Obituary of Evelyn Rheta Burkholder

Evelyn (Byer) Burkholder passed peacefully into God’s presence in the early morning of Thursday, July 27, 2023 at Parkview Home in Stouffville. Born December 17, 1920, north of Markham, into an extended family of apiarists, (beekeepers) at Byers’ Honey, she was months shy of her 103rd birthday and had enjoyed active good health until early last year.

Evelyn, wife of the late Leonard Burkholder (1974), is survived by her eight children, Kristine (Stan) Nissley, Louise (Dave) Wideman, Eleanor Nash, Betti (Greg Van Horn) Erb, Marie, George (Nancy Peart), Elfreda (Quinton Neufeldt), and Charles (Miranda Hughes) as well as 20 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by two siblings, Helen Hochstetler and Art Byer.

She is predeceased by her parents Edwin and Ruth Byer, brother Erle, sisters Dorothy Smith and Edith Hunsberger, son-in-law Murray Nash, as well as in-laws Edith Byer, Roy Smith, Wilson Hunsberger, Jay Hochstetler, Evelyn Byer, Walter and Florence Burkholder, Aaron and Mary Good, Gordon and Hannah Wideman and Philip and Ada Barg.

Evelyn was a person of strong faith and spent much of her life encouraging others and sharing her faith through a ministry of visitation and prayer. She was a member of the Cedar Grove, later Rouge Valley Mennonite Church community and highly valued the relationships nurtured there. She taught in several one room public schools before marriage and always enjoyed teaching children’s Sunday School and Vacation Bible School as well as other community volunteer commitments. Evelyn nurtured her artistic skills even while raising eight children and created many oil and water colour paintings. She loved gardening, could identify most plants and kept very active, even walking briskly when she entered long-term-care. Evelyn maintained her independent spirit to the end.

The family wishes to express sincere gratitude to the many caregivers at Parkview Home who gave loving care to Evelyn through to the end.

Visitation will be held at Dixon Garland Funeral Home, Markham, on Sunday, July 30 from 2-4 and 7-9. A service of celebration of her life and committal of her spirit to God, will take place on Monday, July 31 at 1:30 at Rouge Valley Mennonite Church, 7452 Reesor Road, Markham. Interment adjoining Cedar Grove Cemetery.

Donations may be made to the MCC or Parkview Home.

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