Nice to Meet Ya: Dorothy Mae Evans

Surviving two pandemics is not an everyday thing. The Spanish Flu of 1918 through 1920 mirrors the pandemic of today. One thing that both pandemics had in common is Dorothy Mae Evans, a Dripping Springs area neighbor who resides at Lavender Springs Assisted Living Community.

Dorothy turned 101 years old at the end of November. “I’m just old,” she said. But surviving plagues, wars, 18 U.S. presidents and three bouts with cancer is something to brag about.

Growing up in a different time, her dad was a blacksmith and her mother, a stay at home mom. She had an older brother and a half brother.

“Mom was a good cook. We didn’t go hungry. Mom loved playing bridge, but she didn’t drive. So at 14, I learned to drive and I drove mom to her bridge games. Since there was only one car, I drove (Dad) to work and picked him up,” Dorothy said.

Born in the Houston Heights, she attended Reagan High School where she was a member of the dance team--the RedCoats. Then, she was off to business school, learning bookkeeping, which became her part-time occupation. Her first job was working for a small oil company on the Ship Channel.

During WWII, she worked at a government plant, which made weapons for the war. At that time, she met her husband Russell Evans and the two were together for 62 years. Russell was an accountant, and Dorothy a part-time bookkeeper.

They raised two children, a boy and a girl in Houston. “She was very devoted to her children,” daughter Candy Panto said. “She was in the PTA, a homeroom mother, den mother, and she worked in our school’s library. Any activity, she was there.”

Dorothy and Russell loved to travel, mostly by car with the family.

“We traveled everywhere, Europe. We would leave the kids with family and travel to a lot of places. We would leave them when they were little, then take them when they got older… mostly by car,” Dorothy said. The only places they didn’t drive to were Hawaii and Alaska.

“We took vacations in the car, travelling all the way to Washington state…every state in the United States by car,” daughter Candy said. Dorothy was always on the go, even at home.

“She was an adamant housekeeper. She had lots of rules to remember,” Candy said. One great quality she had was to stay informed. “Mother read the newspaper cover to cover everyday. She also had a great sense of humor, always laughing and joking.”

After retirement, she picked up the game of bridge herself, and took swimming lessons. Other pleasures she enjoyed, included attending dances, fishing and learning to water ski at age forty. Overcoming cancer three times is also a major milestone--breast cancer and lymphoma. Puzzles are her latest passion. Dorothy completes at least one per week.

She moved to Dripping Springs from Houston seven years ago and lived with her daughter before settling in at Lavender Springs a year and a half ago. “She’s a trooper, still going and going at Lavender Springs,” Candy said.

On her 101th birthday on November 28, Dorothy’s family celebrated the occasion with a drive by visit. That included a visit from her great grandkids. She has five grandkids.

“She’s had a good life,” said Candy.