Evonna C. King

Evonna Charlene King, 96, of Goshen, peacefully slipped from this world to the next on July 25, 2020 at Greencroft Haven where she had been a resident for the past year and a half.

Born on September 28, 1923 to Paul J. Myers and Lona Shrock Myers, she and her two brothers, Dorwin C. (d. 2003) and Paul Dale (d. 1976), were raised in Howard County, Indiana on her parents’ farm. Evonna graduated from Clay Township High School in 1941 and completed a one-year secretarial course at Goshen College. After her time at Goshen College, she worked briefly at Continental Steel.  Later in life she worked a short time in a dentist’s office and for 15 years in the cafeteria at Eastern Elementary School. She spent most of her life as a homemaker.

On June 2, 1946 she married Paul Miller King (d. 2002) in the front room of her parents’ home. For nearly 56 years, Evonna and Paul shared a loving marriage based on trust, respect, and their faith in God.

The Kings raised their children in a little yellow house that Paul built in Greentown, Indiana. They had one son, Delmar K., and three daughters, Janet Rae, Janice Ann, and Bonita Joy. In 1950, Janet died at the age of five months from pneumonia and Joy died from cancer in 1973, when she was 17. Despite these tragedies, Evonna’s faith was unwavering. A hymn was never far from her lips and she was a dedicated member of the Mennonite church; variously attending  Howard-Miami Mennonite, Parkview Mennonite in Kokomo and Waterford Mennonite in Goshen.

Evonna and Paul moved from Greentown to Goshen in 1995 to be close to their two remaining children Del (Sherri Gunden) and Jan (Tim Stair) and grandchildren—Joe King, Lauren King, Adam Scharf (Anna Wiebe) all of Goshen, Austin Scharf (Kevin Maloney) of Atlanta, Georgia, David Stair (Alison Leavitt Stair) of Nappanee, and Joel Stair (Kristin Stair) of San Diego, California. The couple never missed Adam and Austin’s tennis matches or concerts, or Joe’s soccer and basketball games. Evonna valiantly attempted to improve her granddaughter’s domestic skills by teaching her sewing and the fine art of Jell-O salads, but, mercifully or tragically, not all the lessons stuck. Win or lose, on-key or off, jelled or soupy, Evonna’s love for her grandchildren was steadfast and punctuated with warm hugs and Big Red gum.

More recently, Evonna found happiness in her great-grandchildren: Jack Thomas Stair (4), Louisa Vonn Scharf (4), Sidney David Scharf (15 mos.), and Cameron John Scharf-Maloney (5 mos). Jack and Louisa loved to visit their “GG” and make new drawings to hang on her walls. They also loved the chocolate and mints in her candy dish!

Never one for idleness and meticulous to the core, Evonna was always precise in her actions. Evonna would go on daily walks and deliver church mail. Her hair pins were always in place and a toothpick was never out of reach. Even at the age of 95 when she entered Greencroft’s nursing home, she would assist with setting the dining tables and folding napkins, matching corners exactly.

Evonna will always be remembered as a selfless, gentle, and loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. Whenever she met someone new, she always asked for their first and last name just in case she knew their relatives. She was one of the first to help when a person was in need. When guests were at her home, she welcomed them with open arms, a big smile, and served them delicious food grown in their garden and preserved by her.  They might be lucky enough to be given leftovers to take home or coupons to their favorite fast food establishment.

Evonna was a beautiful person in every sense of the word and she will be missed dearly.

A memorial service will be held over video conference for family and friends. Evonna’s remains will be buried by those of her husband and daughters in Mast Cemetery near Kokomo on Monday, August 3 at 11:00 a.m.  There will be a short outdoor interment service. Her family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to either Greencroft Foundation or Mennonite Central Committee.