Garner, Evelyn Ethel

Born the same year as Queen Elizabeth, Evelyn Ethel Garner, the second child of Alec Garner and Ethel Walton Garner, entered the world on July 4, 1926 in Edmonton, Alberta,. After a childhood highlighted by ice skating and duck hunting, World War II arrived just as she was finishing school. Doing her bit for the war effort, she worked for the military at Fort McMurray, Alberta, which was then a tiny, remote settlement and airfield, one of the many which were being quickly constructed across the North. There she met and soon married Arnold Cronlund, a US Army Sergeant.

When peace arrived, Evelyn, like so many war brides, accompanied her new husband to his family home in Illinois. It was there that Evelyn and Arnie welcomed son Doug and daughter Carol. Some years later, the Cronlunds moved to Spokane Washington, where son, David joined the family and where Evelyn trained and worked as a dental assistant.

In 1958, the family moved to Oregon to own and operate a Music Store in Eugene, living east of Eugene along the McKenzie River. During this time, Evelyn was the office manager of M Jacobs Fine Furniture.

In 1972, Evelyn married Carl Chambers and they moved to Edmonds, Washington, where she worked in a dental office. Retirement brought another move to La Conner, Washington.

Evelyn will always be remembered for her kindness, generosity, hospitality, curiosity, fortitude, spunk, love of traveling and the outdoors, skills in sewing and interior decoration and her chocolate chip cookies.

Evelyn passed away on November 9,2021. She was preceded in death by her parents and her elder sister, Norma. She is survived by her brothers, Ron and Warren Garner of British Columbia, her children, David Cronlund and Carol Church of Washington and Doug Cronlund of Alaska/Yukon Territory, as well as several grandchildren and great grandchildren.

As circumstances permit, Evelyn will be laid to rest in Nelson, British Columbia this summer, beside her parents, Alec and Ethel Garner.