The
Evelyn Bernice Donnelly
(née Clingan)
Memorial Webpage
As per her wishes, no funeral or memorial services were held for Evelyn Bernice Donnelly (née Clingan), 77, of Chico, CA, USA, also known by the nickname Evie.
Mrs. Donnelly died Sunday, January 2, 2005, of natural causes (pneumonia exacerbated by COPD following a stroke).
A dedicated Mother and wife, she is predeceased by her husband of 44 years, Robert Ellis Donnelly, beloved cat, Buffy,
and her much beloved dog, Muffin. She is survived by her beloved cat, Blackie; her sons and daughter
— Robert Wayne Donnelly, of
Chico; Lesa Louise (Pat) Donnelly, of Anderson, CA; William Harold Donnelly, of Chico; and Daniel Lee
(Jeannie) Donnelly, of Chico; and a family-"adopted" son and long-time friend of the family, James Benjamin
Clark, of Bakersfield, CA.
She is also pre-deceased by her father and mother, Spencer Boyd and Verna Reba (née Fenwick)
Clingan, and survived and pre-deceased by a former husband, Marvin Seagraves, and seven brothers and
sisters — Marjorie [Margie] (Ken) Garrett, Wanda ['Bonnie'] (Bob) Elder, George L. (Rhoda) Clingan,
(Alvin) Bruce (Gail) Clingan, Verna ['Babe'] (Ken) Dixon, and Chester (Cathy) Clingan — and
many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Much to her chagrin, she had no grandchildren, except various
companion animals, mostly cats, and some dogs.
A life-long resident of the state of California, she was born June 2, 1927 in Porterville, CA and lived large parts of her life in South San Francisco and other parts of the Bay Area, Oroville, Cherokee, Visalia and surrounding areas, Feather River Canyon near Twain, Chico, Marysville / Yuba City, and Loma Rica, as well as occasional forays to various parts of the country when younger. She and her husband also traveled for several years as "Snowbirds", going south for the winter to "The Slabs" in their camper or RV.
During her life, Mrs. Donnelly often worked as a waitress in various establishments, at which she excelled, which is no mean feat, as people who have done that hard work well know. She loved counting her tips, which tended to be voluminous. She also worked with her husband in various businesses as Co-Owner, Co-Operator, Co-Manager, and Co-Proprietor. She worked for a time as Secretary-Receptionist at Farmer's Insurance in Visalia, CA when her husband took ill.
And when she wasn't a Full-time Mother and Homemaker, she also did that job when and while she was 'officially' working elsewhere outside the home. She excelled at this important job, as well, and had a reputation for being an excellent cook and baker. It is believed by many that her main ingredient in all her food was Love. During her life, she made literally thousands of brown sack school lunches for her four children, as well as many thousands more breakfasts, dinners, and snacks. These were very much appreciated by her family — however, in retrospect, not nearly enough.
Her interests mostly comprised being an avid, voracious reader. Her children always knew what to get her for Christmas and her Birthday. She occasionally dabbled in various artistic and creative endeavors, and was very creative, and a good artist and poet. For a time she was well-known for her Sand Paintings, which she sold at Fleamarkets and Craft Fairs, at which she would usually make them in glassware with plants on top in front of passersby as a demonstration and to garner sales attention. She loved attending Fleamarkets and Yard Sales, as both buyer and seller. She and her husband also loved to go to Reno, NV and 'Indian Casinos' and gamble, especially slot machines.
A life-long Democrat, Mrs. Donnelly also enjoyed watching her TV shows and movies, which included News shows, to keep an eye on the current political climate. Although not formally religious, she was a Christian at heart, and had a personal relationship with God that she rarely spoke of.
At her request, Mrs. Donnelly was cremated, at Afforable Mortuary. Donations in her name may be made to your local mission, or homeless shelter, or non-human animal care organization. Condolences may be e-mailed via the online website.
Donnelly-House.net