Cecile Evansen

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.

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.