Evelyn Smith Lorence

Evelyn was born on January 14, 1934, to Hazel Cates and Helen Givens Cates in the small rural town of Nebo, Kentucky. Second of eight siblings, she grew up on a small family farm. She started school at the early age of 4 and was a good student, graduating as valedictorian from Nebo High School. Receiving a merit scholarship and DAR Citizenship Award, she studied home economics at Bethel Women’s College and then Western Kentucky State University, earning a bachelor’s degree with honors. She married, had a daughter, and went on to teach home economics at Warren County High School in Bowling Green, Kentucky while working on her master’s degree in the summers. She obtained her master’s degree in education at the University of Kentucky. She was a member of Phi Upsilon Omicron for home economics, Chi Delta Phi for literary honor and Delta Psi Omega for drama. After a difficult divorce, she moved with her young daughter to Rock Hill, South Carolina where she taught home economics education at Winthrop College for three years. While teaching a summer term as assistant professor at the Oregon State University home economics department in 1966, she met Edgar H. Smith, chairman of the music department at Oregon College of Education (now Western Oregon University).

Edgar was smitten and after Evelyn returned to her job at Winthrop that fall, they began a cross-country romance with daily phone calls, letters and visits to South Carolina. Evelyn married Edgar and moved to Oregon with her daughter the following year, Edgar adopting her daughter to include her in the family. She taught nutrition as an assistant professor at WOU for ten years. When Edgar died in 1979, Evelyn took over his Bandribbons business selling school awards to schools across the country and turning it into a successful venture. Astute with finances, she served on the board of directors at Great Western Bank, Dallas, Oregon. Eventually she was able to sell the business and retire comfortably.

Community service and involvement was important to Evelyn. She belonged to many organizations, frequently in an officer role, including branch president of the American Association of University Women, president of Monmouth Civic Club, and a member of many others including PEO, Oregon Symphony Auxiliary of Salem, Salem Symphony League, Salem Arts Association, Gallery Guides of Bush Barn, Portland Arts Association, Dallas Arts Association, Monmouth-Independence Community Arts Association, Santiam Girl Scout Council board member and the Polka Dotters (Polk County Republican women’s club). She served on the board of the Edgar H. Smith Fine Arts Series at WOU and was instrumental in getting that series off the ground. She and her husband have been honored with a plaque recently hung in the Rice Auditorium at WOU. Evelyn received a community service award from the Monmouth-Independence Chamber of Commerce for her longtime involvement in the community in 1985. In 2022, AAUW featured her as part of the Salem organization’s 100thanniversary, including an interview posted to their YouTube channel which is a delight to watch. See https://youtu.be/YDbo3AsFRYQ?si=ncVW0KMsSHX1s8n9.

Evelyn was known for her hospitality and Southern cooking and was featured in the Statesman Journal Living section in 1984, along with some of her favorite recipes. Celebrating her Kentucky roots, she hosted a Kentucky Derby party every year, preparing some of her Southern signature dishes and mint juleps for watching the horses, of course!

Evelyn loved to travel and has visited most of the U.S., Canada, Europe, Egypt, Japan, China, Russia, New Zealand, Fiji, sailed through the Panama Canal, and has gone on multiple Alaskan cruises, a favorite trip of hers.

Evelyn took an interest in flying, soloing in a small plane at the Independence Air Park. There she met her husband, John Lorence, of Independence, Oregon. They married and enjoyed the flying community in Independence. They traveled frequently and loved to fly in John’s Grumman Tiger. Trips in the small plane included the Reno Air Races, the Oregon Trail, the Lewis and Clark Trail, and cross country. Evelyn and John volunteered at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon for 11 years. They were charter members and awarded lifetime memberships. They shared 23 years of love and adventures.

After John died in 2013, Evelyn moved to Capital Manor where she continued to be active, enjoying time with old and new friends, making a new BFF in her dear friend, John Schoon. She spent her remaining years at Capital Manor until age and dementia caught up with her. She now rests in peace, a life well lived.

Evelyn is survived by her daughter, Diane Davie Murphy (Dan), stepsons Peter Smith (Mardelle) and Randy Lorence, stepdaughters Vicki Westerman and Jodi Heatherington (Doug), granddaughters Samantha Davie (Andrew) and Melanie Davie, great granddaughter, Annabelle Davie-Frantz, ten step grandchildren, sixteen step great grandchildren, siblings Jean Lloyd, Wanda Barnett, Shirley Adams, Barbara Roberts, Doris Grimsley, Edward Cates, and Glen Cates, and her dear friend, John Schoon.

Arrangements are by Virgil T. Golden Mortuary, Salem, Oregon. Celebration of Life will be on Saturday, July 18, at 1 p.m. at Capital Manor Auditorium, 1955 Salem Dallas Hwy., NW, Salem, Oregon. Memorial gifts in lieu of flowers can be made to the Edgar H. Smith Fine Arts Series, WOU Foundation, 345 N Monmouth Avenue, Monmouth, OR 97361 or the Alzheimer’s Association, Oregon & SW Washington Chapter, 5285 Meadows Rd, Suite 451, Lake Oswego, OR 97035.