Evelyn “Evie” Catherine Drees

Drees, Evelyn “Evie” Catherine, 79, died Wednesday, December 7, 2011, at her home in Prairie Village, Kansas. Rosary, 6 p.m., Monday, December 12; Funeral Mass, 10 a.m., Tuesday, December 13, both at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 1321 Stratford Lane in Wichita. Evie was born on March 4, 1932 in New Almelo, Kansas to the late John and Ruth Austerman. She attended Sacred Heart Cathedral High School in Salina and St. Francis School of Nursing in Wichita. After graduation, she married her sweetheart, Paul J. Drees, whom she had met during her senior year in high school. They were married on June 26, 1955 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in New Almelo. Over the years, while raising their children, they made their homes in Topeka and then Wichita. Evie was proud to be a registered licensed nurse and worked at St. Francis Health Center in Topeka and Via Christi-St. Francis in Wichita. She was a devoted servant of God and prided herself on lovingly and faithfully caring for the needs of her family which was her life and passion. The spiritually of her family was shaped by her strong Catholic example. She and Paul were members of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish for 40 years and later members at St. Anne Parish in Prairie Village. She was the heart of the Drees family. Throughout her life she maintained a sweet, simple demeanor and her children benefitted greatly from her constant nurturing love. Evie loved to pray, read, do crosswords puzzles, shop with her daughters, play cards, travel with her family and they frequently traveled to the home of their children. Her surviving family includes: her husband of 56 years, Paul; their dear children, Linda Drees-Kingswood (Bob) of Ft. Collins, CO, Debbie Wight (Matt) of Liberty, MO, Greg Drees (Lorri) of Prairie Village, KS, David Drees (Stacy) of Portland, OR, Karen Lane (Darryl) of Littleton, CO; grandchildren, Marianna Irene Drees-Kingswood, Jordon and Johnathon Wight, Taylor and Evan Drees, Duke Drees, Madison and Tucker Lane; sisters and brothers-in-law, Devota and Walt Arthur, Bernita and Chuck Holmes, Bonnie and Jon Boxler, Louise and Deon Carlson. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to The Sisters of St. Joseph, P.O. Box 279, Concordia, Kansas 66901 (www.csjkansas.org). Downing Lahey Mortuary East. Rosary, 6 p.m., Monday, December 12 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 1321 Stratford Lane in Wichita.