Groathouse, Evelyn

You can shed tears that she is gone
or you can smile because she has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that she’ll come back
or you can open your eyes and see all she’s left.

Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her
or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember her and only that she’s gone
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind,
be empty and turn your back
or you can do what she’d want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

Thank you for all the years of love, Mamma G.
SO glad we got to visit you each time we went to see Pauline at the care center; your smile made the day.

Bob and Anna

We are deeply sorry for your loss. Evelyn was truly special ... Her love will light the way.
Prayers and sincere condolences for your family.
Please let us know if there’s anything we can do.
Love you, Linda.

My heartfelt condolences in your time of loss.
Your mother was a wonderful person whom I cared for deeply.
I will always be fond of her.
May the peace of our Lord be with you all.

my deepest sympathy for your loss

Evelyn was a lovely lady and will certainly be missed by many!

Judy, and Families, I am so sorry of your loss of Evelyn, she was such a sweet, loving, caring person. She always had a smile, made you feel loved.Evelyn was a great cook and everyone loved her, she will be greatly missed. May God Bless you each and everyone and give you peace. Love, Jeannie Portlock and Family,

Evelyn was my closest connection to my parents and I will miss her. Childhood memories seem so fresh in my mind. Love to all of you!!!

My sweetest Grandma, thank you for being all that I could ever hope to be; strong, loving, joyous, faithful, sweet, patient. Say hello to Dad, Uncle Ronnie and Grandpa for me. I love you and will see you someday, what a joyous reunion that will be.

I will always remember her laugh, potato salad, and the way she looked at each of my children with love in her eyes. She was so dedicated to her family. I am happy she got to live a long and happy life. She will be truly missed.

Grandma Bill, We love you.
Tony, Natalie, Sean, Lauren, and Alec

Evelyn was my husband's mother, but she has always been mine too. When my mom died, Evelyn filled that spot.
She was my last parent. As long as you have a parent, you are a child. I will miss that feeling. I met Dick's family when I was 14 years old. I saw them as the all American family. A gathering of family for any occasion or holiday would involve a lot of people and a lot of food. The house would be filled with laughter and an obvious love and respect for each other.
During the years, the grandchildren would be welcomed. The 9 cousins are close in age. Each baby was a blessing and Evelyn and Perle couldn't have been more proud. Evelyn's pure delight was having the grandkids all together. She would have a little gift hidden in the bedroom or a new toys in the toy-box.
Easter dinner always featured a large basket of dyed eggs and a basket for each grandchild. There would be several egg hunts in the yard at Pavilion. Dick and Ronnie hiding the eggs and Perle watching with Peppy(their fig), who didn't get any.
Linda, Judy and I were very happy to turn the kids over to Grandma. She would pretend to rule with a stern voice and then turn away so they wouldn't see her smile.
The one thing I remember most about mom was her even temperament. She was always happy, positive and sweet. She could be a little ornery on occasion, but that made her who she was.
She lived life with amazing grace and strength.
All the years I have known her, I can only remember her crying three times. Three times she stood by the caskets of the men who are most important in her life, her husband and her two sons. She cried silent tears as she touch them and then turned away to live a life that would now be different.
She had an acceptance of life that was typical of that generation. A simple belief that was based on a strong faith.
She and dad instilled in their children a strong love of family, honesty and hard work. At the end of the day, be proud of what you've done.
I was blessed to be part of this family and to have my children grow surrounded by so much love. They have memories that have shaped their lives.
Evelyn is now with dad, Ronnie and Dick. I can imagine them waving the "welcome home" sign and jumping for joy, hugs all around. I think they have been waiting for her home-baked bread. All three guys will argue over who gets to show their gardens first. What a reunion!
John 16:20 says: "You Will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.... And no one will take away your joy."
I will miss mom in my life. I will miss her loving me like a daughter. I will miss the fact that she was my husband's mother and the history that went with that. But her legacy lives on in our hearts and we are better people for having known her.
Wait for us mom and watch for us!
Love,
Joyce Groathouse

Grandma, Thank you for being such an awesome grandma. Thank you for being my dad's mom. Thank you for being such a loving great-grandma to my kids. Thank you for helping shape me into the person I am today. But most of all, thank you for kind and loving. You will be missed. I love you.

Steph