Evelyn Louise Goddard

Evelyn Louise Goddard

Funeral services for Evelyn Louise Goddard were held at St. George's Episcopal Church in Lusk, April 5, 2003. Burial followed at the Lusk Cemetery.

Evelyn Goddard died April 1, 2003, after a short illness at the Heritage Health Care Center in Gering. Neb.

The first of five children, Evelyn Louise Heth was born Dec. 15, 1921, to Elsie F. Himes and Max M. Heth, at Alliance, Neb. In 1924 they moved to the Cogshal home near Hat Creek and later bought a ranch north of there. Evelyn attended school at Hat Creek and High school in Lusk and Gering.

At an early age, Evelyn worked as a hired cook for area ranchers. She later moved to town to work at Austin's Diner as a waitress and was a switchboard operator for the Lusk Telephone Company.

She married John E. Goddard on Dec. 23, 1949, in Gering, Neb. They had two children, a son Daniel Allen Goddard and a daughter Maxine Louise Goddard.

Evelyn played an active part in the family ranch north of Lusk. Her love for ranch living was demonstrated as she cared for her husband, John and his step-brother Allen Sheridan, her two children and numerous livestock and pets. Her greatest joy was cooking delicious meals on Sunday and holidays for family and friends.

Much of her time in the summer was spent working in the yard and garden and canning vegetables and wild game for the winter months. She also thought it necessary to feed and butcher 100 chickens each fall, which was truly a family project. She also insisted that John and Allen plant a patch of potatoes down by the hay meadow. The family again participated, picking potatoes by hand, storing them in the cellar, and furnishing the neighborhood and half the town of Lusk with potatoes.

Her thrifty skills were demonstrated as she made her own laundry soap from meat tallow. Her green thumb was demonstrated through her gardening and beautiful house plants.

Evelyn also worked at the Hat Creek Post Office and was an active member of the Hat Creek Community Club. Her fudge chocolate cakes and homemade dill pickles were most popular at the monthly card parties at the Club House.

After the death of her husband, Evelyn moved to Lusk in November 1988. She was active in the Garden Club, the Stagecoach Museum, and the Episcopal Church.

She lived independently until her last illness, March 3, 2003.

She is survived by her son, Dan Goddard and his wife Teri of Lusk; a daughter Maxine Mitchell and her husband Tom of Torrington; two grandsons, John Mitchell of Arizona, and David Goddard of Lusk; two granddaughters, Mindy Bugher of Torrington and Carrie Goddard of Lusk; three great-grandchildren; a nephew Loren Heth and his wife Robyn and their children Logan and Rebecca of Lusk; a sister Eula Swope and a brother Johnny Heth, both of Canyonville, Ore.

She was preceded in death by her parents, an infant daughter, her husband's step-brother Allen; her husband and two brothers, James and Rex.

Memorials may be directed to St. George's Episcopal Church and the Lusk Ambulance Service.

Cicmanec-Pier Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

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