Capturing
Everett Evnen’s life in a few short words, as per his wishes, is not an easy
task, but I’m going to try. Everett lived life in big gulps; he didn’t just dip
his toe into the waters of life. His
family is well-aware that life with Everett was never dull and that his love
and adoration for each and everyone of them was paramount. He accepted each family
member for whom they were and took great pride in their accomplishments. Family was indeed a source of joy for Everett
and I know he felt blessed to be the patriarch of such a large and lively
group! He loved hosting the Bar and Bat Mitzvah parties that took place in the
family backyard in Bishop Heights, working the food stand at horseshows in
which family members were participating, selling “the world’s best corn”(which
of course was from his farm) with his grandkids, and having the extended family
over on Shabbat for dinners.
Everett of
course was known for his entrepreneurial spirit. He didn’t like the organizational aspects of
business, but he did love the creative side of interacting with customers,
finding knew products to sell, and even having the opportunity to provide
individuals of different backgrounds and from different walks of life with the
opportunity to earn a living. He believed in giving people chances no matter
what their race, religion, or socio-economic background.
Many of us
remember the 1995 fire that destroyed the Lincoln Poultry Building although
nearly 80 firefighters responded to the fire.
The typical response most people would have had seeing one’s lifework
going up in flames would have been distress and grief. Everett’s response was
different as he stood and watched the devastation. He responded with optimism
and a vision for the future. He actually
said “When we rebuild this…” Everett’s sense of what needed to happen for his
employees who might end up being out of work due to no fault of their own was
that no one who was his employee would need to miss a day of work. Everybody
stayed on the clock doing some kind of work at that time. Business and ethical
behavior went hand in hand for Everett. He
had no tolerance for cheating in business.
Everett
loved the Earth and nature. He was happy
on his farm. It was a place where he could contribute the yearly cornstalks he
grew to the synagogue Sukkah, a temporary hut built for our Harvest
festival. It was a place where he could
teach his grandkids how to fish; where horseradish roots could be grown to
supply many of us for our Passover seder needs.
He never stopped caring about the land and feeling a responsibility for
tending to it. Last Thursday he was to
have had a meeting to check on his bee hives that had supplied so much honey
over the years that both he and Elaine put into jars and gave away as gifts to
friends and family. His stroke on
Tuesday prevented that meeting from ever taking place. I think he would have loved to know that this
year his hives put out 120 lbs. of honey.
If you know anything about the significance of 120 in Judaism, it stands
for a life that has been lived to the fullest and honey represents our hopes
for a sweet and good year. I believe it
is no coincidence that the symbolism of this final gift of Everett’s is imparting
an important message. He would want his
family to know that he had lived a full and wonderful life and would wish them
sweet memories to bring them comfort in the days and months to come.
Elaine as
you think about your past 67 years with Everett, I have no doubt that you will
be missing the twinkle in his eye, his generous spirit, and his wry sense of
humor. It’s a good thing that he asked
you to marry him even though he thought you might turn him down, because the
two of you created a family unit that radiates love and a sense of civic
responsibility.
Bob,
Richard, Jaine, and Judith, it is not easy having a father die so
unexpectedly. I know your memories of
him will include his ability to handle
the “big stuff” so easily, his sense of fairness, his ability to give you the
freedom to grow in diverse ways, and his zest for life. Not every parent who
has been so involved in the life of his community has managed to let his
children know that they are a fundamental part of his universe. You were fortunate to have a father who knew
the importance of family and cherished each of you.
Debra, Kim,
and Andy, as you know Everett thought of each of you as his children as well. His heart opened up to each of you and he
appreciated and understood the support you helped provide whenever he and
Elaine needed an extra set of hands to ease their life’s journey.
Tom,
Brittany, Michael, Julie, Genevieve, Ev, Eli, Sadye, Sim, Adam, Katie, Mitchell, Adrienne, Chad, Ben,
Rachelle, Mimi, Sam, and Emma when I listened to your stories about your
grandpa, it was obvious that your memories of growing up in his presence will
always fill you with a sense of joy. You
were fortunate to have a grandfather who had a quick wit, a desire to instill
in you his own entrepreneurial spirit, and who exhibited a tremendous amount of
forgiveness for your childhood indiscretions!
Everett
would have been the first one to admit that he wasn’t a synagogue goer, but
those of us who had the privilege of watching him over the years, know that
this synagogue’s well-being was always part of his mind-set. He knew how to step up when needed, serving
as President of our congregation and the Tifereth Israel Foundation. I know that watching him take an Aliyah on Yom
Kippur and listening to Ev chant our High Holiday services was very meaningful
to him last month. He didn’t move from
his seat or even look restless! I think he realized that his passion for this
congregation was being passed down in the same way that his father taught him
to care about keeping it going.
Everett, we
thank you for teaching us what it means to have an open hand and an open
heart. May we all remember your lessons
about treating others with justice and equality. And as we reflect upon your life lived with
enthusiasm, may we strive to make every day of our lives count, just as you
did. We will miss you but our hearts will always be connected to you.
Shalom,
Everett, may your soul be bound up in the bond of life.
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