Evelyn York

Evelyn (Herr) York, 107, Abilene, Kansas, passed away August 15, 2025.
Evelyn was born in the Navarre area of Dickinson County to Ivan G. and Susie (Hostetter) Herr on June 13, 1918. Evelyn was a life-long member of the Church of the Brethren in Navarre until the church closed.
She attended Oread and Navarre Grade Schools and Abilene High School, from which she graduated in 1935. Following high school, Evelyn attended McPherson College, graduating in 1939. While in college, Evelyn met her future husband, LaVerne York of Adel, Iowa. They were married at the Navarre Church of the Brethren on September 10, 1939 and moved to a farm in the Navarre area. They had two children, Karen (York) Lundgrin and J. Bryce York.
As well as being a busy farm wife, Evelyn also became the clothing leader for the Navarre 4-H club and baked and decorated many wedding cakes. In the 1950s, Evelyn returned to college at Marymount in Salina to reactivate her teaching certificate. Starting in the 1956-57 school year, she taught at Ramona High School and eventually became a teacher at Lincoln Elementary in Abilene. After 44 years on the farm LaVerne and Evelyn retired to Abilene. They became Associate members of the First Methodist Church.
Evelyn was an accomplished seamstress and quilter. When she and LaVerne moved to Abilene, Evelyn became a member of the End of the Trail Quilt Guild. She was a member of Dickinson County Historical Society serving as a staff member for 25 years. She also volunteered at Memorial Hospital, Kennedy Elementary, the library, and Great Plains Theater. She was an avid reader and loved working crossword puzzles.
She and LaVerne loved traveling and visited nearly all of the states, including Hawaii. She continued traveling after LaVerne's death and added Alaska, the Western Caribbean and the Panama Canal, at age 90, to the places she visited.
Evelyn was preceded in death by her parents, her husband LaVerne and her sister Mary Ruth (Herr) Wuthnow. She is survived by her children Karen Lundgrin of Overland Park and J. Bryce York and Karen of Prairie Village, two grandchildren Cynthia (John) Mason of Overland Park, KS and Daryn (Donielle) York of Breckenridge, CO and three great grandchildren Taylor Mason of Seattle, WA, Andrew Mason of Overland Park, KS and Isaac York of Breckenridge, Co, and a niece Susan (Wuthnow) Beddig of Germany.
Services will be held at 10 on September 6 at the First Methodist Church, Abilene, Kansas with burial following at the Abilene Memorial Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be given to the H. LaVerne and Evelyn York Scholarship fund at McPherson College, the Abilene Library or the Abilene Senior Center, or the Dickinson County Heritage Center. Memorials may be sent in care of the Danner Funeral Home 501 N. Buckeye Abilene, Kansas 67410