Evelyn Marie Baker, 90, passed from the physical world on September 26, 2022 due to natural causes. A matriarchal icon of humanitarianism, faith, and autonomy, Evelyn, who neither married nor had children of her own, raised four children, from birth, in concert with parents and employers Drs. Bryan and Diane Ohning of Greenville, South Carolina: Gavin Nicholas (b. 1986), Collin Richard (b. 1988), Erin Elaine (b. 1992), and Aidan Victor (b. 1997), all of whom expressed their highest regard for Evelyn’s nearly four-decade association with the family, and who lovingly christened her “Nana,” a moniker that transcended her status as “employee” at the Ohning household.
Evelyn carried over her adoration of children to a local church nursery in Greenville each week. Prior to her South Carolina relocation in the latter-half of the 1980s, where she remained until death, she was employed by a day care center in Northern Kentucky, the area where she was born and raised, along with her two siblings who predeceased her: Forester Calvin Baker (1927-2012) and Martha Baker Crone Pellillo (1936-2022). Weeks before their deaths in September (four days apart), sisters Evelyn and Martha were reunited in Greenville--their first in-person visit in over 12 years. Prophetically, Evelyn’s initial comments over this multi-day visit were, “Martha, I think we should be together for the days we have left.” Evelyn’s wish rang true and was insightful beyond her weakened state.
A striking and tall young woman, Evelyn endured turbulent health problems, most notably as a teenager, which compromised the way in which she lived. Her struggles, amidst the late 1940s, were poorly understood and managed. Evelyn remained at home, watching over her father, Forester, during his decline and passing when Evelyn was 28 years old and, ten years later, when mother, Dorothy, passed. Evelyn frequently spoke of her respect and reverence for her parents and their diligent commitment to family.
Up to the year she passed, Evelyn affectionately recalled Jeff, the Baker family dog adopted in the 1940s. She’d tell the story of this dog, initially a stray, following her home from a grocery store. Whimsically, the story cannot be verified: Martha reiterated this story, but with the dog following her home from the store! Neither sister was needlessly challenged. Jeff, loved by all three children, was integrated into the family, although the dog's apparent phobia of the indoors kept him happily outside on the family lot of six acres.
In the early 1970s, devoted and benevolent sister, Martha, provided Evelyn accommodations at a new house in Villa Hills, Kentucky where Martha and her husband raised their three children.
Despite chronic challenges with wellness, Evelyn emerged victoriously by identifying her life’s passion and remaining absorbed in it until her passing: Through her special gift for child care, she inspired and changed the lives of her “adopted” Ohning children in South Carolina forever, and even maintained a weekly work schedule at the family’s household as she approached 90 years old. She felt the continued work into advanced age benefited her health. Just a few months ago, she appeared on family home video, holding the Ohning's first grandchild.
Evelyn was a fervent consumer of information, most fascinated by topics of health and wellness. She prided herself in having no desire for domestic partnership. Her home was peaceful and brimming with keepsakes of personal interest. She found lifelong comfort and satisfaction through her unwavering faith in religion and Christ Jesus. Her commentary was reserved throughout this sacred journey, but she found worship to yield the highest rewards in life.
Evelyn had no want of music, poetry, theater, movies, or entertainment television, so focused was her life on the people she loved and interests she held: A nephew reported an exhaustive collection of cards and letters that amassed over 51 years, resulting from consistent mailings each birthday, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, beginning with a card addressed to his mother on the day of his birth.
Evelyn’s brother, with whom Evelyn shared a similar disposition and outlook on life, limited his contacts to family members. As such, she remarked, “If he wanted to talk, I listened and let him talk as long as he wished.”
For decades, Evelyn never missed adorning the Yuletide season with her family-famous sugar cookies. After leaving Northern Kentucky for South Carolina, each holiday season carried a guarantee of a large box shipped to Kentucky with a potpourri of wrapped gifts and cookies for each family member. There were, typically, many gifts for each. The tradition continued to her final Christmas in 2021. These gestures were emblematic of the most heartfelt moment of each far-away phone call which, like sister Martha, never ended without “I love you.”
Evelyn, who remained physically spry and employed until her late 80s, capably managed her life and carried herself like a woman decades younger—a gift that continued until her relatively brief decline.
Evelyn is survived by five nieces and nephews: Ron (Nancy) Crone, Kathy Kampe, Dan (Debbie) Crone, Kenny Baker, and Barry Baker; and by sister-in-law Elaine Baker. In addition to the aforementioned, she was predeceased by brothers-in-law Charles “Buddy” Crone and Patrick Pellillo.