Mary Evelyn George Wilson died peacefully in her hometown of Bardwell on Tuesday, August 1, 2023. She was 102.
Evelyn was born in Carlisle County on December 30, 1920, to Eddie and Mary Elsey George. She married Tommy J. Wilson on January 26, 1938. Evelyn was a devoted wife and mother of 11, and a full-time homemaker until 1982-1986, when she worked as a secretary alongside Tommy during his term as Carlisle County Judge Executive.
After their retirement, Evelyn and Tommy established the George Wilson Literary Club, where Evelyn served as club secretary for 30 years. In her 80s, she wrote a 900-plus page memoir titled “This Is My Story, This Is My Song,” using diaries kept over six decades.
Evelyn made many of her five daughters’ clothes, and her children consider some of her homemade quilts works of art. She was a voracious reader and passed on her love of words to her children. She read scores of biographies, particularly those involving England’s royal family. She loved the music of Patsy Cline, wrote songs with her daughters and even made a trip to Nashville to try to get a song recorded.
Evelyn loved fried okra and cherry pie, and her homemade chess pie was legendary. Her cast iron skillet was always in use, and she could prepare a southern-style meal in record time. She kept dozens of spools in an antique dough bowl at her home, where countless grandchildren and great grandchildren whiled away the hours playing with them.
In her 70s, she secured a passport, boarded a plane for the first time and, with two of her daughters, spent two weeks in Europe visiting England, Ireland, and France. Her particular interest came in touring graveyards there, looking for signs of her Kane relatives.
In addition to her parents, Evelyn was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Tommy; one daughter, Brenda Wooley; three sons, Tommy Ray Wilson, Terry Wilson and Tim Wilson; daughter-in-law Ann Wilson; sons-in-law, Frayne Burgess and Paul Anderson; one sister, Kathryn George; three brothers, J. T. George, William George and Thomas George; one grandson, Chad Wilson; and two great grandchildren, Michael Paul Rice and Heather Wilson.
Evelyn is survived by four daughters, Patsy Burgess of Cunningham, Mary Ellen Thomason (Joe), Gina Diesel (John), Eva Walker (Tim) all of Paducah; three sons, Ted Wilson (Jan) of Tulsa, Okla., Tony Wilson (Kim) of Lexington, Ky., Tom Wilson of Bardwell; a sister, Mona Moyers of Bardwell; 17 grandchildren, Terrie Davis, Mary Jennett, Suzanne Clinton, Myra Reid, Becky Hicks, Julie Hook, Cindy Garrett, Bill Burgess, David Rambo, Christa Dubrock, Toby Thomason, Patrick Wilson, Amy Anderson, Katie Compton, Tyler Wilson, Kelli Mills, Bethany Jones; 34 great-grandchildren; 28 great-great grandchildren; two nephews and a niece.
The funeral service will be Friday, August 4, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. at Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Bardwell. Reverend Tim Harvey will officiate. A private interment will follow at the Wilson Family Cemetery. Visitation will be at the funeral home from 11:00 a.m. until the funeral hour of 1:00 p.m.
Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Wilson Family Cemetery Fund, in care of Patsy Burgess, 64 County Road 1050, Cunningham, KY 42035 or to the American Cancer Society, PO Box 6704, Hagerstown, MD 21741.
You may share a Hug from Home, leave a message or light a candle at www.milnerandorr.com