Evaune Gale Winsor

Evaune Gale Winsor passed away peacefully in Gilbert, Arizona, surrounded by her daughters, on December 13, 2021. Evaune was 85 years old at the time of her passing. Born in Vernal, Uintah County Utah on May 27, 1936, she was the ninth of 12 children born to Irene Merrell and Luther Gale. She is survived by nine of her 10 children and spouses, who call her mother, 87 grandchildren, 95 great grandchildren, and 1 great great grandchild.

Evaune’s formative years were during World War II. Evaune was the social butterfly of her neighborhood. She loved school and spoke fondly of her second grade teacher, Ms. Brown. She spoke of placing nickels and dimes in the War Effort jar on the desk of her teacher. She remembers the escape ditches surrounding the playground where they would run to during drills. She spoke of victory gardens, rationing, and the sadness when someone’s father or brother was killed in the war. She told how the flour sack was so precious for their family. Not only was the flour to be protected, but the sack was to be used for many purposes. In these early years, Evaune formed her paradigm of work, service, family, community and her love for the Savior Jesus Christ. In her early years of life – not too long after the Great Depression – hard work was expected of everyone. She learned at the foot of her own mother and grandmother to cook, clean, mend clothing, quilt, garden, and the value of turning a seemingly useless piece of fabric into a beautiful creation. Evaune was married at the age of 19 to Robert Lewis Trout who became an army pilot. From her little community home in Moses Lake Washington, she traveled to army bases throughout the United States and spent two years in Japan. On one occasion she took her little brood of children and drove across country from Alabama to Provo Utah to be with her parents. She was strong and fearless for her little family.

Evaune married Robert Carl Winsor in 1967. She grew to be the strong matriarch of her home. She was the proud mother of ten children – Kaylin, Kathy, Brian, Mark, Kerry (deceased), Renae, Rick, Annette, Irene and Millie. Her extended children and grandchildren are far beyond numbering as, much like her own daughters, she was mother to all. As the matriarch of her home, she delighted in homemaking. She valued homemade family meals at the table – dinner and breakfast – reading the scriptures together, community service, and lots of good, hard work. She was heard to say, “if one is working, we are all working” and to her sons “I’m not raising boys, I’m raising men.” It was common for her home to be filled with hosts of neighborhood children who thought of her as the “other mother”. She valued education and encouraged her children academically to the best of her ability. Evaune filled her home with music, which is very much a part of her soul. She accompanied most of her homemaking with cheerful whistling and “doodleedoo” humming. Singing with her children brought her joy. They sang as they played, as they traveled, as they worked and worshiped. Lullabies to her children and grandchildren were a beautiful part of her nurturing, and it was a privilege for her children to sing to her as she passed from this life.
In a life of great adversity and tragedy, she found safety and solace in her knowledge and love for her Brother and Savior Jesus Christ. She loved her brother Bruce most of all and likened him to her feelings for her Brother Jesus. She found comfort in knowing that she has a loving and knowing Father in Heaven – she yearned to be with Him. Her most common phrase was, “Father knows.” She was a powerful example of simple beauty refined in a spiritual life of virtue.
Evaune did not hold high religious or political office, she didn’t earn college degrees, own businesses, hold property, investments or even bank accounts. And yet, her influence spans the world. Thousands have felt her impact – school children and families, felons in prison systems, displaced children and youth, families seeking financial and legal counsel, those seeking spiritual healing, and individuals receiving a simple smile, kind word and loving embrace. She left this world with simple tears of joy for her family left behind and the welcome to her heavenly home. We love you, mom.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021 at 4PM in Mesa, Arizona, with a viewing Friday evening and Saturday. Please contact the family to get address and exact times.

Additional services will be held Saturday, January 1, 2022 at 11:00 AM at Mosdell Mortuary, 676 So. HWY 89A, Kanab, with a viewing from 10:00 until time of service. Burial will be in the Kanab Cemetery.

2021-12-17T23:54:16+00:00

4 Comments

  1. Kaylin Oldfather December 15, 2021 at 6:23 pm - Reply

    My blessed mother. She gave us love and comfort even to the very end. I will miss her fun pranks and the way she would stop and talk to strangers. Giving them compliments and warm words. She was a great role middle gir me all my life. I love ya mom.

  2. Karen Hallsted Jackson December 15, 2021 at 7:05 pm - Reply

    Beautiful human being! Evaune will surely be busy beyond the veil nurturing souls in the afterlife. How blessed the Winsor family is to have such a mother! (Beautifully written obituary ❤️)

  3. Elinor johnson December 16, 2021 at 1:43 am - Reply

    She was a the best great grandma I will miss her there was only two great grandma’s I knew and giot along with well she was amazing I have some pictures of her getting me dressed aftter my first bath I will miss her.

  4. Shauna Hustin December 30, 2021 at 4:35 pm - Reply

    What a beautiful woman. I remember her fondly from living in San Manuel – she was always such a happy, lively woman with a smile on her face. Even as a young girl, I wondered how she kept it all together with such a large family, still smiling. You guys were so blessed to have her for a mother.

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