Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Evelyn Taylor Tackels

Jan. 22, 1922 - Feb. 7, 2017

HEMET, Calif. — Evelyn Taylor Tackels, 95, passed away Feb. 7, 2017, in Hemet.

Evelyn Maria Axelson was born Jan. 22, 1922, in Oslo, Norway, to Amanda and Carl Axelson (a native of Stockholm, Sweden). In 1925, at the age of three, Evelyn, her parents and older brothers, Tore and Kjell, came to America and settled in McCook where Carl continued his career as a tailor in Vogue Men’s store. Younger siblings, Shirley and Bill, came along, and they all grew up in their home on East First Street and attended McCook schools. Evelyn graduated in the McCook High School Class of 1939.

Evelyn married her first husband, Robert “Bob” Taylor, of Culbertson on April 2, 1941. Bob joined the Navy shortly thereafter, and was stationed in Woods Hole, Massachusetts during the war, where Evelyn worked as a lab technician at the Oceanic Institute. When they returned to McCook, Bob went to work for the CB & Q Railroad as an engineer, and then in 1947, they were blessed with their son, Patrick. When Pat was in later elementary school, he began playing the violin in a string class taught by Dr. Louis Trzcinski, who came to McCook on the train from Lincoln once a month. The fledgling McCook Orchestra needed a place to rehearse, so Evelyn graciously opened their home at 710 East Second Street every month for several years, to host those orchestra rehearsals. Evelyn also enjoyed homemaking, cooking, reading and playing bridge. She also worked with her dad at his tailoring shop and dry cleaning businesses in McCook. The Taylor’s belonged to St. Patrick’s Church where Evelyn helped with receptions for weddings and other events.

In 1967, just after Patrick went off to KU, Bob went into renal failure due to old injuries from boxing and the Navy. Through his sister in Northridge, Calif., he was accepted into an early kidney transplant program at UCLA Medical Center, so Evelyn and Bob sold their McCook home and moved out to Los Angeles. But, following a very difficult four-year fight, Bob passed away on Sept. 10, 1970.

Evelyn decided to return to Los Angeles with her sister-in-law. The two of them signed up for a china painting class, and here Evelyn found her passion. She would paint into the wee hours, creating lamps, tea sets, beautiful dishes and a complete dinner service for 12 with etched 24K gold borders. She remained a prolific and talented china painter until just recently. During this time, Evelyn also completed computer programming school at the Control Data Institute, and subsequently began working for the Rheumatology Research Clinic at UCLA where she managed the offices, wrote grants and illustrated the doctors’ publications.

Eventually, she met Charles “Chuck” Tackels, of Houghton, Mich., whom she married in 1975. They resided in Santa Monica, just a couple blocks from her job at UCLA, while Chuck worked for nearby Boeing as a chemical engineer. When Evelyn retired after 12 years at UCLA, they bought a retirement home in the quiet hills of Sun City, Calif. In Sun City, Evelyn became an excellent lawn bowler, and greatly enjoyed traveling with their team to tournaments across Southern California. Evelyn also taught the china painting classes at Sun City’s Community Center. Evelyn and Chuck enjoyed Sun City for nearly 20 years until finally downsizing to Sun West Villas in Hemet, where Chuck became ill and she finally lost him in 2006. A year later in 2007, she also lost her only child, Patrick.

Evelyn had a huge heart and a strong faith. She was a very generous and thoughtful person. She never missed birthday cards and enjoyed sending gifts. Relatives far and near were recipients of her beautiful, hand-painted china tea sets. Evelyn’s family was everything to her, and she always talked about “back home” in McCook.

Evelyn is survived by her sister, Shirley Johnson of McCook; her brother, William “Bill” Axelson of Denver; her grandsons, Jason Taylor of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., and Joshua Taylor of Cerritos, Calif.;, two great-grandsons, Tristan and Zachary Taylor; her daughter-in-law, Peggy Taylor; and many nieces and nephews whom she adored.

Friends may send online condolences to the family at www.herrmannfh.com

A memorial service will be 3 p.m., Saturday, June 3, 2017, at Herrmann-Jones Funeral Chapel. Interment will follow in Calvary Cemetery, McCook, Nebraska.

Herrmann-Jones Funeral Chapel of McCook, Nebraska is in charge of the arrangements.