EVELYN ELAINE HICKS

Following a long and courageous battle with cancer, Evelyn Elaine Hicks (Peterson) passed away on Nov. 24, 2019 at Rainycrest Long Term Care.
Evie was born on Sept. 25, 1944 in Whitehorse, Yukon to Harold and Esther Peterson (Strand).
The family then relocated to Fort Frances where she and her sisters grew up in the family home on Walker Avenue.
After graduating from Fort Frances High School, Evie moved to Thunder Bay where she met her future husband, Gary Hicks.
They spent the first years of their married life in Thunder Bay where daughter, Barbara-Ann, was born, and in southern Ontario, where son, Duane, was born, before moving to Fort Frances to be near family.
The two most important things in Evie’s life were her faith and family.
Following her initial cancer diagnosis in 1985, she reaffirmed her faith in Jesus and this faith sustained her through to the end of her life.
Evie was an active member of Christian Women’s Club for many years and spent a year training to be a missionary with Stonecroft Ministries, travelling in the southern United States and sharing her testimony.
Until her health prevented it, Evie made a point of attending her granddaughters’ performances and sporting events.
She could always be counted on to remember birthdays and special occasions and loved buying gifts and sending cards to family and friends.
Evie will be lovingly remembered her daughter and son-in-law, Barb and Devin Eldridge; her son, Duane Hicks; and her granddaughters, Olivia and Aubrey.
She is also survived by her sister, Darlene Begin; special cousins, Diane (Greg) Jewell; and her nieces and nephews.
Evie was predeceased by her parents, Harold and Esther (Strand) Peterson; husband, Gary Hicks; sister, Kathy VonNiebelschutz; brother-in-law, Paul Begin; special aunt, Viola Strand; and infant grandson, Gabriel Eldridge.
A celebration of Evie’s life will be held on Friday, Nov. 29, 2019 at 3:30 p.m. at Church of the Holy Spirit (824 Victoria Ave.) with pastor Diane Clifford officiating.
A private service will be held at Riverview Cemetery earlier that afternoon.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Rainycrest Auxiliary, 550 Osborne Street, Fort Frances, ON, P9A 3T2 or the Canadian Cancer Society.