Evelyn McKillop
Evelyn McKillop, Sioux Falls, SD, died May 10, 2017, at Dow Rummel Village in Sioux Falls. Evelyn was 104.
Evelyn was born to Wallace and Vera McKillop on July 3, 1912. She was an only child. Her parents lived on a farm one half mile west of Canistota, SD. At that time, doctors delivered babies in homes. In 1919, her parents moved to Sioux Falls, where Evelyn began school at Whittier and completed all nine grades there. She then attended Washington Senior High School and graduated from there in 1931.
Money was scarce, so she clerked at Woolworth's and borrowed money to go to Sioux Falls College in September 1931. She had dreamed of being a teacher. Evelyn graduated from the two-year teaching program in the spring of 1933.
She applied for a teaching position in the Griebel School east of Monroe, SD. Among the many who applied, she was chosen. After one year there, she was offered a position in Sioux Falls, where she was assigned a second-grade class at Hawthorne Elementary School from 1934 to 1953. During this time, she also worked on the required courses for her BA degree in kindergarten-primary education. She graduated the summer of 1942 from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.
In 1953, she transferred to the new Horace Mann Elementary School second-grade, where she taught until 1974. Throughout the years, Evelyn quietly provided assistance and scholarships to help further the educational pursuits of teachers and future educators. Because of her passion for education, advocacy and generosity, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Sioux Falls May 20, 2012.
She then retired to do all the things she was too busy to do while teaching. She had never married, so she lived and cared for her parents until their deaths. Evelyn traveled extensively and was a frequent swimmer at the YWCA, lapping hundreds of miles. She also enjoyed working with her flower garden and in her yard. Starting in the mid-1970s, she became a volunteer at McKennan Hospital in the sewing room. Her special work was crocheting and knitting booties for the new babies. Evelyn also worked in the McKennan gift shop, and knitted caps for kids to be given away by the Salvation Army at Christmastime. Artistic and creative, she was also interested in oil painting, and did many for her home. She loved to sew and made many dresses for herself and her mother.
In the spring of 1998, Evelyn sold her home and moved to Trail Ridge Retirement Center. She later moved to Dow Rummel Village.
She often said that over her lifetime she had felt the Lord's guidance in good and bad times of her life and had seen many changes in the city and in education. For over 75 years, she had been a member of First United Methodist Church, and was a lifetime member of the South Dakota Parent Teacher's Association, the National Education Association, and the SD Retired Teachers Association. She was also a member of the local and National Retired Teachers Associations, and was a member of the United Methodist Women's Association.
Memorials may be directed to the First United Methodist Church.
Grateful for having shared her life are her family members, former students and many good and dear friends.
Memorial Services will be held 2:30pm, Monday May 15, 2017, at the Halladay-Peterson Chapel of Dow Rummel Village.
www.millerfh.com
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Sponsored by Miller Funeral Home - Downtown.
3 Entries
I remember Miss McKillop as a very friendly and helpful teacher when I was in her class in the 1940s.
John Jacobsen Kansas City, Missouri
May 13, 2017
Donna Van Woert Horning
May 12, 2017
A living saint has left us! Evelyn demonstrated a steadfast commitment to achieving her goals for the benefit of serving other people. Content, positive and determined, Evelyn was an inspiration for 104 years and 10 months.
Jon Hiatt -- USF
May 12, 2017
Showing 1 - 3 of 3 results
Funeral services provided by:
Miller Funeral Home - Downtown507 S. Main Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD 57104
The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.
Read moreWhat kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?
Read moreWe'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.
Read moreIf you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.
Read moreLegacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.
Read moreThey're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel.
Read more