Obituary of Evelyn L. Gegenheimer

Evelyn L. Gegenheimer, 93 of rural Oxford, died Friday, September 6, 2013, at Colonial Manor Care Center of Amana. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, September 10, 2013, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Oxford, where visitation will be from 4 to 7 pm Monday. Burial will be at the Oxford Cemetery. A memorial fund has been established in Evelyn's memory. Online condolences may be sent for her family through the web @ www.gayandciha.com. Evelyn was born June 20, 1920, the daughter of Martin and Lillian (Schropp) Shebetka. Growing up in the Oxford area, and graduating from Oxford High School in 1939. Many times she talked about her basketball career and how tough they were. She always laughed about the other team and not wanting to break a fingernail when they played them. She met the love her life, Paul Gegenheimer, in high school and they were married June 6, 1939. They settled in Oxford, farming all their life, working together as a team on the farm. She always told her grandsons, "You'll have a wife someday, and they'll need help." She would ride her favorite international tractor by day and come in the house at night, to can what she had picked from her garden, never letting any of it go to waste. She loved company, and before anybody left, you always had to have lunch, coffee, iced tea, a piece of cake or pie. She was a tough cookie, raising many chickens, geese, and ducks. Whenever Paul and she would plan a trip, she'd always say, "We'll have to sell a couple old hens to go." Evelyn loved to go fishing and camping. Some nights you would see a light on, because she was playing dominoes with family. Evelyn's prize possession was her children and grandchildren. Whether picking up grandchildren at school because they were sick or meeting Mom's for appointments, Grandma was always there. She loved going to sporting events and concerts, and always supporting her family. After Paul passed away, she stayed on the farm, still raising chickens and gardening. Many times, you would see her on a golf cart, running around the farm, and keeping the farm up and running. Her family includes her children, Mary Ann Willis (Bill) of New Virginia, IA; Patrick Gegenheimer (Linda) of Oxford; Sandy Stewart (Mark), of Oxford; and Peggy Williams (Ross) of Williamsburg; her brother, Gene Shebetka, of Walford;, 11 grandchildren, Kim Witte Thomas (Scott), Melissa Carter (Harry), Mike Gegenheimer (Healy), Tony Gegenheimer, Austin Gegenheimer, Alex Gegenheimer, Luke Stewart, Casey Stewart (Heather), Matthew Stoner (Claudia Schepp), Mitchell Stoner (Maggie) and Molly Williams, many great-grandchildren, a number of great-great-grandchildren, and her special buddy, Clarence Davis. She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul in 1983; granddaughter, Debbie Witte Stewart; and sisters and their husbands, Eileen and Jean Bryant and Dorothy and Leo Hospodarsky; and sister-in-law, Mary Lou Shebetka. Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service is caring for Evelyn's family and her services.