Wife.  Mother.  Grandma.  Great-grandma.  Friend.  Co-worker.  Helper.  Encourager.

On April 28, 1929, Evangeline “Evey” Elizabeth Pearl Roesslein (nee: Barnum) was born on the Barnum homestead near Black River Falls, Wisconsin, to Myrtle Barnum.  Weighing only 2 lb. 10 oz., her name weighed more than she did.  She was raised by her grandparents, William and Nellie (nee: Roberts) Barnum.  At age 11, she was put on a train that took her to Palatine, Illinois, where her mother and stepdad, Emil Cikanek, were living so she could care for her two-year-old brother.  By age 14, she was working after school at a local deli, Betty’s Food Shop.  When her parents moved in 1947 to a dairy farm in Iron Ridge, Wisconsin, Evey stayed in Palatine, rented a room from a widow for $5.00 per week and continued to work for Fred and Betty DeAyre at their deli.

Shortly after graduation from Palatine High School in 1947, she met handsome dairy farmer LaVerne “John” Roesslein.  They were married on February 26, 1949.  On April 8, 1950, they welcomed their only child, Linda Lee, into their family.

Evey and John dairy farmed in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin.  In 1953, they both began new careers at Jewel Tea Company, John working in the produce department and Evey cashiering.  Purchasing their first home near Island Lake, Illinois, in 1953, and later, in 1963, moving to Cary, Illinois, they enjoyed 51 years of marriage together.  After John’s death on July 30, 2000, Evey moved to Lake Zurich, Illinois, to live closer to daughter Linda and son-in-law Tom Novak.

Evey enjoyed several careers, including dairy farming, retail cashier management, banking, bookkeeping, real estate sales, county assessor’s clerk and finally Walgreen’s cashier until she retired at age 82.  In retirement, she became a full-time caregiver for an extended family member for nine years.

Evey was blessed with the title of Grandma in July 1976 and Great-grandma in September 2002 and again in October 2004.  She was a devoted grandma who enjoyed being a teacher, encourager and cheerleader to grandsons Randy Micheletti and Troy Micheletti and to great-grandchildren Aanesera Grace Micheletti and Wynter Rose Micheletti.

Evey was preceded in death by her beloved husband, her parents, her sisters, Ethel Radke and Mary Lou Cikanek; her brother, Osborne Cikanek; her nephews Scott and Greg Cikanek and Ralph, Dean, Gregory and Jerry Roesslein; her nieces Marilyn Clack, Karen Strissel, Judy Roesslein, Beverly Bryant and Pat Corbissero; twelve brothers-in-law, and ten sisters-in-law.

Evey’s encouragement and love will be deeply missed by her family and all who knew her.

To honor her request, a small private funeral service took place in the chapel of Windridge Memorial Park in Cary, Illinois, where she is buried.  If you would like to honor Evey and her most interesting life, a donation to Hutchcraft Ministries, On Eagles’ Wings, P.O. Box 400, Harrison, Arkansas 72602-0400 would be deeply appreciated.