Evelyn Ann Steinkuhler

Evelyn Ann Steinkuhler passed away peacefully Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Littleton, CO, surrounded by family.

Evelyn was born on July 5, 1930 in Williamsport, PA as the third child of Carl Larue and Marion Evelyn (Dewar) Winters. Evelyn had a happy childhood and was well-loved. She was very close to her two older brothers, Carl Jr. and Gene, and they watched out for her. Evelyn grew up in the 1930’s but she and her brothers used to say they didn’t know there was a Depression going on. While money was much tighter than they realized, the children were well-cared for and had everything they needed.

When Evelyn was a teenager, her father took a job transfer to Fort Wayne, IN. Evelyn graduated from South Side High School in 1948. After high school, Evelyn began working at Indiana Technical College in Fort Wayne as secretary to the president of the college. One of Evelyn’s friends was dating a young man who had a friend named Bill Steinkuhler, a Chemical Engineering student at the college. Evelyn’s friend thought that Evelyn and Bill might be a good match, so the four went on a double date. That was soon followed by their first solo date at a baseball game on Evelyn’s 18th birthday in 1948. Being the smart man that he was, Bill made sure to put an engagement ring on Evelyn’s finger before heading off to Oklahoma for graduate school in 1949.

Bill and Evelyn were married in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on August 6, 1949. While Bill was working on his Master’s degree at Oklahoma A&M, Evelyn worked as a secretary to a department head at the university. After Bill’s graduation in 1950, he was hired at Monsanto Chemical Company in Springfield, MA. They lived in Springfield for nine years, where Evelyn worked as a secretary at Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company until they started their family. They welcomed Karen Ann in 1952, William Alan in 1954, and Ellen Sue in 1958.

In 1963, Bill answered a classified ad for a Chemical Engineer at Coors Porcelain Company in Golden, CO. He got the job, and the family moved to the Denver suburb of Arvada. They built a new house on 70th Avenue, a home that Evelyn loved and lived in for almost 60 years. As new Coloradoans, the young family enjoyed hiking and camping in the mountains often.

Evelyn and Bill joined Arvada Presbyterian Church and were very involved for nearly 60 years. They loved being a part of the Mariner’s group for couples. Evelyn served on the Diaconate for many years. She was a long-time member of the Priscilla Women’s Circle, later renamed to Presbyterian Women. Evelyn could always be counted on to bring food and help out at memorial services, potlucks, and any event where her delicious home cooking or baking was needed. She visited elderly homebound church members, providing friendship and companionship to those unable to attend services. She also volunteered in the church office.

Evelyn was a busy and devoted homemaker and was very involved in all three of her children’s activities. She returned to the workforce in the mid-1970’s, using her superior office skills. She was a secretary at Jacobson & Co. Real Estate for several years. She earned her Real Estate license and sold real estate for a few years. She finished her career working for Waterfield Mortgage, preparing calculations and final documents for home closings.

Evelyn and Bill were quite a team and true companions. They never lacked for conversation and they enjoyed everything they did together. They cooked delicious meals together, especially when their family was home to visit. They enjoyed growing beautiful flowers and vegetables and were good friends to the neighborhood birds and squirrels who found plenty to feast on in their back yard. They particularly loved to travel. They went on garden tours in England, attended cooking school in Italy, camped in Canada, explored New Zealand, and went deep-sea fishing in Alaska. Evelyn was game for anything. Once, when recalling to his daughter the experience of getting into a tiny airplane to fly over the Alaska wilderness, Bill said, “Your Mom’s a real trooper! She just climbed right in and wasn’t at all afraid!” Theirs was a happy marriage lasting 66 years, a marriage that ended only on earth when Bill went to heaven in 2015.

The legacy that Evelyn Ann Steinkuhler leaves behind can be summed up in one simple yet vastly profound and powerful word: Love. She loved her family. She loved her friends. She loved her home. She loved her church. She loved her life. She touched everyone she met with her special brand of sweetness, kindness, and compassion. She will be deeply missed on this earth by everyone she loved and everyone that loved her in return.

Evelyn is survived by her three children: Karen (Gary) Shaughnessy of Littleton, CO; William (Joan) Steinkuhler of Battlement Mesa, CO; and Ellen Nicholson of Issaquah, WA. She is also survived by her granddaughter Alexa (Chad) Turek of Okeechobee, FL.

All are welcome to attend Evelyn’s Celebration of Life on Friday, April 4, 2025, 11:00 a.m. MDT, Community of Grace, a Presbyterian Church, 7755 Vance Drive, Arvada, CO, 80003. For those unable to attend in person, a YouTube livestream will begin 15 minutes prior to the service at the following link: https://youtube.com/live/UhSM5FkRHBQ

Memorial gifts may be made to the Community of Grace Memorial Fund at the following link: https://www.communityofgracearvada.org/give