Obituary - Evelyn Renee Wimberly

Celebrating a Life filled with the Joy of Living, the Compassion of Giving, and a Strong Faith in God

Evelyn Renee Wimberly

Homegoing Celebration

The Circle of Life...

Lying in Repose Monday, December 18, 2017 3:30pm - 7:30pm

Haliburton Funeral Chapel 1317 Emerson St. Evanston, Illinois 60201 947.864.6135 Nathan Haliburton, Jr. - Director

Services Tuesday, December 19, 2017 Wake: 10:00am Funeral: 11:00am

Springfield Missionary Baptist Church 1801 Emerson St. Evanston, IL 60201 847.328.9778

Rev. Dr. Emmitt T. Williams III, Officiating www.springfieldmbc.net

Interment Tuesday, December 19, 2017 12:30pm—2:30pm

Sunset Memorial Lawns 3100 Shermer Rd Northbrook, IL 60062 847.724.0669

Repast Following Interment

Springfield Missionary Baptist Church 1801 Emerson St. Evanston, IL 60201 Lower Level

Psalm 34 1 I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

13 keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.

2 I will glory in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

3 Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.

15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry;

4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

16 but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth.

6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.

17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.

7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

18 The LORD is close to the Brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

19 The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;

9 Fear the LORD, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.

10 The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

11 Come, my children, listen to me; teach you the fear of the LORD.

I will

12 Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,

20 he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

21 Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

22 The LORD will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

Ruth 1:16

16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.

Order of Service Officiating Rev. Dr. Emmitt T. Williams, III Springfield Missionary Baptist Church Musical Interlude……………………..…………………………………………………………………

Processional of Family…………………………..…………………………………………………….

Old Testament……………………………….…………………………………………………..Pulpit New Testament…………………………………………………………………………………..Pulpit Invocation…………………………………………..……………………………………………..Pulpit Emmanuel……..……………………………………..……………………Springfield Missionary Baptist Church choir Obituary……………………………………………..…………………………Cynthia M. Jackson Solo: Take Me to the King………………………………..…………………Sister Tina Penick Resolutions & Acknowledgements………………………………….…Cynthia M. Jackson Remarks……………………………………….…………………Peggy Bryant, Step–Daughter ……………………………………….…………………………………...Nicole Gordon, Daughter Remarks (Two minutes, please)…………………………………………….Family & Friends All in His Hands………………………………………….………………Springfield Missionary Baptist Church choir Eulogy…………………………………………………………….Rev. Dr. Emmitt T. Williams, III Hallelujah………………………………………….………………………Springfield Missionary Baptist Church choir Final Viewing………………………………………………………..…………………………………….

Benediction………………………………….………………….Rev. Dr. Emmitt T. Williams, III Recessional…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Obituary was called home to glory on Saturday, December 9, 2017, at 5:20p.m.

Evelyn, fondly known as "Ms Evelyn," was the daughter of Stanton and Juanita Wimberly of Evanston, IL. Evelyn was a lifelong resident of Evanston. She matriculated through the Evanston public school system and was graduated from Evanston Township High School. After high school, Evelyn attended beauty school. She was an accomplished beautician, with clients from Wisconsin to the south side of Chicago.

Evelyn had numerous jobs as an adult. However, the job that gave her the most happiness was being an Educator and Mentor at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Literary and Fine Arts School in Evanston.

Evelyn had perfect attendance for several years. She did not want to miss a day of work because her children needed her. Ms. Evelyn was loved by students, staff and administration.

Her Family - Evelyn's one true joy was her family. She was married to William (Wilson) Jackson on September 10, 2010. Evelyn and Wilson were the best of friends for many years. After they were married, they were inseparable. Their love for each other was a true testament to the meaning of marriage.

Evelyn had one child, Nicole Cynthia Gordon and one grandchild, Gracelyn Rae Gordon.

Gracelyn was her #1 priority. She always put Gracelyn's needs before her own. Evelyn considered Gracelyn as her "Rae of Grace."

Evelyn truly put her family first. She took great pleasure in caring for her favorite aunt, Evelyn Alexander, for whom she was named after. Evelyn delighted in bringing her siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles together for family gatherings. The more family members the happier she was.

Evelyn and her great-niece, Taylor Wimberly, often baked for the family. Evelyn always had her signature brownies or homemade rolls at family functions. There was nothing Evelyn would not do for her family.

Her School - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Literary and Fine Arts School in Evanston was her school, and all 547 students were her children. Evelyn was eternally grateful to Dr. Jeff Brown, for giving her an opportunity to succeed. Everything that Evelyn did at school, from the lunchroom to the playground, was done to help the students excel. She was loved by the students. Her wisdom and insight was respected and appreciated by faculty and staff.

Obituary (cont’d) Evelyn believed in the importance of the Youth and Opportunity United (Y.O.U.) after school program.

She often talked about how Y.O.U. had a positive impact on the children. She held a special place in her heart for Jafet Melendez, Y.O.U. Director; and George Foltz, whom she felt had the talent to be a renowned artist.

Her Church - Springfield Missionary Baptist Church in Evanston was "her" church, and Dr. Emmitt T. Williams III, was "her" pastor. As an active member of Springfield Missionary Baptist Church, Evelyn participated with the Ushers' Ministry and served as the leader of the Junior Usher Board. She was also the chairperson of the 2016 Woman's Day program and served as president of the Mission Ministry. She couldn't wait to invite everyone to Family & Friends Day. Evelyn loved serving the Lord and brought many souls to Christ.

Evelyn always volunteered to cook for church programs.

Recently, she prepared a meal for 50 families at the "Giving it to God" dinner, a program for Evanston families who lost children to violence.

To carry on Evelyn's legacy is her daughter, Nicole (Lukas) Gordon of Cincinnati OH, and granddaughter, Gracelyn Rae Gordon. Evelyn leaves to cherish her memory her husband, William Lee Jackson; three sisters: Sandra Wright and Karen Wimberly of Evanston, IL, and Debret Harrison of Seattle, WA; two brothers: Craig Wimberly of Chicago, IL, and Michael Harrison of Evanston, IL; an aunt, Evelyn Alexander of North Chicago, IL; and an uncle Milton Harrison, of Champaign, IL. She will always remain in the hearts of Terrance, Lori, Alex and Taylor Wimberly; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Tributes

“Blessings to my sister-in-law who knew no limits to love, hope and generosity. I miss you and will always love your spirit.”

“Though our hearts are heavy now, we know in the days, months and years to come we’ll smile and laugh remembering the many memories we shared. We are so blessed to have had you in our lives and thankful we experienced, firsthand, your beautiful, selfless, and compassionate spirit. “God filled your heart with happiness and lots of love. We witnessed you “pay it forward” many times over. Thank you, Evelyn, for everything you made possible. Our condolences and prayers go out to your family. We hope knowing the positive impact you had on so many lives brings them peace, comfort and a great deal of pride.

We would love for you to have your restaurant up and running by the time we get there.

Loved and cherished in our hearts forever.”

“We thank you so very much, Evelyn, for caring more for other people than for yourself. You did such a marvelous job down here that God wanted you up there. Job well done, sister. Love,” “Evelyn. I miss you and I love you. I wish there was a stronger word than I love you. But thats all I have. If there was one thing that I can say about you is that everyone loves you. And by that I mean everyone!!!! Everyone has so many fond memories about you. The kids at the school loves you. The kids in the after school program loves you. The members of the church loves you. The people on the street loves you. The family loves you. I love you. You made me want to be better man. No matter what you always thought the best of me. And that made me want to do better. be better. You were the only one who felt I could do no wrong. Supported me no matter what. You made my childhood great. You made sure I had a bike. Cool clothes. Those shirts with the alligators in them. Those pants with the zippers. Those shoes with the swooshes and three stripes—-not two.

You made sure I never went without. No matter what we went through I always felt I was the kid who who had everything. With you I never needed anything. I had you. I will never forget our last conversation. I wish we had more time. You taught me the true meaning of love. I’m a better father because of you. You reminded me of the meaning of family. I know they say you are in a better place. I’ve never understood that expression. I still want you here with me. I still need you here with me. With us. We all need you. Maybe one Day I’ll understand. One day. Not today. It’s been a long day without you Evelyn, I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again. I love you Evelyn.”

Dearest cousin Evelyn, the occasion to say these words about you...isn't a pleasant one... you see because you have gone on and left us to deal with life without you...

Dear cousin none could compare to the heart you have to love others and we thank God for the gift of your life to our family. You leave here your legacy of your lovely daughter, her husband and beautiful grandbaby Gracelyn whom, we've not met but, we all love! We see you in their eyes and on their beautiful faces!

We know that as believers, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord...but...you left us so suddenly.

We are totally unprepared and in disbelief of your departure; your cross over from death...into life. You rest easy dearest cousin Evelyn with our grandparents, mothers, fathers, aunts, cousins and others that have gone on before us. We love you cousin Evelyn, and you live forever in our hearts!!! With love,

“Dear Mom, I know that you have only been gone a short time but I still don't think that it has hit me yet. I can still hear you calling “Cole” and hearing you sing “heyy mommas Baby” to Gracelyn but all it does is make me numb. I feel like I'm waiting. I'm waiting for you to yell my name again, I'm waiting for you to ask me to watch Raymond or Hallmark Channel with you. I'm just constantly waiting.

Nothing is harder than when I go to send you a text message or dial you and I suddenly realize that you're not going to be able to reply to me. I needed your help finding a floral shop where you recently bought casket flowers and then realized I couldn’t ask because they were for you... I couldn’t breathe, my heart raced and I just cried.

I know you are free from pain and you are no longer tired. You kept saying you were ready. I am so happy for you yet selfishly, I wish I could be taking care of you instead.

I promise I would have done a great job. Luke would have done the Walgreens runs lol.

I would have taught Gracie how to make tea and coffee just how you liked it too.

I wish I knew that when I woke up in the morning, I got to hear your voice and give you a hug. I wish i could have a missed call from you at 4:30 am! Lol I wish that I could hear you singing hymns and baking. I wish you’d wake me up before the sun for pancakes.

I wish you’d call me to unlock your iPhone. I wish I could wake up to you rearranging my house. Who’s going to call me 6+ times a day? Who’s going to call me at 10p to spill all of the tea? I wish for so much that I can't ever experience with you again and most times, I don't think I will ever get any better.

I'm afraid that I'll miss you so much for so long that I won't be able to sleep. I didn't only lose my mom, I lost my best friend.

You told me to be strong and make sure Gracelyn remembers you. You said continue to pray and put everything in God’s hands. I will. Even though it hurts mom and right now it’s so hard but I’ll be okay. I won’t fall behind, I will get out of bed, I will be everything you asked. Promise I just miss you, mom. I miss your laugh, your voice, your cooking and your hugs. I miss all of you. I always will.

I will always look for you in everything I do. You are the reason I am the person I am today and I made promises to you that I intend to keep forever. I can't wait to see you again! I can't wait to drink coffee with you while we watch our shows and talk about everything. I love you and I miss you. I hope that while you watch me from Heaven, that you are still proud of me. Well done mom! You were a beautiful person, mom, and the best GRAMMY. 28 years with you. I’m blessed.

There is so much I could say but you already know… Love you beyond forever…”

Tributes When I think of my Aunt Evelyn many things come to mind. I could go on and on about how amazing she truly was (and believe me she was AMAZING), but I'm going to keep this short. Her impact on my life was huge. From a young age she took me under her wings and made me feel like a princess. She taught me a lot of what I know about baking and I promise I will do everything in my power to keep her recipes alive. I will never forget our adventures to the corner store, our girls weekends, the laughs, and all of the memories.

I'll never understand why you were taken so soon and while I know it won't be the same without you, your legacy and the impact you left on others will continue to live on. So, enjoy your wings my angel, I love you and miss you. “If you look up Evelyn in the dictionary you will find: Beautiful, nice, loyal, funny, unique, weird (in a good way), intelligent, and a bit loud.

With all these characteristics she is easily one of the best people on earth.

This is definitely our Evelyn! She is a one of a kind, very special lady who will be missed by everyone. Evelyn touched the lives of many with her generosity and loving nature. Please continue to bless us with your new wings. Until we meet again.... I love and miss you,�

Whether on the playground, in the lunchroom or at the front door, greeting people with her warm smile, Ms. Evelyn was part of every child's day - and she made every day better. She knew every child in her school, and most of their stories. Ms. Evelyn laughed with them, cried with them, held their hands, and helped them see the best in themselves. She worked tirelessly to make their world safe and happy. She always had a smile on her face and laughter in her heart.

In addition to the many lives that she touched at King Arts, Ms. Evelyn worked to improve the community at large through her church, Springfield Missionary Baptist.

Ms. Evelyn was such a pillar in our community. We pray that she knew how truly special she was to each family she touched. She made our children feel safe and cared for each day. She was the truest example of kindness and giving always providing a smile, kind words and help. She is already so greatly missed. Rest Peacefully Ms. Evelyn and know how truly loved you will always be!

Our son will miss Ms Evelyn. He was so sad to hear of her passing and wanted to make sure we honored her memory on his behalf. He remembers particularly how nice she was and how she "always picked teams for us and made sure they were fair". She will be missed by him and many others. We are so thankful for the positive and kind influence she had on our son. Sending live and prayers to her family We have known Ms. Evelyn for many years. She has seen 4 of the 5 kids come through the doors of King Lab. We are so heartbroken at the loss of her and that the last one will not get to know her. My condolences to the Ms. Evelyn's family at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

I am so grateful for everything Ms. Evelyn did for our kids and King Arts community. She was a kind hearted, caring soul that made school feel more like a home. Sending my heartfelt condolences to her family and friends “Ms. Evelyn would do anything for everybody...from making sure I had a yogurt every morning from the cafeteria to telling the kids to help Mrs. Ticho take her bags to the classroom everyday. She even made her delicious brownies into a heart shape for me to give to my husband, Travis. I always looked forward to the gold coins she gave us every holiday. I am so heartbroken. I can go on and on about the wonderful, giving woman she was.

Rest peacefully” © Evelyn was a shining star! With three kids, we have so many happy memories throughout the years. She loved our kids- she spent her own money to buy prizes that she gave out for good behavior... she danced with us at lunchtime rallies and raised money for our school fundraiser... and she was the loudest voice in the crowd at after school sports cheering on our middle schoolers. Kids only have teachers for one year, but they had Ms Evelyn from K-8... she supported them as they grew from shy kindergartners through confident 8th graders ready for ETHS. It was a special relationship... she truly loved our kids and they loved her too.

My sister was a very loving and caring person with strong faith in God and the goodness in others. Who knew she would emulate my Mother in such an impressive way - always helping friends and family and a great cook, With her church, she recently hosted a dinner for families who had lost children to violence. Now that is style. Thanks for being a great sister and a very high quality person. That is the true measure of greatness…

I believe that the Lord allowed you to live to see your daughter grow into a very nice and mature young lady, graduate from college, meet and marry a very nice young man, Lukas, that is a great match for her and for you to experience the birth of your beautiful granddaughter, Gracelyn. As my religious friends would so rightfully say, God is Good… Love you my little sister, may you rest in eternal peace and dwell in the House of the Lord, for ever and ever.

Pall Bearers

Honorary Pall Bearers Acknowledgements extend our appreciation and gratitude to everyone for all of your expressions of love and support. Most of all, we thank each of you for your prayers during our bereavement. extend our appreciation to the 208 contributors to the King Arts PTA’s expression of love and respect for Ms. Evelyn.

The Wimberly family extends a heartfelt "Thank You" to Kerry Paglia and family for your concern and compassion for Evelyn during her last hours on earth. We also thank Melissa Brown, the manager at Famous Dave's in Pleasant Prairie, WI, for your kindness. Evelyn's transition was peaceful because of your efforts.

-The Wimberly, Gordon and Jackson Families

Do not stand at my grave and weep I am not there, I do not sleep I am a thousand winds that blow I am the diamond glints on snow I am the sunlight on ripened grain I am the gentle autumn’s rain When you awaken in the morning’s hush I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circled flight I am the soft stars that shine at night Do not stand at my grave and cry; I am not there, I did not die.