Evelyn L. Kowalke, 90, died Wednesday, February 2, 2022, at Garden
Valley Retirement Village in Garden City, Kansas. She was born March 3,
1931, in Chase, Kansas the daughter of William Leopold & Lillie
Karoline Dora (Koch) Manke.
Evelyn grew up and attended schools and graduated from high school
in Chase, Kansas. On June 4, 1950, she married Raymond Kowalke in
Ellinwood, Kansas. From 1950 to 1967 they lived South of the Smokey
Hill River east of Wallace, Kansas. They moved to Garden City in 1967
where they have lived since. Evelyn worked as a Stanley Dealer from
1967 to 1968. She then worked at Mode O Day from 1968 to 1981, then
Weber’s Town Shop until 1982 and the Tall Shop till 1983. In 1984,
Evelyn worked as a receptionist for the City of Garden City until her
retirement in 1994. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church of
Garden City, the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, and Phi Sigma Alpha
Sorority.
Survivors include 4 children Carol Wenzel of Wichita, Kansas, Cindy
Messenger of Garden City, Kansas, Terry (Sylvia) Kowalke of Tomball,
Texas, and Kenneth Kowalke of Clovis, New Mexico; 2 sisters Delores
Quasebarth of Andover, Kansas and Gloria Hanson of Wallace, Kansas; 9
grandchildren Doug Gashler, Jace Stubbs, Josey Kowalke, Jillian Jones,
Justin Kowalke, Ryan Kowalke, Jody Kerr, Charyl Obregon, & Tyler
Messenger; and 22 great-grandchildren. Evelyn is preceded in death by
her husband Raymond who died on March 20, 2009. She is also preceded in
death by her parents; a sister Melvadean Richardson; 2 sons-in-law
Richard Wenzel and Chuck Messenger; and 2 granddaughters Jessica Kowalke
and Heather Gilbert.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February
19, 2022, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Garden City, Kansas with Rev.
Michael Hageman officiating. Burial will follow at Valley View Cemetery
in Garden City. Friends may call from 5:00 pm. To 8:00 p.m. on Friday
and the family will be at Garnand Funeral Home from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30
p.m. to visit with friends. The family suggests memorials given to
Trinity Lutheran Church Endowment or to Garden Valley Retirement
Village, both in care of the funeral home.