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Ada Bethard Evans
May 13, 1922 ~ April 19, 2017 (age 94) 94 Years Old Light a Candle
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A candle was lit by Dennis & Yvonne Taft
on April 25, 2017 11:40 AM
A candle was lit by Eric & Donna Legg
on April 24, 2017 4:57 PM
A candle was lit by Amanda Dunn
on April 23, 2017 9:44 AM
I love you so much. You will live in my heart or ever.
I love you so much. You will live in my heart or ever.
Message from Sharon Ada's daughter
April 28, 2017 1:25 PM
Amanda my Mom always kept u in her prayers.She truly cared nd wanted to encourage u on ur path of life. XO
Message from Esther Bethard Bounds and Amanda
April 22, 2017 10:22 PM
We are so blessed to have had Ada in our lives. What a wonderful friend, cousin, and example she has been. Thank you, Ada, for all the time you spent encouraging Amanda. You have made such a positive and lasting impression. We will cherish and love you forever.
A candle was lit by Edgar & Nancy Legg & family
on April 22, 2017 9:30 PM
Message from Jim and Karla Schaefer
April 22, 2017 7:45 PM
People come into and out of our lives all the time. They are what make up our lives and bring us joy or sadness. Sometimes they slide in quietly and sometimes they enter with a bang. Ada entered mine with a bang. Who would have thought a woman in her eighties could have entered someone’s life with a bang, but she did just that. Maybe because she was in her eighties when I met her was why it was so impactful.
Nowadays people tend to think that if they haven’t done it all, seen it all, been it all by the time they are 30, they are failures. Well Ada Evans is a testament to the fact that life is lived up to when the good Lord calls you home.
When I met her she gardened, took care of her dog, read, went out to lunch, came to church regularly and drove. That driving is a big deal for people when they get older and many are quick to give it up, but Ada did not. She was active. This gentle, humble, quiet woman stayed active.
I met Ada through Bags of Hope, a mission project at Back River United Methodist Church where we took bag lunches out to the homeless and hungry on the streets of Essex. I was a little stunned when this little old lady joined our team. There were plenty of younger, more able-bodied persons in the church who I would expect to join us, but nope. Here came Miss Ada. And, boy, did God know what he was doing when he led her to us.
She had such a connection with the unhoused people we ministered to that they nicknamed her ‘Moms’. It was easy for them to call her that because she was always telling them to ‘zip up that coat’ or ‘put on your gloves’ in the winter. In the summer she would ask them ‘Are you drinking water? You have to drink water!’ She mothered them. It was her way of showing God’s love to them.
But the best thing ‘Moms’ did for them, and for the mission, was to make the sandwiches. That woman could crank out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches like no one I have ever seen! She had a system and don’t let anyone get in her way. She laid out the bread a certain way and the peanut butter had to go on a certain way- a very specific amount and the jelly a certain way – not too much, not too little- just right- and do NOT put the peanut butter slathered bread on top- it had to be the jelly bread on top. Moms could make 50 pb&j in 20 minutes. Fifty PERFECT pb&j sandwiches. Then slide them into the sandwich bags without messing them up. I cannot tell you how many times she said to me, “You put the water bottles and snacks in the bags. I will do it.” She knew I couldn’t do half the job she did. Over the years Moms made thousands and thousands of sandwiches. I think the last count was somewhere around five thousand sandwiches. Jesus fed the 5000 and so did Moms – just not all at once. THAT is taking the Bible literally. It was funny because the few times Moms couldn’t be there to make the sandwiches and one of us stepped up to make them, the people would say, ‘Who made the sandwiches?’ They could tell they were different! I think they tasted her love in each and every bite!
Ada braved the heat and the cold with us as long as she could but then it got to be too much for her. Her neuropathy acted up, her body just wouldn’t let her go out on the streets any longer. So she would come and just make the sandwiches for a while. When that became too much she would still support us by donating food items she knew we needed- a jar of peanut butter or jelly, or a box of sandwich bags.
Just because Moms couldn’t serve the homeless ministry any longer it didn’t mean she stopped caring and stopped showing God’s love. Ada took the words of Jesus very personally and ‘love one another’ was important to her. She showed that in her actions. It was not unusual to receive a card of encouragement from her in the mail. Not an email, not a text message, not a quick post on Facebook, but good old-fashioned US mail. She sent out a card with a note that took time and thought, something that made me feel cherished and loved, like God cherishes and loves each of His children. Ada could love like no other. That is what she taught me: To love ALL your life through.
Once when we were doing Bags of Hope I came into the kitchen singing a modern version of the old hymn ‘It is Well With My Soul’. Ada said to me, ‘I love that hymn. It is one of my favorites.’ And we sang the chorus together. Off-key and out of tune, but happily, we sang. Although part of my heart aches for my friend, I know her soul is the best it has ever been where she is right now, with our Lord.
Nowadays people tend to think that if they haven’t done it all, seen it all, been it all by the time they are 30, they are failures. Well Ada Evans is a testament to the fact that life is lived up to when the good Lord calls you home.
When I met her she gardened, took care of her dog, read, went out to lunch, came to church regularly and drove. That driving is a big deal for people when they get older and many are quick to give it up, but Ada did not. She was active. This gentle, humble, quiet woman stayed active.
I met Ada through Bags of Hope, a mission project at Back River United Methodist Church where we took bag lunches out to the homeless and hungry on the streets of Essex. I was a little stunned when this little old lady joined our team. There were plenty of younger, more able-bodied persons in the church who I would expect to join us, but nope. Here came Miss Ada. And, boy, did God know what he was doing when he led her to us.
She had such a connection with the unhoused people we ministered to that they nicknamed her ‘Moms’. It was easy for them to call her that because she was always telling them to ‘zip up that coat’ or ‘put on your gloves’ in the winter. In the summer she would ask them ‘Are you drinking water? You have to drink water!’ She mothered them. It was her way of showing God’s love to them.
But the best thing ‘Moms’ did for them, and for the mission, was to make the sandwiches. That woman could crank out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches like no one I have ever seen! She had a system and don’t let anyone get in her way. She laid out the bread a certain way and the peanut butter had to go on a certain way- a very specific amount and the jelly a certain way – not too much, not too little- just right- and do NOT put the peanut butter slathered bread on top- it had to be the jelly bread on top. Moms could make 50 pb&j in 20 minutes. Fifty PERFECT pb&j sandwiches. Then slide them into the sandwich bags without messing them up. I cannot tell you how many times she said to me, “You put the water bottles and snacks in the bags. I will do it.” She knew I couldn’t do half the job she did. Over the years Moms made thousands and thousands of sandwiches. I think the last count was somewhere around five thousand sandwiches. Jesus fed the 5000 and so did Moms – just not all at once. THAT is taking the Bible literally. It was funny because the few times Moms couldn’t be there to make the sandwiches and one of us stepped up to make them, the people would say, ‘Who made the sandwiches?’ They could tell they were different! I think they tasted her love in each and every bite!
Ada braved the heat and the cold with us as long as she could but then it got to be too much for her. Her neuropathy acted up, her body just wouldn’t let her go out on the streets any longer. So she would come and just make the sandwiches for a while. When that became too much she would still support us by donating food items she knew we needed- a jar of peanut butter or jelly, or a box of sandwich bags.
Just because Moms couldn’t serve the homeless ministry any longer it didn’t mean she stopped caring and stopped showing God’s love. Ada took the words of Jesus very personally and ‘love one another’ was important to her. She showed that in her actions. It was not unusual to receive a card of encouragement from her in the mail. Not an email, not a text message, not a quick post on Facebook, but good old-fashioned US mail. She sent out a card with a note that took time and thought, something that made me feel cherished and loved, like God cherishes and loves each of His children. Ada could love like no other. That is what she taught me: To love ALL your life through.
Once when we were doing Bags of Hope I came into the kitchen singing a modern version of the old hymn ‘It is Well With My Soul’. Ada said to me, ‘I love that hymn. It is one of my favorites.’ And we sang the chorus together. Off-key and out of tune, but happily, we sang. Although part of my heart aches for my friend, I know her soul is the best it has ever been where she is right now, with our Lord.
A candle was lit by Debbie Kipp
on April 22, 2017 2:32 PM
Mrs. Ada was a wonderful woman. I was so glad when Mrs. Ada came on board with the Group of the Homeless Minstary At Back River UMC. We all had so many laughs with Mrs.Ada and she could always tell when something was wrong with one of us. Mrs. Ada started making sandwiches The she started going out with us. She enjoyed meeting the guys and girls that we served. Some of the guys called her Momma. She had a smile even on the days she would be under the weather. Mrs. Ada is really going to be miss . My thoughts and prayers go out to your family. God has A New Angel 😇 in Heaven. Mrs. Ada you can be at Rest.
Mrs. Ada was a wonderful woman. I was so glad when Mrs. Ada came on board with the Group of the Homeless Minstary At Back River UMC. We all had so many laughs with Mrs.Ada and she could always tell when something was wrong with one of us. Mrs. Ada started making sandwiches The she started going out with us. She enjoyed meeting the guys and girls that we served. Some of the guys called her Momma. She had a smile even on the days she would be under the weather. Mrs. Ada is really going to be miss . My thoughts and prayers go out to your family. God has A New Angel 😇 in Heaven. Mrs. Ada you can be at Rest.
Message from Debie Kipp
April 22, 2017 2:09 PM
Mrs. Ada was a very special person. I loved working with Mrs. Ada doing Bags Of Hopes . She loved doing the work of the Lord. The Guys loved ❤️ Mrs.Ada some of them would call her Momma . I would always remember driving with Mrs. Ada she would always keep us laughing. Love ❤️ you and you are going to be miss. God has another Angel 😇 in Heaven. 🌹🌹🌹🌹❤️❤️ You all were Blessed to have a Mom like Mrs.Ada. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
A candle was lit by Josh & Tammy Harris & Family
on April 21, 2017 11:58 AM
Message from james wills
April 20, 2017 8:22 PM
Miss Ada was a very special lady who i had the pleasure of working with as she gave her time to bags of hope feeding the homeless an outreach ministry of Back River United Methodist church she truly modeled being the hands and feet of Christ . you are going to be missed
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