Obituary of Evelyn L. Barbur

Our friend and cousin Evelyn Barbur passed away peacefully this week. She was a remarkable 103 years old. She is survived by many cousins, including Barburs, Deweys, Lewthwaites, Beyers, Strombergs and Gingles. She led a full and active life. She attended the district school still standing at the corner of Ryan Road and North Road. She graduated from Greenwich Central Schools in 1928. She rode horses, skied on Phil McKernon's farm, enjoyed sledding on the road before there were many automobiles, and went rowing on Lake Lauderdale. She loved films by Gene Autry and Tom Mix. A lifelong member of Centenary United Methodist Church, Greenwich, NY, she was a member of the United Methodist Women and The Corner Club. A lifelong reader, she received an award for over 10,000 hours volunteer service at the Greenwich Free Library. When patrons with overdue books received a phone call from Evelyn, they returned those books promptly! An avid Scrabble player, she often repeated the advice of her longterm friend Charlotte Wilcox: When you do not have high-scoring tiles, play alongside an existing word. She was active in the Bottskill Grange for many years. She was a proud member of the Willard Mountain D.A.R. She openly enjoyed the benefits of education and encouraged that enjoyment in others. Evelyn was born at home at her family's historic farm in the Roberson tract. The house was named "Old Oak Homestead" after an oak tree under which "half-tame Indians" -- her words -- came to trade. Evelyn and her younger sister Eloise lived almost their entire lives at the farm. They did relatively well during the Great Depression from the produce of their farm, going "down street" to Greenwich to trade eggs and other produce for manufactured goods. For decades, Evelyn did clerical work at the Stevens and Thompson mill in Greenwich, where she was known as "Elbee." In recent years, Evelyn lived in nursing homes where she was much loved by staff and residents alike. All her life she was admired for her independent spirit. A funeral service will be held at 1pm Thursday, December 5, 2013 at Flynn Bros. Inc. Funeral Home, 80 Main St., Greenwich. Friends may call at the funeral home from 12-1pm prior to the service. Memorials can be made in her memory to the Greenwich Free Library, Main St., Greenwich.