Evelyn Gillaspey

Evelyn Marie Gillaspey, 86, a resident of Fergus Falls, died Saturday, June 18, 2011, at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. She was born July 13, 1924, in Proctor, Minnesota, the daughter of Edgar and Hilda (Carow) Albert. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Nashua, Minnesota. She attended elementary school in Nashua, and graduated from high school in Tintah in 1942. Following graduation she worked in Minneapolis. On May 2, 1944, she married Donald Gillaspey in Campbell, Minnesota. Following his discharge from the Navy they lived and worked in Minneapolis for a few years before moving to a farm in Maplewood Township near Erhard, Minnesota. During that time she was a bookkeeper at the Erhard Creamery. Don worked construction, so that took them to many places. In Virginia, Minnesota she worked for a chiropractor, in Minneapolis at Univar Inc., and in Melbourne, Florida in electronics for Harris Corporation. She and Don retired to Fergus Falls in 1986. Evelyn served as a volunteer at Lake Region Hospital and was a VFW Auxiliary member. She was an active member of the Maplewood Lutheran Church in rural Erhard. She loved music of any kind, especially dancing and dance music. Her favorite hobbies were crocheting, knitting, reading, playing cards and embroidering. Preceding her in death were her parents; her stepfather, James Dillon; her sister and brother-in-law, Carral and Frank Sheridan, her brother and sister-in-law, Karl and Iris Albert; her step-sister, Bernice Cain; and a very special niece, Kathy Sheridan and her son, Matt Sheridan. Survivors include her husband of 67 years, Don of Fergus Falls; two sons: David (Ruby) Gillaspey of Pelican Rapids, and Shawn (Shelley) Gillaspey of Sitka, Alaska; her seven grandchildren: Wade Gillaspey of Pelican Rapids, Jody (Dave) Reynolds of Rogers, MN, Jenny (Dan) Satter of Rogers, MN, Jessica Marie (Jason) Dunn of Cape Cod, MA, and Krysta (Lucas) Hulne of Moorhead, MN, and Jessica Lynn and Lilly Gillaspey of Sitka, Alaska; eight great-grandchildren; her step-sister, Doris Dillon; and special friends Rocky and Kathy Norgren and family. She is also survived by many special people who called her Grandma, and many special nieces, nephews, cousins, and special card playing friends. All of them were loved so very much by her. Visitation: 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, June 22, with a 6:30 p.m. prayer service at the funeral home, and resumes one hour prior to the service at the church Memorial Service: 11 a.m. Friday, June 24, 2011 at Grace Lutheran Church in Erhard Clergy: Reverend Brad Soenksen Interment: Maplewood Lutheran Church Cemetery, rural Erhard, Minnesota Funeral Home: Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls