Evelyn Darlene Luck was born on May 6, 1932, on a farm northwest of Morland, Kansas, to John Franklin Gross and Hazel Elsie (Brandt) Gross. She passed away on October 27, 2026, at Wesley Woodlawn in Wichita, Kansas.
Evelyn began her education in Gradan, Kansas, where she attended first grade under the instruction of Marie Fink. She attended Sunny Slope School for second and third grades, where her older sister, Edith, was her teacher. Before Evelyn began fourth grade, she and her parents moved to Hill City, Kansas, where she continued her education and eventually graduated from Hill City High School in 1950.
After graduating from high school, Evelyn began her working career at Consolidated State Bank. In 1960, she began working as a bookkeeper at Penokee Farmers Union Co-op, where she remained until her retirement on May 31, 1994.
In 1952, Evelyn married Delvin P. Luck, and to this union two daughters, Rita and Julie, were born. Evelyn and Delvin were later divorced.
After briefly living in Liberal, Kansas, Evelyn returned to Hill City in 1960 with her daughters, where she built a home and a life surrounded by family and familiar faces. Hill City remained her home for many years. In September 2025, she moved to Leisure Homestead in Stafford, Kansas, where she spent her final year.
Evelyn would have wanted to extend her heartfelt thanks to all the wonderful people in Hill City who helped and supported her over the years. Their kindness, care, and generosity allowed her to remain in her home and the community she loved for as long as she did. She and her family will always be grateful for the many people who made that possible.
Evelyn was a longtime member of Hill City United Methodist Church. She enjoyed playing bridge with several different bridge groups and watching sports, especially any sporting event or activity in which her daughters, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren were participating. She was also an avid fan of the Kansas City Chiefs. Evelyn was an animal lover, especially devoted to her two dogs, Molly and Charlie. Above all, she treasured the time she spent with her family, who brought her the greatest joy.
Evelyn is survived by her two daughters, Rita Beecher and her husband, Reid, and Julie Blakeslee and her husband, Kent. Her grandchildren include Brett Beecher and fiancée, Jamie Mackenzie; Annie Hood and her husband, Matt; Eric Blakeslee and his wife, Mackenzie; and Kyle Blakeslee and his wife, Marissa. Her great-grandchildren include Boston, Gannon, Marley, and Waylon, children of Brett; Beckett and Miles, children of Annie and Matt; and Kassidy and Kendall, children of Eric and Mackenzie.
Evelyn is also survived by her nephew, Dale Fullen, along with his children and grandchildren, and other nieces and nephews.
Evelyn was preceded in death by her parents, John and Hazel Gross, sisters, Edith and her husband, Glen Fullen, and Ruth and her husband, Deane Siegrist; her brother, Leverett Gross; and her two siblings who died in infancy, Marion Calvin and Dorothy Fern.
A funeral service will be held on Monday, November 9, 2026, at 2:00 PM at the Hill City United Methodist Church, 118 N. 4th Ave., Hill City, Kansas. Interment will follow at Memorial Lawn Cemetery in Hill City. The family will greet friends Sunday, from 5:00 – 7:00 pm at Stinemetz Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to the Hill City United Methodist Church or Meals on Wheels and may be sent to Stinemetz Funeral Home, 522 N. Pomeroy Ave., Hill City, Kansas.
Online condolences may be sent to www.stinemetzfh.com