Evelyn Garry

Funeral mass for Evelyn Garry was held in Bridgewater, SD, at St. Stephen Catholic Church at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, August 19, 2022. Burial was in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Salem. Salem Kinzley Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. Evelyn Helen (Hoffman) Garry was born March 1, 1927, in Bridgewater SD, to Ed and Caroline (Determan) Hoffman, the third of eight children. Raised in the Dirty Thirties on the family farm, she learned the skill of sewing, which she used to clothe children and make quilts for so many in her later years.

She met Russ Garry, they danced at Stanley Corner, and married August 21, 1950. They raised nine children while living in Sioux Falls (1950-51), Gregory (1951-1972), and Webster (1972-2017). Recently, she was in Brookings’ health care facilities Stoney Brook and ULC.

She enjoyed large family reunions. To feed her family, she cultivated gardens and canned fruit for the long winters. Their parties in the Gregory ‘Hahn house’ basement were legendary. When Russ started the family camping trips, she made donuts to feed the hungry kids and to sell. In the days of cloth diapers, she was grateful to extended family and friends for childcare during summer bus trips. Her devotion in Gregory St. Joseph and Webster Christ the King churches served both God and her community. She wrapped people in quilts, at first with Dakotah fabric and old jeans from the Webster thrift store. She enjoyed reading of strong prairie women.

She died Tuesday, August 16, 2022, at Brookings, SD. She is survived by her siblings Alida Ahlers, Sharon Tuschen, and Jerry Hoffman; in-laws Anabelle Hoffman, Ray Schoenfelder, Veronica Garry, and Sr. Elaine Garry PBVM; children Susan Garry, Gordon (Marsha) Garry, Fr. Ron Garry, Byron Garry, Todd (Angie) Garry, Colleen (Rob) Helms, Elaine (Doug) Block, Jennifer Garry; 14 grandchildren: Ben (Emma), Zach, Russ (Lexi), Josh, Megan, Theo (April), Joe, Sunnie, Heather, Mariah, Amber, Katie (Travis), Antonia (Will), and Sam; and four great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Russ in 1988, stillborn daughter Mary in 1955, daughter Gail in 2003, siblings Harold, Delores, Norb, and MaryAnn, and many in-laws and friends.