Evelyn Marie Hutchins

Evelyn Marie Hutchins, 96, went home to be with Jesus on Thursday, October 6th, 2022, in Clarkston, WA.

Evelyn was born at home on the farm on February 24th, 1926 in Lampasas, TX to Walter William and Mamie Bell (Crawford) Huggins. She had four brothers and one sister, her being the youngest daughter and having one brother younger than her. She used to tell stories of Christmas time when she was little, getting a stocking with an apple, an orange, a banana, a piece of candy, some nuts, and one small toy, giggling the whole time she looked at her full stocking and the pile of presents for her now.

On February 10th, 1946, she married the love of her life, Joe Glover Hutchins, in Carlsbad, NM. They were married for 60 years before Joe died on June 24th, 2006. Evelyn and Joe were blessed with five wonderful children who kept them very busy and entertained. Evelyn sewed many of the children’s clothes, canned food, made jelly, and even made homemade potato chips, using the clothes iron and wax paper to make bags for the chips.

The Hutchins family moved to have twenty acres of land outside of Artesia, NM to be able to have goats, cows, pigs, and chickens when it was discovered their youngest daughter needed goat’s milk. Living out there provided them the opportunity to garden, churn their own butter, raise their own meat, can all their food, and have open space for the kids to play.

In the summer of 1961, the family moved to Spokane, WA for a job opportunity for Joe. They also had friends in the area, which made such a big move a little bit easier. Joe had hurt his back in the potash mines, so continuing that line of work would have been difficult. They quickly settled in and made Spokane their home, living there for almost 50 years.

Evelyn and Joe were very active in their church and both loved the Lord. Many times people would catch them mowing the church lawn, climbing ladders, and cleaning up. When told they should let someone younger do those jobs, they would say, “God’s still got me here, might as well be me.”

Evelyn also loved her family very much. Every grandchild or great-grandchild was always referred to as a “dandy.” Often times, a family member would offer to mow her lawn or pull her weeds, but she would have the job done before they arrived because she wanted to be able to sit with them and just visit. And a visit with Evelyn most likely included a slice of her delicious homemade pies or, around Christmas, some of her family favorite peanut butter balls. Thanksgiving was probably the favorite holiday for family to celebrate with her though. We’ll all be craving her cornbread dressing for the rest of our lives and, hopefully, carry on her recipes for generations to come.

After Joe died, Evelyn moved to Clarkston, WA and lived there until she passed. Her home was always open for a visit and she usually had a puzzle on the table. Her rule was that you weren’t allowed to leave unless you put a few pieces of the puzzle together. More often than not, it would turn into a longer visit and a large portion of the puzzle would end up getting finished, with lots of giggling (Evelyn had the best giggle) and lot of visiting happening.

Evelyn is preceded in death by her mother and father, Mamie and Walter Huggins; brothers, Walter, Urban, Jim, and John; sister, Louise; her son-in-law, Doran Williams; and her husband, Joe Hutchins. She is survived by her children Joe (Mary) Hutchins of Colorado Springs, Co; Bill (Pamela) Hutchins of Kennewick, WA; Doug (Devon) Hutchins of Brookhaven, MS; Anna Williams of Clarkston, WA; and Becky Hasse of Clarkston, WA. She will also be missed by her many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and friends.

Evelyn, we all love you, will miss you tremendously, and think you’re just a dandy, too!

By Gina Williams

A visitation for Evelyn will be held Thursday, October 13, 2022 at 9:00 AM at Hazen & Jaeger Valley Funeral Home, 1306 N Pines Rd, Spokane Valley, WA 99206. A funeral service will occur Thursday, October 13, 2022 at 10:00 AM, 1306 N Pines Rd, Spokane Valley, WA 99206. A final resting place will occur Thursday, October 13, 2022 at 12:30 PM at Greenwood Memorial Terrace, 211 N Government Way, Spokane, Washington 99224.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.HazenJaegerValley.com for the Hutchins family.