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Evelyn Jule Hebb Chaney, 96, died on Oct. 25 in Farmville, Virginia.
Born in 1930 near Leadmine, West Virginia, Evelyn grew up in St. George, West Virginia, and remained a proud daughter of West Virginia her entire life.
She attended Lee College in Cleveland, Tennessee, where she met Grady Chaney, a Florida-born WWII combat vet who was studying to become an ordained minister.
Evelyn and Grady married in 1950 and built their lives together for 67 years until his death in 2017. During those years, they served multiple congregations -- primarily in the western U.S., including in Oregon, Washington, Kansas, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming -- and raised seven children.
Evelyn was a loving mother, a poet, a librarian, a pastor's wife, a woman of remarkable strength, faith, and wisdom and an avid reader.
Her collection of poetry, "From Leadmine to St. George and Beyond: A Life in Poetry," was published in 2023 by McClain Printing in Parsons, West Virginia. With Grady, she traveled internationally to London, Paris, Trinidad and Tobago and Brussels, Belgium.
Evelyn is survived by three sons, Grady II ("Brant") of Perth, Australia, Gary of Denver, Colorado, and Michael of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Her son Daniel, of Los Angeles, California, preceded her in death in 2017.
She also leaves three daughters, Martie Oestman of Challis, Idaho, Amy Tice of Farmville, Virginia, and Judith Hurley of Cheyenne, Wyoming.
She counted her sons-in-law Randy, Denzil and Logan, and her daughters-in-law Jean and Deborah as her own.
She held her 10 grandchildren and three step-grandchildren close to her heart, Clayton, Levi/Shae, Daniel Edward, Sarah, Steven, Samuel, Desmond, Darya, Natalia, Fynn, Meghan, Alex and Eli.
She greatly cherished her six great-grandchildren and was eagerly awaiting the arrival of two more great-grandsons.
Evelyn is also survived by her sister, Texianna Broadaway of Cedartown, Georgia, plus nieces and nephews in Cedartown as well as in Norman, Oklahoma, Sandpoint, Idaho, Seattle, Washington, and West Palm Beach, Florida.
Our hearts are filled with gratitude for her life and we will miss her always. A celebration of life will take place at a future date when the family gathers.
The family is especially grateful to her care team at Centra PACE in Farmville for their years of commitment, extraordinary compassion and professionalism.
Contributions in Evelyn's memory may be made to Johns Memorial Episcopal Church in Farmville, Virginia, www.puckettfh.com.