Evelyn C. Grant

Evelyn Carol Grant of Wheat Ridge, CO, passed away on January 10, 2024, at the age of 93, due to congestive heart failure complicated by pneumonia. She was born on February 25, 1930, to Clifford Dale and Hattie Catherine Bradshaw (née Sim) and was delivered by her maternal grandmother in their small farmhouse near Oakley, Kansas. Times were tough during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl; Evelyn wore dresses made from feed sacks and experienced the following: never-ending chores (including washing clothes on a washboard), cold winters, and dust storms which left ever-present dust in their small, uninsulated stucco home, the unpleasantness of using an outdoor privy in the winter, hearing the haunting sounds of rabbits crying during Jackrabbit Roundups, and the challenges of Saturday bathing where water was hauled in, heated on the kerosene stove, and poured into a small metal tub before each family member took a designated turn in the same water. Saturday bathing was necessary because the family attended the United Methodist Church every Sunday. Although her farming family was poor and encountered crop failure, Evelyn never remembered going without or having to eat jackrabbits because they were self-sufficient with farm animals and her mother sold bread she made.

Toys were scarce, so in her spare time, Evelyn loved making mud pies and pretty mud leaf impressions with her closest playmate, Aunt Eunice, who lived a half-mile away and was just two years older. Evelyn also loved accompanying her mother into town, three miles away, for weekly shopping trips where she could play hide and seek with her cousins and their neighbors, children not approved of by her mother. A highlight was racing down to the train station with her cousin Lyle when the train arrived and how thrilling it was when the conductor let off an extra burst of steam for them. Evelyn was thankful her mother did not learn about these shenanigans because she would have received a "good paddling." Evelyn also loved reading and playing her prized possession, a tenor saxophone that her father purchased in middle school. In high school, she played in the marching band and walked three miles to summer band practice when she lacked a ride, carrying her heavy case; as a result, she never felt sympathy in later years when her daughter complained about carrying the same heavy instrument one mile each way to/from school. Music and marching band were a big part of Evelyn's high school life; she and others competed in small-town music contests where they introduced themselves before playing individually before judges. These positive experiences helped solidify her desire to become a music teacher.

Evelyn graduated from Oakley High School in 1948. She attended Fort Hayes State College that same summer to earn an expedited teaching certificate created to get high school graduates interested in teaching. Although Evelyn was then qualified to start teaching, she continued earning credits for another year before taking an elementary music teaching position in the fall of 1949 in Glenn Elder, Kansas, where she taught for a few years, formed a school band, and then returned to college to finish her teaching degree (elementary education & music), this time at Emporia State Teacher's College (1952-1954). After graduation, Evelyn accepted a third-grade teaching position in Denver for the 1954-1955 school year. While her mother was upset at this out-of-state choice, Evelyn was excited about this position and felt she was moving to another country because she was leaving Kansas. Since her male colleagues at Valverde Elementary did not like teaching music, they made a deal with the principal to teach elementary curriculum so that Evelyn could teach music and instrumental band full-time and develop extracurricular musical programs. After saving money, Evelyn also purchased her first car after her brother, a 2nd Lieutenant stationed at Lowry Air Force Base, located a grey 1954 Hudson Jet. She loved this car and later regretted selling it.

While teaching at Valverde, Evelyn socialized and became close with teacher roommates, cherishing and continuing these relationships throughout life. Independent and adventurous, she loved summer vacations, heading to the mountains and Colorado regions with friends, visiting her Aunt Esther in New York, and embarking on a thrilling journey to the Territory of Alaska in the summer of 1957. Evelyn loved flying and enjoyed the fully cooked meal Pan American Airlines served. Since her mother disapproved of a single woman traveling alone to the Alaska Territory, Evelyn promised to stay watchful and write daily until she met up with her brother and cousins. Enthralled by Anchorage, Fairbanks, Denali, Mt. McKinley, Nome, Point Barrow, Evelyn enjoyed meeting "Eskimos," visiting museums, and camping with relatives. She created a scrapbook of her travels in The Last Frontier, which she proudly shared with family members before their Alaskan travels. Evelyn had a keen passion for history, seeing new sites, and learning about different areas; consequently, she was delighted when her granddaughters followed her footsteps, finishing college degrees, traveling, and becoming self-sufficient and independent.

In 1957, she met Noah Robert Grant Jr. at a church function. Sharing similar interests and values, the pair had a whirlwind courtship and were married on August 10, 1958. The couple spent their free time traveling within CO, exploring the state's historical landmarks before building a home in Arvada, CO. Together, they constructed everything except the exterior brickwork. Evelyn knew how to use a hammer, didn't mind getting her hands dirty, and was an equal partner in building the home. She was ahead of her era in thinking about women's roles and wasn't restricted by the female housekeeping roles of her time. At the end of the 1961-1962 school year, she resigned from Denver Public Schools, managing to keep her pregnancy secret since regulations did not allow pregnant teachers to teach.

Noah and Evelyn had two children - Risë (1962) and Clifford (1964) and promoted a strong work ethic in their children through daily chores and family involvement in all projects. Evelyn led an active and fulfilling life - enjoying gardening and planting flowers around her enclosed waterfall patio, visiting antique stores and garage sales where she taught her children to identify and "grab" Depression glass, and delighted in seeing former teacher friends at "roommate luncheons." The family of four spent many weekends camping, fishing, and snowmobiling alone and with other families. They joined the Mile High Snowmobile Club, snowmobiled with others, and developed several lifelong friendships with other members. In their travels, they fell in love with the Gore Range, bought land, and began constructing a cabin in the early 1970's. Evelyn and Noah built this cabin with help from their children, especially Cliff. During this building phase, Evelyn made meals and worked tirelessly during its construction. She deeply loved her family and enjoyed fishing, hiking, motorcycling, exploring Gore Pass, and hunting. Enthusiastic about nature and history, Evelyn researched the flowers and birds observed on her hikes and loved visiting rural museums.

In 1980, she returned to full-time teaching in Denver Public Schools, where she taught first graders at Remmington Elementary. Teammates loved her creativity and how she was able to motivate difficult-to-reach children. Later that decade, Noah and Evelyn moved to Wheat Ridge, CO, and constructed a new home, contracting most work except the interior wood trim which they gradually completed. They remained active, helping care for grandchildren, frequenting the cabin, meeting relatives in Las Vegas, and joining former high school classmates for monthly lunches at the casinos. The couple loved gambling within moderation, and Evelyn consistently came out ahead in winnings.

The couple acquired a son-in-law, Chuck Meyer, and daughter-in-law, Holly Grant, and grandchildren: Cindy, Melissa, Robert, Keith, Janielle, in addition to being the adopted parents and grandparents of the John and Brenda Johnson clan. Noah and Evelyn loved sharing their knowledge of nature and their legacy with loved ones. Evelyn's grandchildren warmly recall: Grandma's enthusiastic greeting and smile, her delight with their visit, how she loved reading and kept secret chocolate stashes, and her willingness to make requested food (e.g., graham cracker cookies and macaroni and cheese with hot dogs). Unlike sedentary grandmothers, they remember Gram joining Grandpa and the family spelunking, hiking, fishing, sharing her love of plants and birds, and helping embed a lifelong love of the outdoors. While Grandma didn't ski with them, they fondly recall her presence – taking pictures and reading a book while drinking hot cocoa in the ski lodge. In the evenings, Gram taught them how to play solitaire, supervised homework, assisted with art projects, and got each involved in collecting antiques or novel items. When Grandma found something new for their collections, she became entirely animated in sharing how she acquired it, "I was tickled to death when I found...Other memorable phrases she used included: "doll baby, larruping good," "How are my little darlings? ...little Twinkies? (a reference to the twins)
In 2018 Evelyn felt blessed, becoming a great-grandmother. She treasured spending time with her four great-grandchildren, burping and rocking them, reading board books, holding them closely, inquiring about their early milestones, and watching them grow.

Sadly, in July of 2022, she lost her husband of nearly 64 years but continued enjoying life with loved ones caring for her. With encouragement, Evelyn used her indoor exercise bike, went on short walks with her rollator, and enjoyed visiting friends and family. Evelyn loved meals and bonfires at the cabin with loved ones and friends, yet always bundled up with several blankets. She had a zest for life and showed artistic creativity when she carved pumpkins with her granddaughter and attended wine painting events. Unfortunately, that December she experienced a stroke and spent four months completing rehabilitation. She worked tirelessly to regain mobility, using a walker with a one-person assist, learned to eat with her non-dominant hand, and strived to improve her swallowing to get off puree foods and improve her speech. Her therapists were amazed at her progress and marveled at her outstanding work effort and positivity. They stated that she worked harder at rehabilitation than anyone her age with which they had worked. Despite a few pneumonia-related setbacks, Evelyn cheerfully accepted subsequent in-home therapy, welcoming back her therapists with a big smile, and followed through with exercise homework. Because of her consistent fortitude and resilience overcoming challenges, she earned the nickname "Kansas" from her grandchildren.

Evelyn was a model of selflessness, love, and kindness, all-too-rare qualities repaid in kind by rich experiences, meaningful relationships, and the enduring love of more people than one could count. She was a remarkable woman who brought joy to her children's and grandchildren's lives! Although her journey on earth may have concluded, her story is far from over. By sharing values and experiences that informed her life and leading through example, she taught us to be more loving, kind, supportive, forgiving, and strong, a legacy we are honored to continue. Blessed with a rich life, Evelyn was deeply loved, and will be greatly missed!

Evelyn is survived by her children, Rise" (Charles) Meyer, Clifford (Holly) Grant; grandchildren: Cynthia (Carlos) Acevedo, Melissa (Scott) Palguta, Robert and Janielle Grant; great-grandchildren: Isabella and Isaac Acevedo, Caden and Madeline Palguta; brother: John Bradshaw; sister: Harriet Harding; uncle: George Hay and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Evelyn is predeceased by her husband, Noah; her grandson, Keith; her parents; several aunts and uncles; and other relatives.

Evelyn's service will be livestreamed at the scheduled service time. Click here to view the service.