnie Christensen married and had five children: Martin Christensen, Minnie Christensen Mayerhoff, Dorothy Christensen, Evelyn Christensen Schaerdel, and Richard Christensen.
The Christensen family were members of Trinity Lutheran Church in the Fair Park area of Dallas and it was there that Mother was baptized, confirmed and in her youth met fellow member John H. Schaerdel. They were students at Forest Avenue High School.
They both would tell the story of Pearl Harbor Day and how it changed everyone’s life. Dad enlisted in the Navy in 1942. Mother graduated from high school early and attended Texas State College for Women (now TWU) in Denton. She studied hard but worried and prayed even more for Dad and all those serving. Mom and Dad got engaged in 1943 before he shipped out to the war in the Pacific. She graduated with honors in 1945 with a degree in Home Economics and Early Childhood Education and waited prayerfully for Dad to come home. Thankfully he did return safely.
They were married February 24, 1946. Mom and Dad had their first child, John, in 1948, and over the next ten years delivered Susan, Mary, and David. After the War, Dad had several jobs, some school and training and after moving to the northwest area of Dallas, they opened Ace Boat Service Center on Harry Hinds Blvd. They labored together to make the business successful while enriching their family and friends. Mother and Dad raised us in Trinity Lutheran Church where were close to our grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was a great childhood. We were all so blessed.
Dad died in 1997 and Mother did not think she could live without him, but she (and we) was blessed with 21 more precious, wonderful years. After Dad’s death, Mom traveled Texas, the USA, and Europe with family- Dad’s brothers Bill and Fred drove and Mom and Mildred “supervised” and visited. They would sing hymns and enjoy the scenery and each other’s company. Mom also traveled to Denmark and her parents’ birthplaces with Susan and Mary with whom she also enjoyed trips to Galveston. Mother loved spending quality time with her sister Minnie. They went to church together, traveled to Austin to visit Mary, shopped, and played Rummikub (for hours). Minnie crocheted while Mother cooked. Their lifetime relationship was the “dream sisters” until Minnie passed in 2017. Mother loved visiting Susan and her family in Shreveport until they returned to live in Dallas in 2001, Mother was elated to spend more time with the Sutton clan.
Mother continued to live in the home on Marsh Lane which she and Dad bought in 1964. However, in 2013, she sold her home and moved into her own wing of Susan and Ray’s home in North Dallas. Mother was delighted to have even more precious time with Susan and the Suttons. She joined Church of the Holy Communion and became a Daughter of the Holy Cross. She loved worshipping and listening to Bishop Sutton’s and Father Charlie’s sermons. During the last year of her life, Father Kasey would bring her Holy Communion almost weekly.
Mother’s life was the manifestation of love. She unselfishly helped and cared for family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers. Mother loved Jesus, cooking, sewing, planning celebrations, family gatherings, giving (wonderful) input and advice, taking care of her children/grandchildren/great grandchildren, going to church, helping all who needed or wanted help, shopping, and going to the lake house.
Mother was kind, sweet, thoughtful, generous, smart, friendly, beautiful, considerate, funny, loving...if you knew her you know more.
Mother is preceded in death by her parents, her brothers and sisters, and the love of her life, husband John.
Mother is survived by:
her children John, Susan and Ray R. Sutton, Mary and John K. Dietz, and David and Pat Schaerdel,
her grandchildren Stephen and Jennifer Sutton, Seth Sutton, Sarah Sutton, Sam and Megan Sutton, Esther (Sutton) and DJ Wilkerson, Evelyn (Sutton) and Wade Lipham, Austin Sutton, John Schaerdel, and James Schaerdel, her great grandchildren John Gabriel Sutton, Daniel Ray Sutton, Hunter Sutton, and Estelle Wilkerson, her sisters (in law) Mildred Schaerdel and Nita Christensen, her nieces and nephews Richard, Carol, Chris, Linda, Debbie, Nancy, Diane, Cheryl, Jan, Janna, Jean, Russell, Laurie, Marilyn, Cece, and Christy.
One of the things she often told us: “I love you— I always have and I always will.”
Mother we love you— always have and always will.
Thank you, Lord, for Mother-Evelyn Marjorie Christensen Schaerdel-your greatest blessing to us.
In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to REC100. Please make payable to CHC (Church of the Holy Communion)-address below- memo line: Evelyn Schaerdel Memorial)
On Saturday, April 20, 2019 at 11 AM, a memorial service and the Office of Burial will be held at Church of the Holy Communion, 17405 Muirfield Drive, Dallas, TX 75287. Graveside service will be held that afternoon at 2PM at Restland, 13005 Greenville Ave, Dallas TX, 75243.
DONATIONS
In lieu of flowers, please make memorial donations to Church of the Holy Communion, REC 100, 17405 Muirfield Drive, Dallas, Texas 7528717405 Muirfield Drive, Dallas, Texas 75287
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