Evelyn J. Jeffers

Evelyn Joanne Jeffers passed peacefully in her home on May 29th, 2025, surrounded by her family. She had a long and full life of 91 years and was a beloved teacher, mother of four, grand and great grandmother. She was a brilliant, resilient woman who lived the way she wanted to.

Evelyn was born March 4th, 1934, to parents Sanford and Wilda Martin. She was born in Columbus and spent most of her early years there – though her family lived in Louisville, Kentucky for several years while her father worked at Fort Knox repairing radios as part of the war effort.

As a child she was a strong student – her favorite course in middle school was biology and she aspired to be a nurse. She loved sports, playing piano, and cooking, and her lifelong interest in poetry and writing was evident from a young age.

She graduated high school from North High, in Columbus in 1952, and went on to Ohio State University, where she earned her degree in Home Economics in 1956. She married Lawrence Jeffers after graduating and they moved to Albuquerque, where their four children were born: Phillip (Linda), Ken, Deanna (Joe) McPeak, and Barbara (Daryl) Steenman. They lived there from 1956 to 1966, at which point the family moved back to Strafford, Pennsylvania.

Evelyn began her teaching career as an aide at a preschool in 1970. In 1976 she started teaching special education, and in 1983 she received her Master's degree in education from Pennsylvania State University. Teaching was one of the main passions of her life, and she cherished the time that she spent as an educator at New Eagle Elementary and other schools. Letters from her students attest that she was loved and remembered by them. She retired from teaching in 1998 but never lost her passion for education.

She was an avid learner as well as a teacher: after retiring she took courses from local universities on a variety of topics such as history of US presidents, photography, and modern technology. She took piano lessons and learned to make beautiful cross-stitches. She spent years of her life learning Spanish, a project which she would be the first to admit yielded mixed results.

Evelyn will be remembered by those who knew her as a lifelong student, a player of games, a writer of poems and a singer of songs. Many oversleepers will remember her singing

“A birdie with a yellow bill

Hopped upon my windowsill

Cocked its shiny eye and said

Ain’t you shamed, you sleepy head”

Evelyn lived her life to the fullest and inspired everyone who knew her with her creativity, energy, and positivity. She is survived by three children, nine grandchildren, and three great grandchildren. She will be dearly missed and fondly remembered.

Services for Evelyn will be held on Saturday morning June 7th at Logan Funeral Home in Exton. Visitation will begin at 9:00am. Memorial service at 10:00am.

Interment will be private at a later date.