Cecile Evansen

October 10, 1936 - April 04, 2026

Obituary

Cecile M. Evansen, age 89, passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 4, 2026, at Dimensions Living in Appleton. She was born October 10, 1936, daughter of the late Arthur and Laura (Morin) Nault.

She was preceded in death by two brothers, Ervin and Francis Nault and one sister Jeanette Kraus. Also going to heaven ahead of her were her husband Gordon, and one son-in-law David Nelson.

Cecile is survived by a large family including her eight children; David Evansen, Appleton: Joan (Paul) Herder, Spencer, WI: Russell (Mary) Evansen, Waunakee, WI: Laura Nelson, Neenah, WI: Gerald (Kristi) Evansen, Appleton, WI: Andrew Evansen, Vermillion, MN: Paul Evansen, Kaukauna, WI: and Ryan (Aleja) Evansen, Cali, Colombia.

She is further survived by 21 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren on the way, and 13 foster babies she lovingly cared for in their infancy.

Cecile was a loving daughter, sister, aunt and wife, but to those she leaves behind, she was first and foremost a mother. "Great" and "grand" in the truest sense of the words. She was a woman who saw the world through her own special lens of compassion and faith. Traits she worked tirelessly to pass on to each of her children. She enjoyed the simple beauties of life. Watching the flowers she planted each year grow in her backyard "bed" inside of one of her father's old tractor tires. Anxiously awaiting the spring blooms of the peonies and tulips and tending to them all as only a mother's hands could do. She showed her gentle strength in the way she conducted her household. Each day, a different page in a chaotic yet masterful symphony of baths, bookwork and bed time stories.

She displayed her love for her family in the smallest of details. Each child's birthday made special by allowing them to pick their favorite homemade meal and dessert. Through it all, she modeled faithful forgiveness at the times her children needed it most and at others, a firm but tender discipline to keep us on the straight and narrow path. Our mother was indeed, the rarest of "lights" on this earth. For 89 years she was a constant beacon, always willing to light our paths wherever they may take us, but always warmly guiding us back home each time we simply needed a tender embrace, a loving smile, or to experience the joy of her laughter. Her light now shines in the lives of everyone she touched.

The family would like to thank all the staff at Dimensions Living, Appleton for their loving care of mom in her final years.

Mom's favorite color was blue so the family asks if anyone attending would like to wear something blue in her honor, we would love that!

The Memorial Mass will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at St Gabriel Catholic Church, 900 Geiger St. Neenah, with Fr. Brian Wideman officiating. Visitation will be at the church from 9:00 AM until the hour of Mass. In lieu of flowers a memorial is being established. The family will hold a private graveside service at a later date. For those unable to attend Mass, it will be livestreamed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urb7sfsFfzc

Events

Visitation

Sat Apr 18, 2026 @ 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM CDT

St. Gabriel Catholic Church • 900 Geiger Street, Neenah, WI 54956

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Catholic Mass

Sat Apr 18, 2026 @ 11:00 AM CDT

St. Gabriel Catholic Church • 900 Geiger Street, Neenah, WI 54956

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Memories

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Kay Grosskopf

Friend • 1 month ago

The end of our driveway was next to their house. She and Gordon were the friendliest people we met. They alsways wore a beautiful smile and would wave as we were in and out with teh kids.

Vanessa

Friend • 2 months ago

One of my favorite memories of Cecile was the day I brought her to one of Paul’s performances at the Meyer Theatre. I picked her up from her apartment, and the drive to Green Bay became an unexpected gift - time to sit together, talk, and hear her stories. She shared stories that will always stay with me, like baking pies and cookies and having to keep a close eye on the boys to make sure they didn’t eat any before dinner. She spoke of family vacations to Cayuga and going on walks to see the waterfalls. There was such warmth in the way she spoke about her life and her family, especially her husband, Gordon. We found seats right up front. As Paul came out to welcome the crowd before the show began, he spotted her almost immediately. His face lit up and he excitedly shared with the audience, “My mom is here, everyone!” During the show, she quietly sang along under her breath and enjoyed every moment. But what I remember most was the way she looked at him, absolutely beaming. She said several times how much she loved his voice, and you could feel how proud she was in every word and every glance. It was a beautiful day, and I feel so lucky to have shared that moment with her.