Obituary of Carol R Evavold

Carol Rita Evavold was born to Jacob and Rachel Macdonald Walter in Spokane, Washington, April 11, 1920.  She was the oldest of three children: Her siblings were Donald Edward and  Joanne.

While living in the Odessa area, Carol attended Janke and Batum country schools, many times riding her horse “Fly” to those schools.  After graduating from Odessa High School, Carol attended Holy Names Academy in Spokane, WA.  It was there she met her future husband, Don Harrington Evavold, a native of Raymond, WA, who was on basketball scholarship at Gonzaga University.

Carol married Don in Lewiston, Idaho, April 10, 1940. They lived in Spokane until 1944, when Don joined the Navy. During World War II, Carol and her two sons, Max Michael and Jon Douglas, lived in Odessa. After the war, Carol, Don, and family relocated later to the family wheat farm, south of Odessa.

 Don and Carol were active with St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. and other community organizations. About 1950, they started raising Shorthorn cattle on a ranch north of Odessa to diversify the wheat farm. As the cattle business expanded, it necessitated the building of a new home on Pacific Lake in 1955, 7.5 miles north of Odessa. Lake View Ranch, as it was called, was further expanded by building barns and corrals, and carving fields out of sage brush wastelands  for alfalfa and grass for the cattle.  

Carol fixed huge meals for the farm workers and family. The immensity of the preparation and size of the portions of those meals was truly incredible. The amount of laundry and mounds ironing were equally daunting. The “sock drawer” became the subject of much discussion. Trying to find a matching sock in the sock drawer was next to impossible.

During those years, Don and Carol were blessed with four more children: Thomas Jay , Anne Catherine, James (Jim) Donald, and Steven (Steve) Jeffery. They all attended and graduated from Odessa High School and all went on to colleges or universities.

 After the kids graduated from high school, Carol worked part-time at the Odessa Memorial Hospital and also as an Educational Assistant at Odessa High and Middle Schools. She was proud of teaching Catechism at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and later at Assumption Catholic Church in Spokane.

Carol and Don were very proud of their family. They enjoyed attending football, basketball, tennis, track, and baseball since their entire family inherited their athletic prowess. They hosted numerous family reunions.

Carol was also known for her extensive journaling of “Evavold kid’s anecdotes,” travels, and histories of the family ancestors, which are being read and enjoyed by all today. Carol was amazingly diligent about remembering to send birthday, anniversary, and Christmas cards to family and friends.

Lakeview Ranch was sold in 1974. That same year, they moved to Spokane where Don was named Assistant to the Dean of Gonzaga University’s Law School. He worked for the Law School for eleven years before moving to Clinton, Washington where they stayed from 1997 until  2005 when they moved to Sumner, WA. Eventually they took up residence in King’s Manor Assisted Living in Tacoma, WA in 2010.

Carol and Don had memorable years at King’s Manor. Don passed away just prior to his 92nd birthday. Carol remained at King’s Manor until October 28, 2017 when she moved to Odessa’s Memorial Health Care Center. In September 2018, Carol relocated to Lake Ridge Care Center, Moses Lake.   

Carol is preceded in death by her husband, Don, her son James (Jim), daughter in-law Candy Thorton Evavold, parents, Jacob and Rachel Macdonald Walter,  brother, Donald E. Walter, and  brother in-law, Harold Keller.

Carol is survived by and will be  sorely missed by her children;  Max (Arlene), Jon (Carol Jeanne), Tom, Anne, Steve (Rae), 13 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and 6 great-great-grandchildren, her sister, Joanne Keller and  family.

A celebration of  life and Christian burial will take place November 22, 2019. The Rosary will be at 10:20 with a 11:00 a.m. funeral Mass held at St. Andrew Catholic Church, 1401 Valley Ave. East, Sumner, WA  98390. The Internment will be Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at 1:15 p.m.at Tahoma National Cemetery at 18600 SE 240th Street, Covington, WA 98042.

In lieu of flowers, you may make donations to St. Joseph Altar Society, c/o Carol Bell 12787 Gies Road, Odessa, WA 99159.