Evelyn F. Schlaman

Evelyn F. Schlaman

1923 to 2014

Evelyn F. Schlaman, 91 of Sidney, passed away at her home surrounded by her family, Monday evening, February 17, 2014.

Wake services will be held at 7 p.m., Fri., Feb. 21st with Mass Services at 2:30 p.m. Sat., Feb. 22nd. Both services will be in the St. Patrick's Catholic Church with Father Art Faesser officiating. Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Mon., Feb. 24th in the Greenwood Cemetery.

Friends may stop at the Gehrig-Stitt Chapel on Friday from 1 to 5 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made in Evelyn's name to Sidney Regional Medical Center Hospice or St. Patrick's Church Organ Fund.

You may view Evelyn's Book of Memories, leave condolences photos and stories at http://www.gehrigstittchapel.com.

Gehrig-Stitt Chapel & Cremation Service LLC, is in charge of Evelyn's care and funeral arrangements.

Evelyn Schlaman (nee Cortney), was born Feb. 16, 1923 on the Cortney family farm, one of 12 siblings. Evelyn earned her Teaching Certificate from Chadron College in 1941 and taught locally until her marriage to Oscar Schlaman, April 12, 1945. Evelyn and Oscar were partners in life for 59 years, raising seven children.

She was a lifelong member of St. Patrick's Parish, serving the church through participation in the Rummage House and Altar Society. Evelyn assisted in the preparation of hundreds of meals for church functions. She was also a proponent of recognition for the financial contributions of farm women to the local community through Wives Involved in Farm Economics.

Grandma's home and table were the scene of countless celebrations and a source of strength through the deaths of her children Kent, Barbara and Kristine. Despite these devastating losses, Evelyn remained, at her core, an optimistic person and continued, in her last years, to be the anchor for her far-flung family. Love in her home was expressed through an abundance of food and an "open door" policy. When you arrived, you could expect to be fed and cared for, no questions asked (although questions might be asked in detail later). Her grandchildren could always count on sugar cookies within minutes of walking through her door and she was famous for her cinnamon rolls, fudge and homemade donuts. As her children had children and then grandchildren, we were all grateful for her spotlessly clean kitchen floor – any number of meals were recovered from it by small, sticky fingers.

She was preceded in death by her parents Humphrey and Mary Isabelle (nee Deaver) Cortney; husband, Oscar Schlaman; her daughters, Nancy, Kristine (Les Mardiks of Falls Church, Va.), and Barbara (Alan Edwards of Kokomo, Ind.); and her son Kent (Debra of Sidney). She is survived by her children Phil (Donna) Schlaman of Lawrence, Kan .; Mary (Dave) Sostarich of Hercules, Calif .; Jane (Joe) Hennes of Topeka, Kan .; and John (Laurie) Schlaman of Naperville, Ill. She leaves behind 19 grandchilden and 16 great-grandchildren.

"Fortunate country, that is one day to receive hearts like Evelyn's into its bosom, to give them out again in the yellow wheat, in the rustling corn, in the shining eyes of youth." – Willa Cather, O Pioneers!