We celebrate Evelyn's extraordinary longevity as she was just 1 month & 3 days shy of her 109th birthday. One of five children of Roman & Bertha Michalski, Evelyn was born in Sunnyside, TX, and at age 7 moved with her family to Houston, TX. She graduated high school in 1929, when the stock market crash signaled the beginning of the Great Depression. Choosing work instead of attending college, she trained as a Comptometer operator and was employed by the Texas Company. Evelyn was a hard worker and loved her job, but after 5 years was forced to quit when she married her husband Vergil Hughes on June 26, 1937; the Texas Company, now Texaco, had a policy that allowed only husbands to be the 'bread winners' for the family. Their Saturday wedding & Sunday honeymoon in Galveston was followed immediately by working at Hughes Tool Company for the next 5 years. Throughout her life she cared for & protected the ones she loved: her mother who developed Parkinson's, her sister with polio and her younger brother Connie, when he was picked on by the school bully. Evelyn enjoyed trips to Galveston, New York and to the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. She moved to Waco, TX in 1997 to be with her niece Renee Michalski, and into her late 90's enjoyed traveling to Branson, MO, Disney World, and on a Caribbean cruise. Since the age of 7, Evelyn has collected 'old things' found at antique stores, garage sales and Goodwill. She created many beautiful ceramic pieces, painting the tiniest details with great patience. She also loved animals, adopting and doting on stray cats and dogs. Her wit, independence, and opinionated style endeared her to all who knew her.
She was predeceased by her husband Vergil E. Hughes, sisters Pearl Holik, Helen Neiman, and Myrtle Robinson, brother Connie Courtney "Mike" Michalski and their spouses. She is survived by her niece Renee Michalski of Waco, TX and her friends and companions of the last 22 years.
A remembrance service will be held at Dignity Connally Compton, 4400 W. Waco Dr. on Saturday, November 23rd @ 11:30am; visitation immediately precedes the service.