Evelyn Bigsbee

GREENFIELD CENTER Evelyn Bigsbee died peacefully at Saratoga Hospital on Friday, Dec. 7, 2007 after a brief illness. She was 91. Born to Norwegian immigrant parents in Brooklyn, N.Y., she was the fifth of six children. Her father's occupation as a carpenter brought the family north to the Scoharie Valley area where she grew up. She once attended school in the same class as actor Kirk Douglas and graduated from Draper High School in 1934, where she was voted most beautiful, after which she moved to Saratoga where she worked for the Van Raalte Company. As a young women she loved to go bicycling and roller skating, which is where she met Charles W. Bigsbee, whom she married in December of 1941. Thereafter, she traveled with him to several military bases during his training until his deployment in World War II when she returned to Saratoga. After the war they first lived on his family's farm in the Pine Bush area of Guilderland and later moved to Colonial Manor in Rotterdam, where they resided until 1956. At that time they moved to Greenfield Center, where she was living at the time of her death. For many years she was a stay at home mom, cooking wonderful meals and caring for her two daughters. She returned to the workforce briefly as a cashier at Central Market and then became the head bookkeeping machine operator for the Saratoga Springs City School District, from which she retired in 1986, after 21 years of ser- vice. In her retirement she enjoyed reading several daily newspapers, Readers Digests, doing word puzzles, clipping coupons and cuddling her cat, "Bear." She was predeceased by her husband, Charles in October of 1977, her siblings; two brothers, Arnold Agedal of Amsterdam and Sigurd Olsen of Florida and one sister, Alyce Jane Walker of Minnesota. She is survived by two daughters, Gale Brinkman of Greenfield Center and Mrs. Lisa Provencher and her husband, Rick, of Fort Ann; two sisters, Edythe Doring of Chattanooga, Tenn. and Ethel Lasher of Youngsville, N.C.; several nieces and nephews, dear family friends and caring neighbors. Gale and Lisa wish to thank Dr. Brian Izzo, Dr. Mark Bauman, Gary Gibbins, the Saratoga Emergency Corps and the entire Saratoga Hospital emergency room staff, especially Keri Randall-Barber, Gretchen Vansciouch and Tom Bouleris for their kindness and care. At Evelyn's request there will be no calling hours or formal service. There will be a graveside service in the spring of 2008 at the convenience of the family. Memorial donations in Evelyn's memory may be made to the Greenfield Fire Company No. 1, Box 57, Greenfield Center, NY 12833. Arrangements are under the direction of the William J. Burke & Sons/Bussing & Cunniff Funeral Homes, 628 North Broadway (584-5373). Online remembrances may be made at www.burkefuner alhome.com.