My Best Friend, My mother
We never know how special someone is
Until the day when we no more can share
the day it seems as if the tears won't stop
the day our hearts indeed will tear.
As long as we remember them
In name and in thought
As long as the memories linger
We find the peace we sought
To imagine a life without them
would be so empty
All that we learned and
all we were taught
We DO SO believe
some day we will see each other again
Living our life on earth the best we can
Until that day
We can find that love we sought
HARDIN - MT
Evelyn Jane French, 78,
of Hardin passed away Wednesday, Oct. 21, 1998,
after a brief stay in the Big Horn County Memorial Hospital.
She was born Jan. 17, 1920, in Choteau,
a daughter of 'Bing' and Emily Hanson Hodgskiss,
in the middle of a blizzard and complained about the cold ever since.
She attended schools in Choteau, MT, and was quite active
in their local 4-H group, home ec, and enjoyed sports,
including playing center on the basketball team.
She was also very busy on the family ranch outside Choteau,
with chores, etc. Until her father's untimely passing at a young age.
She, her mother and her 3 siblings moved into town where
she was able to attend more community activities.
She later attended Montana State College in Bozeman,
where she was a member of the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority.
Evelyn enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1943, proudly served with the WAVES
during World War II and received her honorable discharge in 1946.
She returned to Montana, moving to Hardin where she worked for the
Campbell Farming Corp.,
Big Horn County Assessor's Office,
Hardin Lumber Company
and French's Building Materials.
She married Troy A. French on April 6, 1947, in Hardin
and she spent the next 51 years on one "grand adventure to the next"
as a loving helpmate and navigator.
Evelyn was a lifetime member of the First United Methodist Church,
50-year member of the Order of Eastern Star, a past American Legion Auxiliary member and a member of the Big Horn County Historical Society.
She loved creative times, painting and crafts; but most of all reminiscing. She treasured life and clung tenaciously to doing things the RIGHT way. She held her lifelong friends close to her heart.
She was preceded in death by her parents
and one sister, Margaret Ray.
Evelyn leaves behind her soulmate and heart buddy,
Troy of Hardin;
two daughters, Sandra and Carlah
She was the treasured grandmother of Keith B.
and Kara L (Lance) and a soon to be great-grandchild.
.
She is also survived by a sister, Lois Brusven of California and a brother, Jack Hodgskiss of California, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Monday in the Bullis Funeral Chapel with Eastern Star Rites. Cremation will follow the services.
Private interment of the Ashes will follow at a later date.
Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be made to the First United Methodist Church Building Fund (elevator), Hardin, MT 59034.
I had the meanest mother in the world.
While other kids had candy for breakfast,
I had to eat cereal, eggs, and toast.
While other kids had cakes and candy for lunch,
I had a sandwich.
As you can guess,
my dinner was different from other dinners, too.
My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times.
You'd think we were on a chain gang or something.
She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing.
I am ashamed to admit it,
but she actually had the nerve to
break the child labor law.
That's right, She made us WORK!
We had to wash the dishes,
make the beds, and learn how to cook.
That woman must have stayed awake at nights
thinking up things for us girls to do.
And she insisted that we tell the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
By the tine we were teenagers,
she was much wiser and
our life became more unbearable.
None of this tooting the car horn for us to come running;
she embarrassed us to no end by insisting
our friends come to the door and get us.
I forgot to mention that most of our friends were allowed
to date at the mature age of 12 or 13.
But our old fashioned Mother refused to let us date
until we were 15.
She really raised a bunch of squares.
None of us were ever arrested for shoplifting
or busted for dope.
And whom do we have to thank for this?
You're right, our mean mother.
I am trying to raise my children to stand
a little straighter and taller
and I am secretly tickled to pieces when my children
call me mean !
I thank God for giving me the
"meanest Mother in the World
author: unknown
Memories are golden
Well, maybe that is true
We never wanted memories
We only wanted you.
A million times we needed you
A million times we cried
If love alone could have saved you
You never would have died.
In life we loved you dearly
In death we love you still
In our hearts you hold a place
No one can ever fill.
Author Unknown
Awkward Silences
I wish someone would say her name.
I know my feelings they're trying to spare.
And so we go through the charade, the game.
Of dancing around the ghost that is there,
Trying to avoid evoking a tear,
Or stirring emotions to painful to bear.
That she be forgotten is what I fear,
That no one will even her presence miss.
As if there were no trace that she was here.
By referring to her, my purpose is
Not to stir pity or keep things the same
,
But my heart will simply break if her
Memory will die like a flickering flame.
I wish someone would say her name.
author unknown
