Evelyn "Evie" Petterson

Evelyn "Evie" Elizabeth Petterson, 80, of Cromwell, went home to be with her Lord on Wednesday, June 13, 2012. Evelyn Elizabeth Petterson was born in Lowell, Massachusetts on May 28, 1932. She is the only daughter of the late Alice E. Petterson Anderson and Paul Petterson. Paul died in 1949 when Evelyn was 16. Evelyn has a great sense of humor and enjoys being part of humorous skits and presentations. She has a concern for the newcomer, has a delightful sense of humor, is very sociable, has a strong faith and is able to see a need and find a solution for it. She was often the first to greet a neighbor with a plate of homemade muffins or inviting folks over for coffee or a meal. Evie graduated from Fitchburg State Teachers College, MA, and then taught elementary school for thirty-nine years, a vocation to which she was devoted heart and soul. Her first six years of teaching were in Chelmsford, MA, before moving to CT where she taught 33 years at Smith School in New Britain until her retirement. Evie loved children and took satisfaction in watching them grow and develop. She continued to take graduate courses at the University of Hartford and Central Connecticut State University, finally earning the equivalent of a doctorate from CCSU. Her love for children and serving people extended beyond the classroom. She devoted many after school hours at the Hospital for Special Care, conducting Bible classes for disabled children and adults. Her life verse is Philippians 4:13 (12). Evie also loved her church, Bethany Covenant Church where she put her talents to work in many different ways. She was a choir member for 47 years. She served on the Board of Trustees, the Board of Christian Education and taught Sunday School at Bethany. She was active in Covenant Women at the local, conference and national levels. She served on the Board of Directors of the Children's Home three full terms over a period of twenty-five years. She would frequently arranged tours of the facility to acquaint residents of CVOC with their work. Evie has served as secretary on the Residents Council, president of the CVOC Auxiliary, and a member of the Management Advisory Committee. Evie's love to travel took her to six of the seven world's continents and seven trips to Sweden to visit relatives. One of her most memorable trips was one that she took to Zaire, Africa in the 70's. Camping in all sorts of terrain, including the jungle, her adventures allowed her to visit Covenant missionaries in that country. Standing at the wall where Paul Carlson, Covenant medical missionary, was slain in a civil strife was a spiritual experience. She has also been to the Far East where she visited Covenant missions in Thailand, Taiwan and Japan and Alaska. During her trip to South America, she took part in repairing a school in Ecuador. She also took several cruises to the Caribbean, and two trips to Hawaii, including one in Sept 2011, getting "stranded in paradise". Evie was instrumental in helping to establish the XYZ Sr group at Bethany and loved to plan trips and excursions in CT and around the New England areas. She and her mom moved to CVOC in 1984. They were best friends and shared an apartment. A memorial service will be held on Saturday at 11:00 AM at Bethany Covenant Church, Berlin. Burial will be at the convenience of the family in Edson Cemetery, Lowell, MA. Memorial donations may be made to Bethany Covenant Church, 785 Mill St. Berlin, CT 06037, the Benevolent Care Fund at CVOC, 52 Missionary Rd., Cromwell, CT 06416, or to Adelbrook, 60 Hicksville, Rd., Cromwell, CT 06416. Erickson-Hansen Funeral Home, New Britain, is in charge of arrangements.