Evelyn Martha Berryman

Evelyn attended grade school at Alma School in Mesa, AZ. She moved from Mesa to Bakersfield with her mother, older brothers Jack and Tom, and her younger sister LaVerne. They lived at Granite Station outside Bakersfield, California. The sisters rode horses to and from their one-room schoolhouse as a result of the World War II gas rations. In 1943 Evelyn & LaVerne boarded the train for Mesa to visit their dad and never returned to Bakersfield. Evelyn attended Mesa High School as a freshman, and then they moved to Bard, CA with their father and began farming. She also worked at Ross Corner Store as a teenager. Evelyn attended Yuma High School, where she met Harley Berryman. After graduating high school in 1947, she went to NAU in Flagstaff for one year and Harley went to Boulder, CO for one year. They both returned to the Bard area and married shortly after. Evelyn worked for the Yuma County Courthouse. Evelyn & Harley worked their entire lives as farmers growing cotton, alfalfa, dates, and many other crops. They even raised cattle for a time. She continued farming dates for the rest of her life. She helped settle the Bard Valley and was a true trailblazer when it comes to women in agriculture.

Evelyn enjoyed associations with several organizations: Girl Scouts & Boy Scouts of America, PEO Women's Sorority, Lower Colorado River Water Users Association, Bard Water District, Cotton Wives, ASCS, YRMC Hospital Board, San Pasqual FFA, and dearest to her heart the Yuma County 4-H.

Evelyn is survived by her sister LaVerne Boskovich. She is also survived by and was blessed with four children: Patricia (Michael) Downing, Carol Land, Joyce (Phillip) Eykamp, and Bruce Berryman. She has been blessed with a legacy of grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews and even recently became a great-great grandmother.

She is preceded in death by her parents, brother Tom Cotter, brother Jack Duke, and great grandson Thomas Wyatt Lemmon.

With the growing concern of the spread of Covid-19, services will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:

Yuma County 4-H (Evelyn Berryman Scholarship Fund)

2200 W. 28th St. Suite 102

Yuma, AZ 85364.

There is also a bench being placed in her honor at the Yuma County Fairgrounds. The family would like to thank River Valley Estates, Hospice Compassus, and TLC homecare for all that they have lovingly done.

Letters of condolence can be mailed to:

Evelyn Berryman Family

P.O. Box 10

Bard, CA 92222