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Evelyn Katherine <I>Heater</I> Hilton

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Evelyn Katherine Heater Hilton

Birth
Lethbridge, Lethbridge Census Division, Alberta, Canada
Death
28 Jan 2013 (aged 86)
Washington, USA
Burial
Burial Details Unknown Add to Map
Memorial ID
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Evelyn Katherine Hilton, 86 years of age, Issaquah, Washington

Wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, graceful beauty

Died: Monday, January 28, 2013

Evelyn Katherine Heater [Hilton] was born on October 2, 1926, in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Her parents were Lottie Searle [Heater Zuver] and Lewis Irving Heater. She grew up in Oakland, California with her mother Lottie; two younger brothers, Claude Lewis Heater and John Clifford Heater; and her aunt and uncle, Jennie Katherine and Junius Feramore Woolf.

Evelyn graduated from Berkeley High School and went on to study at the University of California at Berkeley.

At age 18, after a charming courtship, Evelyn married handsome naval officer, Phyl Normington Hilton, on March 8, l945. She soon began to fulfill her childhood dream of "having seven children." Evelyn eventually outdid herself and had nine healthy children of her own and fostered sixteen babies between birth and adoption.

In 1956, Evelyn and her family moved from Walnut Creek, California, east to New Jersey to follow a career opportunity for Phyl at AT&T in New York City. This began her eastern odyssey, followed by moves to Boston, upstate New York and back to Boston.

Being a very busy wife, mother, and church volunteer, Evelyn had to make her fun where and when she could. She learned to dance the hula in her living room in Whippany, New Jersey, and ski in her back yard in Sudbury, Massachusetts. The back yard didn't really afford the opportunity to become an accomplished skier, but she did become an excellent hula dancer. She danced once on stage in New York City and at many church parties, delighting her family and friends with her beauty and grace.

While living in New England, Evelyn embraced colonial life, surrounding herself with collected antiques, creating beautiful braided rugs, and spinning yarn on an old spinning wheel in her living room. She excelled in many of the domestic arts, including gardening, cooking, and baking. She created and tended a vigorous and delicious vegetable garden in Sudbury, Massachusetts, and was renowned for her tender pot roast, savory sausage-and-sage-stuffed turkey, and all manner of perfect pies. Her oatmeal raisin cookies were a treat, as was the mouth-watering honey wheat bread she made from wheat she ground herself.

This domestic goddess from pioneer stock also liked to do things her own way. While living in upstate New York she collected fresh milk from the kosher dairy across the road. Evelyn didn't have to get her milk at the dairy, she could have bought it at the store. She did it because it was fun, but one stormy winter day it nearly took her life. In a "snow storm of the century" the wind and snow were so intense she couldn't breathe. Just 100 feet from her door she became disoriented and knew she would die right there. She sat down in the snow to await her inevitable demise. Luckily, a veteran of many Alaska winters was visiting. He tried to discourage her from heading out to the dairy, but when that failed, he went with her. He was able to drag her back, and she credits him with saving her life.

In addition to Evelyn's work in her home, she worked part-time at the lovely, historic Wayside Inn, which was close by her Sudbury house. She was a greeter and tour guide at the Inn and the affiliated "Little Red School House," and looked stunning in her eighteenth century costume. She told a story about being on duty at the Little Red School House (of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" fame) one afternoon dressed in her costume. A group of tourists came in and were checking the place out, but without asking her any questions. So, when there was a lull in their conversation she spoke up, asking if she could help them. She gave the group quite a scare as they didn't know she was alive; they'd taken her to be a costumed mannequin! She did look very authentic in her colonial dress and fit into the environment of the Inn and the School House perfectly.

Surely the most generous and self-affirming of Evelyn's jobs was her foster-mothering of 16 new born babies (mostly one at a time). She cared for babies from all races, some with health and drug problems, but all were healthy and happy by the time she had to let them go to be adopted. Her own health suffered and she finally had to quit from exhaustion. She continued to have lingering health problems for some years from so many sleepless nights; but she said, "Anything so worthwhile would naturally come with a price." She was happy to pay the price.

Evelyn travelled all over the world with her favorite travelling companion, her husband. She particularly enjoyed educational travel, and took English history and numerous summer courses at Selwyn College in Cambridge, England. She found connecting on a personal level with people of other cultures very satisfying, and her warm eyes, beautiful smile, and unassuming ways made it easy for her to do this.

In retirement, Evelyn and Phyl moved to their ranch in Mendon, Utah, and built a log home next to the Wasatch Mountain State Park. In the early years their communication with the "outside world" was limited to CB radio, and in the winter going to town was often limited to riding down the mountain on snow mobiles. Years later they moved to Salt Lake City, spent time in Hawaii and Palm Springs, and finally, after Phyl's first stroke, moved to Issaquah, Washington to be near three of their daughters.

Evelyn, an intrepid traveler through the vicissitudes of life, survived the death of two of her children, two grandchildren, a daughter-in-law, and the separation from her foster babies. Most recently she suffered the inevitable indignities of old age. She died stoically with hope for the next life, with loved ones around her.

Evelyn was lovingly cared for by her devoted husband of 68 years, Phyl Hilton, and daughters, Carrel Sheldon, Deborah Routt, and Julia Hilton.

She is survived by her husband, Phyl N. Hilton; her children, Carrel and Garret Sheldon, Beth and John Allen, Julia Hilton, David Hilton, Evelyn and Earl Pfeffer, Deborah and Rob Routt, Rebecca Hilton; her brother Claude Heater; 29 grandchildren, Lorenzo, Ezra, Maggie, Virgil and Hugh Levinger, Phoebe von Reis, Woodruff Hilton Bramswig, Michael, Isaac, and Daniel Sheldon, Nathan Sheldon Ray, Lily Allen-Hughes, Nick Allen, Jennifer and Emily Hilton, Sam Hilton Henshaw, Sarah Hilton McPhie, Rachel Hilton, Adam, Luke, and Abigail Hilton, Seamus and Maddie McGraw, Isabelle and Henry Pfeffer, Hailey Routt, Jacob, Zachary, and Chelsea Shelton; 14 great-grandchildren, Seth Matson, Gustav, Hazel, and Finn von Reis, Daniella and Lowell Levinger Molina, Marlena, Tessabell, and Elektra Sheldon, Hannah and Eli Sheldon, Maxwell and Theodore Sheldon, and Quillicus Sheldon Ray.

Evelyn was predeceased by her son, Richard Hilton; daughter, Katherine Hilton; daughter-in-law, Mary Hilton; grandchildren, Jennifer Sheldon and Seth Levinger; and brother, John Heater.

Evelyn touched the lives of all who knew her. We will miss her greatly.

Family and friends are sharing remembrances on Facebook. Search Evelyn Katherine Hilton.
Evelyn Katherine Hilton, 86 years of age, Issaquah, Washington

Wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, graceful beauty

Died: Monday, January 28, 2013

Evelyn Katherine Heater [Hilton] was born on October 2, 1926, in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Her parents were Lottie Searle [Heater Zuver] and Lewis Irving Heater. She grew up in Oakland, California with her mother Lottie; two younger brothers, Claude Lewis Heater and John Clifford Heater; and her aunt and uncle, Jennie Katherine and Junius Feramore Woolf.

Evelyn graduated from Berkeley High School and went on to study at the University of California at Berkeley.

At age 18, after a charming courtship, Evelyn married handsome naval officer, Phyl Normington Hilton, on March 8, l945. She soon began to fulfill her childhood dream of "having seven children." Evelyn eventually outdid herself and had nine healthy children of her own and fostered sixteen babies between birth and adoption.

In 1956, Evelyn and her family moved from Walnut Creek, California, east to New Jersey to follow a career opportunity for Phyl at AT&T in New York City. This began her eastern odyssey, followed by moves to Boston, upstate New York and back to Boston.

Being a very busy wife, mother, and church volunteer, Evelyn had to make her fun where and when she could. She learned to dance the hula in her living room in Whippany, New Jersey, and ski in her back yard in Sudbury, Massachusetts. The back yard didn't really afford the opportunity to become an accomplished skier, but she did become an excellent hula dancer. She danced once on stage in New York City and at many church parties, delighting her family and friends with her beauty and grace.

While living in New England, Evelyn embraced colonial life, surrounding herself with collected antiques, creating beautiful braided rugs, and spinning yarn on an old spinning wheel in her living room. She excelled in many of the domestic arts, including gardening, cooking, and baking. She created and tended a vigorous and delicious vegetable garden in Sudbury, Massachusetts, and was renowned for her tender pot roast, savory sausage-and-sage-stuffed turkey, and all manner of perfect pies. Her oatmeal raisin cookies were a treat, as was the mouth-watering honey wheat bread she made from wheat she ground herself.

This domestic goddess from pioneer stock also liked to do things her own way. While living in upstate New York she collected fresh milk from the kosher dairy across the road. Evelyn didn't have to get her milk at the dairy, she could have bought it at the store. She did it because it was fun, but one stormy winter day it nearly took her life. In a "snow storm of the century" the wind and snow were so intense she couldn't breathe. Just 100 feet from her door she became disoriented and knew she would die right there. She sat down in the snow to await her inevitable demise. Luckily, a veteran of many Alaska winters was visiting. He tried to discourage her from heading out to the dairy, but when that failed, he went with her. He was able to drag her back, and she credits him with saving her life.

In addition to Evelyn's work in her home, she worked part-time at the lovely, historic Wayside Inn, which was close by her Sudbury house. She was a greeter and tour guide at the Inn and the affiliated "Little Red School House," and looked stunning in her eighteenth century costume. She told a story about being on duty at the Little Red School House (of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" fame) one afternoon dressed in her costume. A group of tourists came in and were checking the place out, but without asking her any questions. So, when there was a lull in their conversation she spoke up, asking if she could help them. She gave the group quite a scare as they didn't know she was alive; they'd taken her to be a costumed mannequin! She did look very authentic in her colonial dress and fit into the environment of the Inn and the School House perfectly.

Surely the most generous and self-affirming of Evelyn's jobs was her foster-mothering of 16 new born babies (mostly one at a time). She cared for babies from all races, some with health and drug problems, but all were healthy and happy by the time she had to let them go to be adopted. Her own health suffered and she finally had to quit from exhaustion. She continued to have lingering health problems for some years from so many sleepless nights; but she said, "Anything so worthwhile would naturally come with a price." She was happy to pay the price.

Evelyn travelled all over the world with her favorite travelling companion, her husband. She particularly enjoyed educational travel, and took English history and numerous summer courses at Selwyn College in Cambridge, England. She found connecting on a personal level with people of other cultures very satisfying, and her warm eyes, beautiful smile, and unassuming ways made it easy for her to do this.

In retirement, Evelyn and Phyl moved to their ranch in Mendon, Utah, and built a log home next to the Wasatch Mountain State Park. In the early years their communication with the "outside world" was limited to CB radio, and in the winter going to town was often limited to riding down the mountain on snow mobiles. Years later they moved to Salt Lake City, spent time in Hawaii and Palm Springs, and finally, after Phyl's first stroke, moved to Issaquah, Washington to be near three of their daughters.

Evelyn, an intrepid traveler through the vicissitudes of life, survived the death of two of her children, two grandchildren, a daughter-in-law, and the separation from her foster babies. Most recently she suffered the inevitable indignities of old age. She died stoically with hope for the next life, with loved ones around her.

Evelyn was lovingly cared for by her devoted husband of 68 years, Phyl Hilton, and daughters, Carrel Sheldon, Deborah Routt, and Julia Hilton.

She is survived by her husband, Phyl N. Hilton; her children, Carrel and Garret Sheldon, Beth and John Allen, Julia Hilton, David Hilton, Evelyn and Earl Pfeffer, Deborah and Rob Routt, Rebecca Hilton; her brother Claude Heater; 29 grandchildren, Lorenzo, Ezra, Maggie, Virgil and Hugh Levinger, Phoebe von Reis, Woodruff Hilton Bramswig, Michael, Isaac, and Daniel Sheldon, Nathan Sheldon Ray, Lily Allen-Hughes, Nick Allen, Jennifer and Emily Hilton, Sam Hilton Henshaw, Sarah Hilton McPhie, Rachel Hilton, Adam, Luke, and Abigail Hilton, Seamus and Maddie McGraw, Isabelle and Henry Pfeffer, Hailey Routt, Jacob, Zachary, and Chelsea Shelton; 14 great-grandchildren, Seth Matson, Gustav, Hazel, and Finn von Reis, Daniella and Lowell Levinger Molina, Marlena, Tessabell, and Elektra Sheldon, Hannah and Eli Sheldon, Maxwell and Theodore Sheldon, and Quillicus Sheldon Ray.

Evelyn was predeceased by her son, Richard Hilton; daughter, Katherine Hilton; daughter-in-law, Mary Hilton; grandchildren, Jennifer Sheldon and Seth Levinger; and brother, John Heater.

Evelyn touched the lives of all who knew her. We will miss her greatly.

Family and friends are sharing remembrances on Facebook. Search Evelyn Katherine Hilton.


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