BELOIT/LODI - Evelyn Ruth (Hampton) Smesrud, age 102, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at Home Again Assisted Living in Waunakee, Wis.

Evelyn was born on March 12, 1920, to Milton and Alice (Hartman) Hampton in Johnstown, Pa., the youngest of eight children. At the age of 8, Evelyn and her family moved to Winnebago, Ill., where she lived until her father died. At that time, she and her mother moved to Blanchardville, Wis., where her mother owned a dress shop. Evelyn graduated from Blanchardville High School in 1938. It is there that she met her "Cadillac," Clinton Smesrud. They were married on Easter Sunday, April 13, 1941, at the Methodist Church in Winnebago. Clinton was in the U.S. Army Air Force at the time.

After Clinton was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army, the family of four moved to Corona, Calif., for three years. When Clinton's father sent a picture of a stringer full of fish, they eagerly moved back to Wisconsin.

After their move back to Beloit, two more children were added to the family.

Evelyn worked outside the home as a clerk at McNeany's Department Store in Beloit and was a housekeeper for the Glen Webermeier family. She was very involved in her church where she sang in the choir, chine choir, and on many different committees. After she moved to Lodi, she joined the Lodi United Methodist Church. Church was very important to Evelyn and she attended services as often as she could with Mother's Day being her last Sunday in church. She also volunteered many hours at Caratas Food Pantry for 16 years.

Evelyn loved helping people and was always available to take a neighbor or friend to an appointment, shopping or wherever they needed to go. Even after she moved to an apartment, she was willing to help anyone she could.

Some of Evelyn's interests were knitting, crocheting, sewing and reading. She was an avid reader until she could no longer see the words on her Kindle.

In 2012 due to health reasons, she moved from Beloit to Lodi, Wis., to be near her daughter. She enjoyed apartment living and made the adjustment quite well. When she realized she needed more help due to macular degeneration she decided to move to Home Again Assisted Living in Waunakee, Wis. There she made many friends with the residents and staff. She loved it there and would tell any person checking out the facility what a great place it was to live. She could have made an advertisement.

Evelyn was a great storyteller and could recall many stories from her life. She loved when the young staff members of Home Again would go into her room and say, "Evie tell us a story."

Evelyn will be missed by her four children, Gene (Teri) Smesrud of Springtown, Texas, Michael Smesrud of Kerrville, Texas, Jim (Becky) Smesrud of Beloit, Wis., and her daughter, Joan (Larry) Gehrke of Lodi, Wis; grandchildren, Mark Smesrud of St. Cloud, Minn., Michelle (David Barrow) Smesrud of Eugene, Ore., Denise (Mat) Morris of Ft. Worth, Texas, Kevin Gehrke of Lodi, Wis., and Derek Smesrud of Beloit, Wis.; great-grandsons, Kaleb and Stephen Morris and Justin Smesrud; and nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Clinton, on Jan. 1, 1982; five sisters and two brothers; and many nieces and nephews.

We'd like to express our sincere gratitude to the staff at Home Again Assisted Living. The care, friendship and love you gave her is beyond any words could ever express. She loved "all of you girls." Thank you to Heartland Hospice for the wonderful care and support given to Evelyn and her family.

Funeral services will be held at LODI UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 130 Locust St., Lodi, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 4, 2022. Family and friends who wish to view services via LIVE STREAM may visit www.facebook.com/lodiumc/videos or by searching facebook-Lodi UMC. A visitation will be held at the church from 10 a.m. until the time of the service on Saturday. Burial will be at the Graceland Cemetery in Blanchardville, Wis. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson Lodi

Funeral & Cremation Care

157 S. Main St.

(608) 592-3201

Evelyn H Smesrud

March 12, 1920 - May 31, 2022

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