We celebrate the life of Evelyn Grace Moore Houchins……it was a life well lived. Evelyn, 102, passed away on July 26, 2014. Evelyn was a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was a spiritual, life-long member of the United Methodist Church and always strived to do the right thing. She had a great sense of humor which along with her friendliness made interaction with her most enjoyable. She was born in Washington, DC on December 17, 1911 to the late Marion C. Moore and June Cornwell Moore. Her family moved to Mount Hope in southern West Virginia in 1912. She grew up there with her three brothers – the late Kerns, Willard and Fritz Moore. She attended secondary and high school in Mount Hope graduating in 1930. She was voted most popular, best female athlete (played basketball) and best looking female her senior year. She attended New River State College (now West Virginia University Institute of Technology) in Montgomery, WV before transferring to West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV where she graduated in 1934 with a degree in English. During her college career Evelyn was selected in 1932 a Princess in the West Virginia Forest Festival held in Elkins, WV. She married Eugene Edgar Houchins in 1934 and was predeceased by him after 45 years of marriage. Evelyn was employed as a school teacher in southern West Virginia until starting a family some five years later. After that she worked as a substitute school teacher. They moved to Fayetteville, WV in 1952 where she lived for nearly 50 years before moving to Winthrop, MA to be near her daughter and son-in-law, Junelle and Kenneth Avery.
Mrs. Houchins is survived by her children; son and daughter-in-law, Eugene Edgar Houchins, Jr and Judith Brinkley Houchins of Roswell, GA, daughter and son-in-law, Junelle Avery and Kenneth Paul Avery of Winthrop, MA; son and daughter-in-law, Charles Mahan Houchins and Sandra Soles Houchins of Des Moines, IA. She has eight grandchildren; Tracy Lynn Bowers, Kristen Del Nardone, Eugene Edgar Houchins III, Kenneth Paul Avery Jr., Melissa Junelle Avery, Lisa Beth Houchins-McCallum, Elizabeth Ann Houchins-Lunsford, Carrie Sue Houchins-Witt and 16 great-grandchildren. In addition to being very active in church activities including the Women’s Circle and singing in the choir, Evelyn was a member of the Eastern Star and did volunteer work in several charities including the local food bank. She truly represented the “Greatest Generation” well. Evelyn particularly enjoyed the year 2011 – the year she turned 100. Highlights included a family reunion in Fayetteville over the Fourth of July holiday where 48 family members attended to celebrate her 100th birthday. Later that year a birthday party for her was held in Winthrop and attended by nearly 80 family members and friends. Special thanks to her daughter and son-in-law, Junelle and Kenneth Avery, for providing a part of their house for her to live the last 15 years of her life. Their attention to satisfying her needs and wants contributed greatly to her happiness over the last years of her life. The funeral service will be held at the United Methodist Church in Fayetteville, WV on Saturday, August 2, 2014. Mrs. Houchins will be laid to rest at Hughes Memorial Cemetery in Fayetteville. Maurice W. Kirby Funeral Home in Winthrop, MA and Dodd-Payne-Hess Funeral Home in Fayetteville, WV are in charge of arrangements. To honor her memory donations may be made to The First Church of Winthrop United Methodist Church; 217 Winthrop Street; Winthrop, MA 02152. For guestbook, please visit www.mauricekirbyfh.com.