Evelyn Margaret (Henderson) Costley, 1941

Fall 2016 (September 21, 2016)

Evelyn Margaret (Henderson) Costley
Evelyn Margaret (Henderson) Costley

Evelyn Margaret (Henderson) Costley, of Andover, Minn., died Feb. 5, 2016, age 95.

Funeral arrangements were through Seman Chapel in Coon Rapids, Minn. The funeral was March 12 at Faith Lutheran in Coon Rapids, and burial was March 14 at Oak Lawn Cemetery in Cresco, Iowa.

She was born July 16, 1920, as the second child of Hilda (Klaven) and John Henderson and was raised on the family farm near Cresco. Evelyn and her siblings, Harold and Lillian, were kept busy helping their parents raise crops and animals, as well as hosting many family gatherings at their country church, Orleans Lutheran.

Graduating from Cresco High School, Evelyn attended Luther College for one year of normal teacher training. She taught country school for one year near her home, then worked in Albert Lea, Minn., before taking a position in the office of General Motors Parts in Minneapolis. She taught Sunday school at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. Evelyn married Robert Costley, the regional manager for her office, on May 28, 1960, and they lived near Chicago, before moving to Atlanta, Ga. In retirement, Bob continued to use his business expertise, as he volunteered in the Executive Service Corps, and together they served in Brazil, Honduras, Iran, Thailand and Ecuador as goodwill ambassadors for the U.S.A.

Evelyn coordinated 30 women who met weekly at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Atlanta to assemble 1,000 quilts per year. They were donated to Lutheran World Relief for use around the world. She was passionate about quilting and sewed most of the quilt tops herself at home. She and Bob also found time to enjoy their townhouse in Flagler Beach, Fla. The couple generously shared this vacation home with many family members.

After Bob’s death in 1993, Evelyn continued to live in Georgia until 2000, when she moved to Albert Lea, to be near Harold and Lillian. She also lived a year in Cresco, to be near her lifetime friend, Marlys Hoines. Since 2010 Evelyn resided at The Farmstead in Andover, Minn., where niece Faye Hovde has been her loving advocate.

Evelyn is survived by a niece, Janice (Roger) Schwartz of Rochester, Minn.; a niece, Faye (David) Hovde of Coon Rapids; a nephew, Bert Henderson of Golden, Colo.; a nephew, Ron (Jean) Bloxham of Mason City, Iowa; and a nephew, John (Andrea) Bloxham of Antioch, Calif; plus many great-nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Robert Costley; her brother, Harold Henderson and sister-in-law Rosetta Henderson; and her sister, Lillian (Henderson) Bloxham.