A. Evelyn Payne

Her Daughter Remembers

Class. That is the word that I have been hearing most often when people remember my mother. Grace, elegance and most of all, class.

One of my friends described a visit to our home as if he was walking on to the set of the television show “Dallas”. Always dressed in designer clothes, would not even consider being seen without hair done and makeup on, she would greet everyone at the door and if it was in the evening hours, would offer a cocktail, always poured from crystal decanters. That was my mother. No arrogance, always humble but you knew that you were in the presence of someone very special.

Alice Evelyn Peterson, Evelyn as she was called, was born in Denver to Cora Hollenbaugh and Lewis Peterson. She grew up in Cheyenne Wells, Colorado. An only child, she was surrounded by cousins in this small town and was especially close to her cousin Gene Schmeckpeper and throughout life, their relationship was like that of a brother and sister. Oh how she grieved the loss of Uncle Gene in April of 2009.

My mother played clarinet in the school band, was the drum majorette for a few years and was president of her senior class. She would later attend the University of Denver studying business.

As a young adult, she lived with her mother, stepfather and stepsister in Lakewood and they later all moved to Englewood. It was there where she met my father, Ernest McDonald and they married in 1954.

Employed by the Colorado State Racing Commission for many years, it was there that she was truly in her element, for she loved horse racing. Her father was a racing fan and the two of them would go to Centennial Race Track here in Denver.

In 1974, she married Robert Payne, a potato farmer from Monte Vista, Colorado who also owned and raced thoroughbred race horses. Together, they would travel to tracks across the country, watching their horse’s race, most often in California along the fair circuit, Santa Anita and Hollywood Park. My mother was in attendance at Belmont Park when the great Secretariat won the Triple Crown. She never cashed that winning ticket and 40 years later, she still carried that historic, winning ticket in her billfold.

In 1986 when my stepfather suffered a stoke, she rented a townhome in Scottsdale, Arizona to be closer to him while he was in a rehabilitation center. It was there that she met and became friends with the Nicks family, of singer/songwriter Stevie Nicks fame. Barbara and Stevie’s Aunt Carmal, through her metaphysics sessions, provided great comfort to my mother during this difficult time. Of course, they would also go to the horse races @ Turf Paradise and from that friendship, the last foal that my mother ever owned was a colt she named “Stevie”.

In 1988, after my stepfather’s death, my mother and I moved back to Denver. She joined many bridge clubs and learned to play Mahjong. The friends that she made here in Denver are many. Overwhelmingly, many. My mother was fun to be around. She was up for just about anything, always upbeat with a great sense of humor. My mother and I would be doing something as simple as rearranging furniture. Something that she would say or that I would say would bring us to tears of laughter.

My mother is also survived by her loving Godson Tim Schmeckpeper, who has held me strong upon his broad shoulders during this difficult time, his wife Jennifer and precious niece Kim.

Before she died, my mother assured me that she would be watching over me from above. I hope she knew that for all of the years of my life, I have actually been watching over her with love, admiration and pure awe at the fact that this beautiful, magnificent woman was actually my mother.

May God Bless you and watch over you until we meet again.

Your Loving Daughter,

Nanc