Evelyn Arverna Fletcher Smith
July 20, 1935 – March 4, 2025

Evelyn was born in Eureka to Royal and Edna Fletcher on July 20,1935 and passed away peacefully at home on March 4, 2025.

Mom was the sixth of eight siblings. She grew up in Eureka, South Fork and Weott, where she spent many summers wandering through the redwoods and swimming in the Eel River. She attended schools in Eureka, South Fork and Weott, graduating from South Fork High School in 1953.

Mom married our father, Merle Smith, on September 1, 1956, and they had been happily married for 39 years when our father passed away. They lived in Eureka and had a home built in 1960, where mom lived for the rest of her life.

While still in high school she went to work for the telephone company and continued to work there until starting our family. Shelly was born in 1960 and Lisa in 1962. She then set out raising the two of us as a stay-at-home mom until the early ‘70s, when she was offered a job as a playground monitor at Alice Birney Elementary School. She continued to work at Alice Birney as a monitor and classroom aide, finally ending her career in the office as a Clerk Typist. She made many dear friends in the 25 years that she worked for Eureka City Schools. After her retirement she kept busy as a substitute secretary for many of the schools in Eureka City Schools.

Family meant a lot to mom and there were many holiday and family dinners, card games, and summer potlucks in Redcrest and Weott along with many weekends spent on the banks of the Eel River.

Mom and dad enjoyed many years of traveling to visit family and friends. Camping trips to Fort Bragg for abalone, camping with the Johnson family at Cabana Holiday (Redwood Rivers Resort), and bus trips to Reno were the highlight of the year with many adventures involved. Yearly trips to Reno with their dear friends Warren and Joanne Smith, spending Thanksgiving with their son and his wife Chad and Rycha Smith in Redding, trips to Washington to visit with their friends Bill and Charlotte Waley, and even a trip to Jamaica with friends and business partners at Capital Business Machines.

Eventually mom and dad bought a mobile home in Willow Creek where she enjoyed many years playing golf with friends and family. Mom also enjoyed going to the casino and having lunch with her friends Rita Henry and Bev Alto.

Mom is survived by her daughters Shelly and Lisa Smith. She is also survived by nieces and nephews: Jan Philp, Judith Braddon, Kathy Philp, Rick Fletcher, Linda and Rod Hill, Fawn Fletcher, Kevin Milligan, Tim Milligan, Jim and Wendy Yegge, John and Joanne Yegge, Lori Stark, Jennifer and Ken Snipes, Jane Scott Anderson, Bill and Connie Smith, Sharon and Tony McCarver, Debbie and Terry Phillips, Krista and Casey Chraska, Bob and Debbie Smith, Gerry Smith, Kelli Kelley, Sylvia Smith-Turk, Pam Smith, Cindy Deaton, and Arlene Zehrung and their families. Mom is also survived by her dear friends, Robert and Del Poppelreiter, Joanne Smith, and Bill and Charlotte Waley.

Mom was preceded in death by her husband Merle, her parents Royal and Edna Fletcher, her in-laws Roland and Fern Smith, as well as her siblings and their spouses: Ed Fletcher, Betty Jane and Teke Philp, Marilyn and Bob Milligan, Carl and Pat Fletcher, Virgina Yegge, Newell Fletcher and Phyllis and John Stark and her in-laws and their spouses: Lloyd Smith, Ed and Tess Smith, Bob and Molly Smith and Arnold Smith and her nieces and nephews: Dennis Philp, Gary Philp, Cathy Venberg, Steve Fletcher, Paula Stark, Rick Smith, Janet Marsaw and Sandy Smith.

We want to thank Brenna Kemper for her loving care and the hundreds of back scratches she gave our mom over the last year and a half. We also want to thank Hospice of Humboldt, especially Scotty, Stacy, and Paula for their kindness and care of mom.

In lieu of flowers please sent donations to Hospice of Humboldt, 3327 Timber Fall Ct. Eureka, CA 95503 or Betty Kwan Chinn Homeless Project at Humboldt Area Foundation, 363 Indianola Rd., Bayside, CA 95524

Graveside services will be March 22 at 12 p.m. at Sunset Memorial Park in Eureka.

A celebration of life will take place on July 20 at The Lodge, 554 Herrick Ave, Eureka from 2 to 4 p.m.

Please RSVP to Shelly or Lisa if you will be attending.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Evelyn Smith’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.