Mostly Clear, 63° F
(Feb. 24, 2006)
Evagene (Evy) Davis Richardson, 85, died Friday, Feb. 24 at Powell Valley Hospital.
Born in 1920, she remembered as a toddler a dinner table conversation about Halley’s Comet, due to return again in 1985. Another subject explored was the turn of the millennium to 2000. She wondered if she would live until those momentous occasions. Perhaps an adult commented “’Babe’ might, we won’t.” In any event, these problems were her first adventures in arithmetic. She did live to enjoy both events, traveling to Los Cabos, Mexico, to view Halley’s and spending New Year’s Eve 1999 in “winter camp” in El Centro, Calif.
She died, as she would say, of the accumulated insults of old age.
She was the fifth born and only daughter of W.T. Davis and Veta (Newell) Davis, born in Sheridan on July 25, 1920. She recalled learning to count from her dad’s business: 1-2-3, the Winterling-Davis Nash Garage telephone number. Years later, when she was married R.C. Richardson, The Lovell Clay Products Company number was 1.
She grew up in Sheridan and Parkman in Wyoming and Wyola in Montana. Starting first grade at Linden Elementary School, she graduated from Sheridan High School in 1938 with many of the same group from first grade.
She attended the University of Wyoming 1938-39, where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma social sorority. After her freshman year, she was employed by the Sheridan Press until 1941 when she married Robert C. Richardson whom she had met in Laramie. They went to Ames Iowa, enrolling at Iowa State University.
In 1943, Robert was called to active duty with the Army Air Corps in World War II. Over the next year, they lived variously at training locations until he received his pilot wings and second lieutenant commission from Brooks Field, San Antonio, Texas, in the class of 44-C. In the autumn of that year, he was sent overseas, and Evy returned to Lovell where their first daughter, Margaret Dana, was born Feb. 28, 1945. The fact that the date coincided with Robert’s birthday and his father’s before him may have had something to do with Dr. W.W. Horsley, who was a birthday fan and commented, “Wouldn’t it be great, ‘if.’”
Upon Robert’s safe return in 1945, the young family moved to Billings, Mont., where he operated the Billings plant of Lovell Clay Products. Daughter Jane Dundas was born there Sept. 6, 1946.
In 1948, they returned to Iowa State University to complete their degrees, Evy receiving a B.S. in food and nutrition (dietetics) and Robert in ceramic engineering. They returned to Wyoming and Lovell and built their home in 1952 and lived there for nearly 50 years.
Evy was active in Lovell Woman’s Club, PTA, Lovell Library Board, Big Horn County Library Board, Community Concert Association, Tee and Tan (the women’s golf league of the Powell Country Club) and the Cody Kappa Club. Under her tenure as chairman of the Lovell Library Board, the present library building was constructed.
After both daughters were in college, she was employed as a dietary consultant at North Big Horn Hospital in Lovell and a number of other institutions in the Big Horn Basin. In 1976, she became a Registered Dietician upon passing a national examination. She was a member of the American Dietetic Association.
Golf was a consuming interest and hobby in later years. She enjoyed tournaments and participated in many. She and Robert were members of the Powell Country Club, the Foster Gulf Golf Association and the Barbara Worth Country Club in Holtville, Calif.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Robert, and three brothers, Carl, Walter and Lester Davis.
Survivors include her two daughters, Margaret and Jane; a son-in-law, Dennis Hejduk; a grandson, Robert L. Martinez; and one great granddaughter, Cassidy Lyn Martinez; a brother, Dana Davis of Laramie; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Cremation has taken place. At her request, no services will be held.
For those who wish, memorial contributions to the Lovell Library, Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center or Caring for Powell Animals would be appreciated by the family.
