Friday, December 11, 2015
Eva Elson's life began Stouffer Street in Stouffville on July 31, 1925. She was the fourth child to be born to Harvey and Winnifred Elson. There would be six more siblings in the years that followed. Her life was simple, but diverse….as was her unique personality. She treasured nature and the outdoor animal kingdom much more than material possessions, with practicality and simplicity being paramount. Going barefoot was her favorite form of footware and an apron usually covered the front of her cotton house-dresses. She admired the frugal Mennonite lifestyle…and as per her wishes, she is being buried in a plain, cloth covered coffin.
She appreciated the four seasons; the changing autumn colors, the sprouting of new plants in the garden, especially her favorite tomato plants, and most of all, the beauty of a crisp winter day with the sun sparkling on the "marshmallow" trees. It was during the winter that she delighted in feeding her birds, i.e. the flaming red cardinals, the cheeky chickadees, the upside-down nuthatches, and the chubby grey juncos. She introduced all aviary visitors to her feeders and researched them in an Audubon Bird guide book. She comically named two of her male Cardinal friends 'John Paul' (after Pope JP II) and 'Emmett' (after Cardinal Emmett J. Carter). A crow that often flew in was greeted by a cheery "Hello, Chuck". In her final week or so lying in her hospital bed, she still imagined "seeing birds in the trees".
Then there were the many pets; her dogs Brownie, Cookie and Penny - all faithful, fat, spoiled companions. She had many cats as well - most notably Simon the Siamese (seen with Eva in the obituary photo) who she received as a Christmas gift and loved unconditionally….nasty and noisy cat that he was, 'til the end. In their retirement years, she and John (whom she called "Dad") relaxed each evening sitting outside, enjoying the warm weather under the pear tree next to the house. It was a scenic spot where they could keep an eye on the local traffic at the corner of "the 5th" and the "Townline", wave to passing neighbours and enjoy the scenery. One of Eva's often heard comments was about Harold Wideman's maple tree. She'd say that she couldn't understand why anyone needed to travel long distances to see beautiful sights when they could just look at Harold's tree, old barn and rustic farmhouse. She had no wander lust at all, she was a homebody pure and simple. Only once did she join a family drive east to PEI, but she couldn't wait to get back home to be with her beloved dog, Cookie. Even when she finally had to move from the corner into an apartment in Stouffville on Winlane Drive, she kept an eye on the comings and goings of both apartment tenants and neigbours.
Both Eva and John enjoyed visiting their farming neighbours. On Saturday nights, they would walk across the road and visit with Dennis and Myrtle White while they milked the cows, and/or drove just down the road to chat and visit with Howard, Dorell and Vera Shadlock as they milked their Holsteins and did other chores. Another favorite summer job was picking corn for Ken Reesor with daughter Sharon and Donna and Dale Reid, the twins that grew up just down the road. Later on Sunday, tea with her friend Vera Bolender and sister-in-law Genevieve was a regular routine.
Her family and extended family meant a great deal to "Aunt Eva". She kept an up-to-date record of their comings and goings and kept in regular touch by telephone. Thanksgiving and Christmas meant turkey and Eva was a perfectionist and lover of the festive bird. Her favorite parts were the neck and the "Pope's nose". In case you don't know what that is, it is the last part of the turkey to leave the pen. Grandma Elson loved her daughter's turkey as well and repeatedly said, "Eva makes the best dressing!"
She faithfully knitted hundreds of hats and headbands each winter, and thousands over her lifetime, to keep street people and kids warm. She had an agreement with the Salvation Army social services to pick up her knitting every year. Each Christmas and Easter, she wanted to sponsor meals offered by various social assistance missions in Toronto; e.g. Yonge Street Mission and The Scott Mission. In keeping with her generous nature, she often hosted a mentally-challenged man called Roy Mustard each Monday for lunch. He walked all the way from Unionville to Warden and the Sdrd. to dine on hamburger, mashed potatoes, and hand-grated onions (since he couldn't chew properly). After lunch, Roy proceeded to sit on the rocking chair to fumigate the kitchen with billows of pipe smoke. He would comment, "Eva is a good woman! She's my friend!"
During her 90+ years with us, Eva enjoyed life as a homemaker and in her final months at MSH, she was still reminiscing about various family members and the "good old days". On Wednesday evening around 10 pm, she peacefully went to sleep for the last time. She will be missed, but always loved and fondly remembered.
