Felixca A Evans

Mrs. Felixca A. Waselewicz Evans, 85, died on Thursday, September 16, 2021, surrounded by an abundance of love.

Family and friends are invited to the visitation in the Kowalski Funeral Home, 515 Roselle Street, Linden on Tuesday, September 21^st. from 4:00-7:00PM.  On Wednesday, September 22^nd. at 9:45AM, everyone will start to gather directly at St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Roman Catholic Church, Linden, where a funeral mass will be offered at 10:00AM.  The prayers of committal will precede Mrs. Evans’s burial in the family plot in St. Gertrude Cemetery in Colonia, New Jersey.

For 28 years, Felixca Evans was the Assistant Municipal Clerk and Secretary to the Insurance Commission in Linden City Hall.  She could be seen walking up and down Wood Avenue several times a day (she walked home for lunch) and most times, with our Dad, Emil Evans, right by her side, holding hands. Her job brought her immense joy and satisfaction.  Many of us visited her in the City Clerk’s Office and saw her in action.  She was gifted.  We were proud…

Generous and giving describe Mom, the matriarch of our family, perfectly.  Everything she did was with love and regard for others.  She believed her grandfather’s words and lived them daily, “make the next generation better.”  Throughout her 85 years, Mom impacted the lives of family and friends with her wisdom, guidance, encouragement, and work ethic.  As Mom now joins Dad, just in time for their 66^th anniversary on September 17, she leaves on this Earthly world three children, two sons-in-law, three grandchildren, and one great grandchild.  We are her legacy…

Mom’s greatest passion was her lifelong partner and husband, our Dad, Emil J. Evans.  She caught Dad’s attention from across her street and that began their never ending love affair.  With him by her side, she created lasting memories for all of us. 

During the holidays, Polish traditions were honored and kept.  This means family pierogi making, grandmother’s yeast cookie created with three different homemade fillings, chrusciki baking, fish frying, making mushroom gravy, boiling kielbasa, making whipped jello, and baking specialty cookies and babka.  All so delicious… Preparations went on for weeks for Easter and Christmas.  Polish music played during these times, especially.  It made the work easier.  Mom and Dad would sing to the songs in Polish and dance, too, in the kitchen.  Mom loved her homemade baked foods and desserts.  When Dad’s diet needed to be altered, Mom quickly found heart healthy recipes for him.

 The pies at Thanksgiving never lasted long.  We all ate them:  homemade sour cherry pie, apple, French apple, blueberry, pumpkin, and berry pie.  Yes, the crust and toppings were made from scratch.  The smells in the house, like her famous stuffed cabbage cooking, were a reminder of mom’s joy of being in the kitchen, although, she never wanted an air conditioner to help with the heat.  This was a constant and yearly topic brought up by Dad! He could never convince her.  To this day, it’s stifling in her kitchen! We always laugh about this.

Mom cooked and baked on a regular basis.  There was always something good to eat in the house.  After all, regular tea time and coffee time demanded something sweet! One could never go wrong with her homemade raspberry jelly spread atop her chocolate cake, especially when the raspberries came straight from her garden.  Everyone’s birthday was celebrated with a choice home cooked meal by Mom and dessert to follow.  This was her tradition!  Mom made us feel special…

When Mom wasn’t in the kitchen, she could be found outside in her gardens: weeding, picking raspberries and sour cherries, pruning, tending to her irises, hostas, roses, lilies, lavender, snowballs, lilacs, butterfly bushes, peonies, bridal wreath bush, and cutting back the ivy (which took years to establish and is now flourishing) that surrounds the house Dad built for her, a raised Ranch. Mom loved getting her hands in the dirt, no garden gloves ever!  Her rich compost pile loaded with earthworms was a constant source of nutrition for her gardening endeavours. Mom’s indoor Christmas cactus plants gave her great pleasure.  She would often root new plants from fallen pieces. She’d care for them until they were strong and healthy.  Their blooms were exquisite.  Nature and the outdoors were Mom’s treasured places.  Dad would often be close by or not too far away.  Every season brought outdoor activities:  leaf raking, snow shoveling, and gardening.  Mom truly relished a cold, crisp morning on the front porch with her tea or coffee, and Dad by her side.  This was her kind of weather…

On cold winter nights, Mom would work on her embroidery projects.  Hours and hours were spent making wall hangings, pillows, pillowcases, and quilts.  Mom loved a challenge and often explored new hobbies, like crewel.  We were the receivers of her work, as well as Dad.  He made the frames for her embroidery projects so it was easier to embroider.  Dad helped her whenever she needed something.  These are heirlooms that will be passed down from one generation to the next…

Together Mom and Dad danced to Polish music at weekend get-aways in New York or at the Bayway Dance Hall.  When Mom and Dad danced, people noticed.  They were remarkable together…it was a sight to see.  The youngest child, Barbara, would accompany Mom and Dad on their local dance excursions. Dancing with Mom or Dad was a treat, for sure.  Such fun and joy…Mom and Dad exposed us to the music, dancing, and language of our culture.  Twice, Mom and Dad visited Poland to explore their roots and heritage.  Mom was most proud of an artistic family member named Richard Orski, an accomplished sculptor who had a showing of his works in Chicago, Illinois.

Mom gave her three children an uncanny ability to write.  One Christmas, many years ago, Mom’s only request for a gift was a written letter on a topic she chose, from each of us.  The grandchildren were also included in this desire.  The happiness she showed upon receiving her Christmas letters was one of pride.  This tradition continued for years and years.  Mom told us how proud she was that we could all write well and were avid readers.  The reason?  Mom read all the time- books, novels, the newspaper.  Her favorite book was Poland by James Michener.  Mom instilled in all of us this love of writing and reading because Mom was a great writer and reader. We had a great teacher!

When it came to animals, Mom had a very soft and gentle heart.  A ten hour road trip to Ohio led to the adoption of her beloved dog, Ginger.  Our home had cats, dogs, rabbits, fish, and a box turtle named Rocky who is still living to this day.  He is forty years old! Mom rescued stray dogs and hurt birds in our childhood. Today, the call of a blue jay reminds us of Sam, the baby blue jay Mom nursed back to health after it fell out of its nest and landed in a bush from where we rescued it. One day, Sam unexpectedly flew out of the open door of his cage on the back porch. His freedom was regained and away he went to start his new life. Growing up with animals, puppies and kittens included, is near and dear to all of our hearts.  We are all animal lovers, thanks to Mom, her magnificent ways, and her patience and care for God’s creatures.

As a family, we went on many excursions.  There were yearly summer vacations to Virginia Beach, Cape Cod, and Cape May.  There were Sunday drives and picnics, visiting relatives, and simply “getting three kids out of the house.”  Sometimes, the 1956 Chevy would be our transportation to these idyllic places.  Dad always said when Mom drove this car, “she would barrel around like a race car driver.” 

While visiting relatives in Blairstown, NJ, Mom would lay out the checkered picnic blanket by the lake under the tree and set up the picnic basket filled with homemade fried chicken, potato salad, fruit, cookies and cakes, and yes, Mom’s famous and delicious homemade iced tea, which no one can make like Mom. Together times.  Mom was the navigator, planner, and packer while Dad was the driver to our varied destinations.

Mom gave us a wonderful life filled with love and treasured memories.  We are blessed and grateful.  She made a difference… a life well lived.  Mom spends eternity now, with Dad, but leaves us with the strength and courage to go on, taking her along on our journeys, close to our hearts, always and forever.  Never forgotten, always remembered, in everything we do…

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.