Eva Berta Roe

6/13/1930-8/7/2022

 

     Eva was born in Mannheim Germany and was the third of four girls, Leisel, Dina, Hedwig, daughters of Johan and Elizabeth Bauer. 

     Eva suffered tremendous loss at a young age due to world war 2. As a result, she had a very close relationship with God which propelled her to do so much good in the world and would teach others how to have much strength after sorrow.

     She was a socialite who seemed to know everyone and never left a soul hungry for conversation or good food.

     From a young age, she knew she wanted to come to America and studied English daily at the Mannheim water tower. Her aunt who lived back East sent for Eva so she could immigrate to the USA. Once here, Eva studied hard and became an American citizen. Something she was VERY proud of.

     After being here a few years, she found a letter from an American soldier she met at the Quarter Master Laundry in Germany where she washed and folded soldier uniforms. His name was Wesley. She wrote to him and asked if she could come out West where he lived and he agreed and sent her money for a train ticket. Because she loved old western films like Gunsmoke , Eva thought moving out west meant everyone rode on horseback and carried guns in holsters over leather chaps. To her surprise, Oregon was much like New York, where she had left. She saw Wes for the first time in a few years and could hardly recognize him as he had become a red bearded biker boy. She said she would have hopped the train back to New York except, fortunately for Wes, she was flat broke.

     A short time later she and Wesley were happily married. They had two sons, John and Scott. Scott had two daughters, Mariah and Melissa. Both became very close with Eva and Wes as grandma and grandpa lived just across the street from them.

      Eva and Melissa were especially inseparable. Melissa recalls all the sacrifices Oma made for her. She took care of her since she was a little girl, and when she could no longer care for herself, Melissa returned the gift. They had a bond much deeper that a grandma and granddaughter, it was more like mother, daughter, and confidant. Eva was very strong willed and if she made up her mind about anything, that is how it was going to be. 

     She was full of wisdom and boy was she honest...even when she "whispered"... And we all knew her whispers were never quiet.

     She was given the nickname "cookie" as she baked cookies for everyone she cared about. Every doctor's appointment included a bag of cookies. The mailman would stall on her street as she would run to grab a bag of cookies for his family. She also regularly made meals for the members of church who could no longer physically attend. Every Sunday we would be at someone's house with a meal in tow. Good food was the way she loved. You were never allowed to leave her home hungry. Every person that ever met her will tell you the same story. Eva was brave, smart, hilarious, boisterous, strong, spunky, and honest. If you ever wanted the truth, she was the one to ask. 

     She loved animals and children almost as much as she loves attending church every Sunday.

     Eva was diagnosed terminally ill just over a year ago and given three months to live. She beat covid, pneumonia, a broken arm, cut open eye, and didn't let the new cancer diagnosis stop her. She proved the doctors wrong and have us another beautiful year together where we made many memories at Oktoberfest, the beach, the fair, and ate much ice cream. She needed a little help four months before passing and moved...reluctantly..into Meadow Creek Village with the push of her grand daughter. Eva's whole life changed, and so did those around her. She transformed from being a shut-in to living a new life where she enjoyed helping her "neighbors" and befriending everyone who lived there. I can't think of a single person that didn't know her there and everyone that knew her enjoyed her company. 

     On August 7th, 2022, Eva told Melissa that the Lord was calling her home. " There is a time to live and a time to die and now it is my time to die. But you must go on living because you have your whole life ahead of you", she said. Even in her last moments, she took the time to comfort her granddaughter. Her best gift in life was mothering others, and that's just what she did then. 

     Eva said she was not afraid to die and she looked forward to seeing her loved ones again, especially her late husband of 53 years, Wesley. 

     If you knew Eva, you know that you will never forget her. She taught us all how to care, how to love, and how to live.

     She will always be remembered by the delicious food she made, the many hearts she touched, and the wisdom she spoke. 

     May the lord's gracious hands carry her into her new adventure. May she never whisper, may she never let any of heaven go hungry, and may she wait for us all at the gate with a bag of her famous cookies. May she rest peacefully with her loved ones and be there to one day welcome us home.