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Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

Eulogy
Evelyn Marie Strong Babcock
Born July 26, 1931 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Evelyn attended Willard Elementary School, Wilbur Wright Jr. High School, and West Tech High School.

Married on April 16, 1949 to Wade Babcock at the home of her sister, Grace.

She was employed at several places, including Standard Tools near downtown Cleveland, and (most well known) at Clarke’s Restaurant in several of their locations, and last at Chung’s Restaurant in Fairview.

She was baptized at Franklin Circle Christian Church in the early 1940's. She was a Deaconess, on the Spirituality and Worship Team, and the Inquirer’s Adult Sunday School Class.

Evelyn was preceded in death by her husband, Wade Babcock; and daughter, Susan Ables; her brother, Harold Strong (Dora – Surviving); and sister, Grace Van Horn (Edward).

Evelyn is survived by daughter, Mary (Tom) Brewer of Grove City, OH.; son Jeff (Debbie) Babcock of Reynoldsburg, OH.; son-in-law William Ables of N. Ridgeville, OH.; sister Leila (Bob) Streidl of Cleveland; grandchildren Hollie (Lee) Brewer-McKitrick of Ponte Verda, FL., Joe and Mitchell Babcock of Reynoldsburg, OH., Aimee Taylor (Michael Pasek, fiancé) of N. Ridgeville, OH., and William A. Taylor of Parma, OH. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

After a difficult year of illness and injuries, Evelyn died Friday, July 21, 2006 from a brief battle with cancer at Mt. Carmel East Hospital, Columbus, OH. She was 74 years old.

Scripture:
Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

Everything Has Its Time
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

The God-Given Task
What gain have the workers from their toil? I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover, he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil. I know that whatever God does endures for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already is; and God seeks out what has gone by.

I chose today’s text because I knew Evelyn to be a no-nonsense, “say-it-like-it-is,” enjoy life as much as you can, kind but firm woman. That’s the approach of “The Teacher,” the writer of Ecclesiastes, has as he looks at life.

Speaking of language, Evelyn had her own terminology, like “What-cha-ma-call-it,” “Thing-a Ma-Gig,” “Who-Who,” “Thingy,” and the big one: “So forth and so on.”

You could never stop her from talking during the middle of a sentence because she would forget what she was going to say. And you had better not interrupt her, or you would get the “look.” (Roll her eyes).

Everyone that knew Evelyn knows that she was called by other terms of endearment: “Grandma” (even by those who were not biological grandchildren!), “Aunt-E,” or “Eve-E”

If you knew Evelyn, you would have known what a big Browns and Indians fan she was (note the jersey #24 Sizemore). You could not even call her on Sundays until after the football gave. Golf was another favorite sport. She always talked about who was winning and the scores, especially Phil Mickelson her favorite golf player.

If you knew her, she had a schedule for the T.V. daily. She even had Shadow, her dog, on her soap schedule 12:30 - 4 p.m. Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune 7-8 p.m. And then her night time shows with naps scheduled in-between.

Now, some things we didn’t know. When the family was working in the house this week, they came across some notes from her husband, Wade, to Evelyn and some journal entries to himself. Did you know how sentimental and romantic Wade Babcock was?

On their Anniversary in 1972:
“After 23 years of Marriage, the only thing I have given you are three kids and four puppies, bad times, and good times. But together we have proved what love can mean.”

Wade kept a journal before his passing:
“January 11, 1986. Saturday evening. Lynn (Evelyn) is at work (at Chung’s). Boy, when she leaves she looks like a beauty queen and when she hits the steps at home after work, she shows what work has done to her. That job has got to take a lot out of you. She shows it again and again her age is catching up with her.”

“May 11, 1986: Mother’s Day from Wade. Mother’s Day comes once a year, but the other 364 days belong to me. There is know other person in the world I would want to be the mother of our children.”

Her favorite color was blue. Her favorite flowers were first, roses, and second, irises. She loved Arby’s Mocha Chocolate shakes. She and Wade both loved Big Band music.

She was a dedicated grandmother, going to their sporting events, teaching them gambling – like most grandmother’s. Seriously, she taught her grandkids card games like Tonk and Rummy.

At Church, she was known to many of us through her participation in the Sunday School class I taught. She was always willing to talk about any topic, no matter how controversial it might be. Interestingly enough, she would frequently begin by saying, “Well, I might not know what I’m talking about, but…” or “Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but…” and then say something quite profound and inspirational.

On a purely personal note, I made a special connection with Evelyn when I learned that Wade, her husband, had been a member of the 82nd Airborne Division of the Army for my father was also in the 82nd Airborne.

We celebrate – and mourn the loss of – a wonderful woman: Evelyn Babcock. An honest, forthright, kind and fun-loving woman. We shall miss her dearly.

Rev. Allen V. Harris
 

Copyright 2006 -- The Rev. Allen V. Harris

Franklin Circle Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

1688 Fulton Rd., Cleveland, OH 44113-3096