One by one, Concord is losing its links to the past, through a process as natural as life itself.
Evelyn Lucretia Jory Boyd, a resident of Concord since childhood, died Tuesday, Jan. 19, at Lone Tree Convalescent Hospital in Antioch, on almost the same day that her husband, Farmer Boyd, died in 1995. She was 86.
Born May 10, 1912, in Oakland to James and Lilla Jory, she was one of four children. Her family had a dairy in the Oakland-Berkeley area, but the family moved east to rural Concord when a neighbor complained about the cows.
"She didn't like the smell," said Evelyn in a 1993 interview. "My dad bought the farm in Concord , and we moved the cows here to Omar Diary."
The diary was located on land that would be taken over by the Navy during World War II, much to her family's dismay.
"The thing that made my dad furious was the Navy sold the portion of our ranch, where the (Diablo Creek) golf course is, to Concord for $1," she said.
Evelyn attended Berkeley High School, commuting by train back and forth from Concord to school on the Sacramento Shortline with Jean Traverso, whom Evelyn called her "best friend through junior high, Berkeley High and two years at Cal. We trained as nurses, but we didn't like the hats at Cal so we went to Stanford because we liked their hats."
Her health forced her to give up nursing at Stanford and return to the family dairy. She met Farmer Boyd, the youngest son of Concord 's first mayor, in 1930 at Keller's Hardware where he was working. ("It was love at first sight behind that vegetable bin," Evelyn once said.)
They dated for about three years, and were married at her aunt's home in 1933 by the same minister who had married her parents.
After her husband's death, Evelyn continued to live in Concord , until ill health prompted the move to a convalescent hospital.
Her son, Joseph, described her as a "former registered nurse at Stanford Hospital; a member of the Concord and Contra Costa County historical societies; a teacher of swimming to a myriad of young people in Concord ; a friend and confidant to numerous Contra Costa residents; and politically active in the Republican Party, and in political views of Concord , as well as the county."
Evelyn, who could combine caring and humor with a peppery independence, was special.
"I truly feel that Mom made a change for the better in every life she touched," said her son. "She was an extremely outgoing person who had not a bad word for anyone she met.
"She worked in the farm field, dealing with everything from loading sacks on the wagon, to the irrigation of the crops. She was the instigator of adopting a son, rather than giving birth to a child who may have had the affliction of epilepsy from which she suffered.
"Mom had the opportunity to travel to every state during her lifetime," he continued. "Evelyn Boyd left this world with an uncountable number of friends who knew the joy of knowing her.
"Evelyn Boyd was my mother, and a mother's hands, arms and love are a powerful force that can direct the entire way that a son views life. I thank God for my mother. God bless: sleep well."
In addition to her son, Joseph R. Boyd, she is survived by her daughter-in-law, Shirley Boyd; grandsons Tim Boyd, Tony Deguchi, Jack Wilcox, Tim Wilcox, Keith Wilcox and Don Wilcox; granddaughters Cheryl Robinson and Tina Howard; numerous great- and great-great-grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.
She is also survived by hundreds who were not related by blood, but who called her sister, aunt and grandma. Most of all, they called her "friend."
Concord Transcript (CA) January 28, 1999
Evelyn Lucretia Jory Boyd, a resident of Concord since childhood, died Tuesday, Jan. 19, at Lone Tree Convalescent Hospital in Antioch, on almost the same day that her husband, Farmer Boyd, died in 1995. She was 86.
Born May 10, 1912, in Oakland to James and Lilla Jory, she was one of four children. Her family had a dairy in the Oakland-Berkeley area, but the family moved east to rural Concord when a neighbor complained about the cows.
"She didn't like the smell," said Evelyn in a 1993 interview. "My dad bought the farm in Concord , and we moved the cows here to Omar Diary."
The diary was located on land that would be taken over by the Navy during World War II, much to her family's dismay.
"The thing that made my dad furious was the Navy sold the portion of our ranch, where the (Diablo Creek) golf course is, to Concord for $1," she said.
Evelyn attended Berkeley High School, commuting by train back and forth from Concord to school on the Sacramento Shortline with Jean Traverso, whom Evelyn called her "best friend through junior high, Berkeley High and two years at Cal. We trained as nurses, but we didn't like the hats at Cal so we went to Stanford because we liked their hats."
Her health forced her to give up nursing at Stanford and return to the family dairy. She met Farmer Boyd, the youngest son of Concord 's first mayor, in 1930 at Keller's Hardware where he was working. ("It was love at first sight behind that vegetable bin," Evelyn once said.)
They dated for about three years, and were married at her aunt's home in 1933 by the same minister who had married her parents.
After her husband's death, Evelyn continued to live in Concord , until ill health prompted the move to a convalescent hospital.
Her son, Joseph, described her as a "former registered nurse at Stanford Hospital; a member of the Concord and Contra Costa County historical societies; a teacher of swimming to a myriad of young people in Concord ; a friend and confidant to numerous Contra Costa residents; and politically active in the Republican Party, and in political views of Concord , as well as the county."
Evelyn, who could combine caring and humor with a peppery independence, was special.
"I truly feel that Mom made a change for the better in every life she touched," said her son. "She was an extremely outgoing person who had not a bad word for anyone she met.
"She worked in the farm field, dealing with everything from loading sacks on the wagon, to the irrigation of the crops. She was the instigator of adopting a son, rather than giving birth to a child who may have had the affliction of epilepsy from which she suffered.
"Mom had the opportunity to travel to every state during her lifetime," he continued. "Evelyn Boyd left this world with an uncountable number of friends who knew the joy of knowing her.
"Evelyn Boyd was my mother, and a mother's hands, arms and love are a powerful force that can direct the entire way that a son views life. I thank God for my mother. God bless: sleep well."
In addition to her son, Joseph R. Boyd, she is survived by her daughter-in-law, Shirley Boyd; grandsons Tim Boyd, Tony Deguchi, Jack Wilcox, Tim Wilcox, Keith Wilcox and Don Wilcox; granddaughters Cheryl Robinson and Tina Howard; numerous great- and great-great-grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.
She is also survived by hundreds who were not related by blood, but who called her sister, aunt and grandma. Most of all, they called her "friend."
Concord Transcript (CA) January 28, 1999
One by one, Concord is losing its links to the past, through a process as natural as life itself.
Evelyn Lucretia Jory Boyd, a resident of Concord since childhood, died Tuesday, Jan. 19, at Lone Tree Convalescent Hospital in Antioch, on almost the same day that her husband, Farmer Boyd, died in 1995. She was 86.
Born May 10, 1912, in Oakland to James and Lilla Jory, she was one of four children. Her family had a dairy in the Oakland-Berkeley area, but the family moved east to rural Concord when a neighbor complained about the cows.
"She didn't like the smell," said Evelyn in a 1993 interview. "My dad bought the farm in Concord , and we moved the cows here to Omar Diary."
The diary was located on land that would be taken over by the Navy during World War II, much to her family's dismay.
"The thing that made my dad furious was the Navy sold the portion of our ranch, where the (Diablo Creek) golf course is, to Concord for $1," she said.
Evelyn attended Berkeley High School, commuting by train back and forth from Concord to school on the Sacramento Shortline with Jean Traverso, whom Evelyn called her "best friend through junior high, Berkeley High and two years at Cal. We trained as nurses, but we didn't like the hats at Cal so we went to Stanford because we liked their hats."
Her health forced her to give up nursing at Stanford and return to the family dairy. She met Farmer Boyd, the youngest son of Concord 's first mayor, in 1930 at Keller's Hardware where he was working. ("It was love at first sight behind that vegetable bin," Evelyn once said.)
They dated for about three years, and were married at her aunt's home in 1933 by the same minister who had married her parents.
After her husband's death, Evelyn continued to live in Concord , until ill health prompted the move to a convalescent hospital.
Her son, Joseph, described her as a "former registered nurse at Stanford Hospital; a member of the Concord and Contra Costa County historical societies; a teacher of swimming to a myriad of young people in Concord ; a friend and confidant to numerous Contra Costa residents; and politically active in the Republican Party, and in political views of Concord , as well as the county."
Evelyn, who could combine caring and humor with a peppery independence, was special.
"I truly feel that Mom made a change for the better in every life she touched," said her son. "She was an extremely outgoing person who had not a bad word for anyone she met.
"She worked in the farm field, dealing with everything from loading sacks on the wagon, to the irrigation of the crops. She was the instigator of adopting a son, rather than giving birth to a child who may have had the affliction of epilepsy from which she suffered.
"Mom had the opportunity to travel to every state during her lifetime," he continued. "Evelyn Boyd left this world with an uncountable number of friends who knew the joy of knowing her.
"Evelyn Boyd was my mother, and a mother's hands, arms and love are a powerful force that can direct the entire way that a son views life. I thank God for my mother. God bless: sleep well."
In addition to her son, Joseph R. Boyd, she is survived by her daughter-in-law, Shirley Boyd; grandsons Tim Boyd, Tony Deguchi, Jack Wilcox, Tim Wilcox, Keith Wilcox and Don Wilcox; granddaughters Cheryl Robinson and Tina Howard; numerous great- and great-great-grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.
She is also survived by hundreds who were not related by blood, but who called her sister, aunt and grandma. Most of all, they called her "friend."
Concord Transcript (CA) January 28, 1999
Evelyn Lucretia Jory Boyd, a resident of Concord since childhood, died Tuesday, Jan. 19, at Lone Tree Convalescent Hospital in Antioch, on almost the same day that her husband, Farmer Boyd, died in 1995. She was 86.
Born May 10, 1912, in Oakland to James and Lilla Jory, she was one of four children. Her family had a dairy in the Oakland-Berkeley area, but the family moved east to rural Concord when a neighbor complained about the cows.
"She didn't like the smell," said Evelyn in a 1993 interview. "My dad bought the farm in Concord , and we moved the cows here to Omar Diary."
The diary was located on land that would be taken over by the Navy during World War II, much to her family's dismay.
"The thing that made my dad furious was the Navy sold the portion of our ranch, where the (Diablo Creek) golf course is, to Concord for $1," she said.
Evelyn attended Berkeley High School, commuting by train back and forth from Concord to school on the Sacramento Shortline with Jean Traverso, whom Evelyn called her "best friend through junior high, Berkeley High and two years at Cal. We trained as nurses, but we didn't like the hats at Cal so we went to Stanford because we liked their hats."
Her health forced her to give up nursing at Stanford and return to the family dairy. She met Farmer Boyd, the youngest son of Concord 's first mayor, in 1930 at Keller's Hardware where he was working. ("It was love at first sight behind that vegetable bin," Evelyn once said.)
They dated for about three years, and were married at her aunt's home in 1933 by the same minister who had married her parents.
After her husband's death, Evelyn continued to live in Concord , until ill health prompted the move to a convalescent hospital.
Her son, Joseph, described her as a "former registered nurse at Stanford Hospital; a member of the Concord and Contra Costa County historical societies; a teacher of swimming to a myriad of young people in Concord ; a friend and confidant to numerous Contra Costa residents; and politically active in the Republican Party, and in political views of Concord , as well as the county."
Evelyn, who could combine caring and humor with a peppery independence, was special.
"I truly feel that Mom made a change for the better in every life she touched," said her son. "She was an extremely outgoing person who had not a bad word for anyone she met.
"She worked in the farm field, dealing with everything from loading sacks on the wagon, to the irrigation of the crops. She was the instigator of adopting a son, rather than giving birth to a child who may have had the affliction of epilepsy from which she suffered.
"Mom had the opportunity to travel to every state during her lifetime," he continued. "Evelyn Boyd left this world with an uncountable number of friends who knew the joy of knowing her.
"Evelyn Boyd was my mother, and a mother's hands, arms and love are a powerful force that can direct the entire way that a son views life. I thank God for my mother. God bless: sleep well."
In addition to her son, Joseph R. Boyd, she is survived by her daughter-in-law, Shirley Boyd; grandsons Tim Boyd, Tony Deguchi, Jack Wilcox, Tim Wilcox, Keith Wilcox and Don Wilcox; granddaughters Cheryl Robinson and Tina Howard; numerous great- and great-great-grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.
She is also survived by hundreds who were not related by blood, but who called her sister, aunt and grandma. Most of all, they called her "friend."
Concord Transcript (CA) January 28, 1999
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
