Evelyn Mae Strother, age 92, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away early Friday, May14, 2021, at the home of her daughter. She was born July14, 1928, in Erie, Kansas, the daughter of Elmer Otis “Bill” Stephens and Velma Vance Stephens. She graduated from the Uniontown High School with the Class of 1946.
She married Harvey Shepard in 1946. They had three children and later divorced. She then married Kenneth Strother in 1973. Later in life, Evelyn graduated from the Mercy School of Nursing in Ft. Scott. She went on to work as a nurse at the VA Hospital in Topeka and also at Oak Hill in Joplin. After retirement, she stayed active doing private duty nursing. Evelyn never met a stranger. Often when the family went on shopping trips, they would later find Evelyn in deep, candid conversation with whomever she sat next to. No subject was off limits and they were friends forever. Evelyn loved dogs and had poodles most of her life. She liked to keep things neat and clean. Evelyn spent the last ten months in the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Chelle and Doug Eden, where she enjoyed watching the birds and cattle from the kitchen window. The family is forever grateful for the Integrity Hospice staff and their loving, compassionate care for Evelyn and her family.
Survivors include her three children, Linda Noll(Matt), of Ft. Scott, Kansas, Steve Shepard (Debbi), of Bronson, Kansas and Rochelle Eden (Doug), also of Ft. Scott. Also surviving are twelve grandchildren and twenty-three great-grandchildren. Evelyn was preceded in death by her husband Kenneth in 2007. She was also preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Charles Stephens.
Following cremation, Pastor Ben Heffernan will conduct a memorial service at 2:00 P.M. Friday, May21st at the Cheney Witt Chapel. A time of visitation will follow the service. Private burial will take place at the U. S. National Cemetery in Ft. Scott. Memorials are suggested to the Bethel Community Church and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
