Obituary of Evelyn Diana Lateulere

 

Dear Evelyn (Mom) departed us for heaven on 9/26/2020 at in her home resting surrounded by her husband and loving family, promising to leave us bread crumbs so we could all following her to the Golden gates.

Evelyn was born on March 17, 1937 in Crestline, Kansas on the family farm. Lena Gertrude Kline and Paul Allen Baird Sr., her parents were farmers and raised cattle and milk cows, her father was also a coal miner. She was a loving, giving and caring person. "Hard worker" defined Evelyn her whole life.

She was the baby of 4, who all awaited her in heaven with her parents and siblings. Paul Allen, Jr and Lois Etcheson Baird, Frances and Glenn Miller, Esther and Wilber Lewis. All who loved her dearly and will never forget her tenacity, wit, charm, grace (when pertinent) and undying love and caring for them, family was everything to her. Eve is finally reunited with her youngest son, Charles Paul who preceded her in heaven.

She will be sorely missed and survived by her loving and adoring husband, Charles Lateulere, best friend of 60 years and married for just shy of 58 year. CHILDREN: (daughter) CherylAnn and John of Virginia Beach, VA. (son) Michael and wife Sue of Indian Head, Maryland. GRANDCHILDREN: Jonathan Kraft (Coronado, CA), Matt and wife Nova (Indian Head, Md.), Alexander (Baltimore, Md.) and Chloe (Indian Head, Md.). GREAT GRANDCHILDREN: Greyson and Delilah Lateulere. Allison Rossetto in Australia was like a daughter to her. 

Her nieces and nephews of Kansas and Missouri: Connie and Mark Jensen (children Erica & Michael), Diana and Charlie Taylor (children Kim and Scott); Rebecca and Karl Klungreseter (children Briann, Kerstin, and Christopher. Grandbabies: Tyler, Kaitlyn, Jacob, Johnathon, William), Shari Williams (children: Belinda, Destine, Jolene, and Melinda); Mark AllenBaird (her favorite hehe Mark and JK inside joke) Paula Colley(children: Sarah, Mary Jo, Susie, Rachel. Grandbabies: Saige, Scarlett, Tanner, Ren, Rebekah, Lexi, Taylor and Ivy) Tammy Baird Jackson-Noland (children: Stephanie. Grandbabies: Tristen). Harry Miller (children: Stephanie, Vann, Trinity and Autumn. Grandbabies: Kodi, Zoie and Alyx) Glenda Littlejohn (children: Jeremy Sutton, Shawn and Nick Keleher. Grandbabies: Brittany, Jarett, Auggie, Kivin). 

New York Nieces and Nephew: Jacqueline Castellana, Steven & Virginia Cacciotti (children: Steve, Mike, Rob. Grandchildren: Mila, Kayla), Laura Taute (Children: Tara-Lynne, Allan. Grandbabies:Victoria, Nicholas and Leigha Noelle),Debbie Benson (children Erika, Kirk. Grandchildren: Natalie). 

In Florida Joyce “Darlin” Pensabene (children Rachel), Joey Gawerecki (Marissa, Amanda, and Katie Grandbabies: Kendall, Ava, and Adelaide). So she will be missed by a great many of her amazing family.

She studied diligently and earned scholarship to St John’s nursing school. After introducing her classmate and dear friend Lois to her brother who served in the Navy; she then joined the Navy herself. She converted from Baptist to Catholic before she graduated college. She was a Vietnam Navy Nurse, LT Baird, who met the love of her life at a friend’s Thanksgiving dinner party while he, Charles “Charlie” Lateulere played chess. He was even once her patient, long story. They had the most amazing family friends from the military and today most of them remain like family. She was the one who taught us that those people we adopt into our family are ours. To those we adopt, we know you grieve her loss with us, thank you and we love you.

She is world renowned for not holding back and or telling her opinion and a knack for telling it like it is and her lack of patience for people to do the “right thing”, a remarkable woman admired by all who knew her. When Charles Country Board of Education promised Allison (our exchange student and adopted sister) then reneged on their promise to her and her family after she traveled around the world. I bet those people will never forget the feisty lady that would not take NO for an answer and demanded they honor their word and GOD help anyone that attacks her family…. You would only do it once. This trait ran in her family and the physicians loved her for it. She always told you the truth even if it wasn’t what you wanted to hear. 

She was more reserved with her friends but we learned her tells, because she was respectful; not all people could handle the TRUTH and she kept the peace. If you weren’t smart enough to pay attention you missed the important clues.... Good Luck GOD!

Evelyn volunteered for service in the United States Navy at the ripe old age of 21 and immediately realized she didn’t much enjoy being bossed around. She only stuck it out for one war. Before her discharge, however, the government exchanged ribbons and medals for her various honorable acts.

She was active in the Church with the PreCana couple mentors. She and dad had marriage the anyone would be lucky to emulate. 

These two love birds got married, she had Michael and resigned her commission and continued her nursing career all over the world with each new assignment from Coronado, Kodiak, Hawaii, various overseas assignments then landed back in Indian Head to put down some deep roots. The military gave her some of her best friends and many we adopted as family and us kids called them Aunt and Uncle. 

She was a Nurse at Physicians Memorial Hospital for 26 years. She was the first Advance Practice Enterostomal Therapy Nurse in the Tri-County area and made house calls 24/7, many times after working a full shift at the hospital. She always put her patients first even if they couldn’t pay or didn’t have insurance- she didn’t care and her patients and their families loved her! Dad would always drive her, Charlie the Chauffer! The hospital /country replaced her with three nurses, just proving what we always knew, she was irreplaceable! She retired and began taking care of her grandbabies, the loves of her life. 

What many never knew is Mom as a military wife knew that it meant being away from her family, but she absolutely came alive when they would trek out from Kansas and Missouri to visit. Oh how she lit up and recounted each and every visit. Sometimes I think we took it for granted that family regardless of the distance made her so strong. Never doubt that your Aunt Evelyn loved and thought of you all every single day, I believe that even Alzheimer’s could not take that away.

She enjoyed retirement until she developed Alzheimer’s. She led a good life and had a peaceful death – but the transition was slow and long two years three strokes on and off hospice and for the record, she did not lose his battle .to Alzheimer’s. When she died, the Alzheimer’s died, so 

technically it was a tie! 

She was ready to meet her Maker, I still believe she waited till after dad’s birthday... because their dog of 18 years died on dad’s birthday, she said that was too hard. So her decline seemed intentional. 

I am sure her family is prepping the party.... I am sure Aunt Lois has the Weiner Roast ready to greet her.... the plan was for her to leave us a bread crumb path to meet her in heaven.... we’re just not sure “The Maker” is ready to meet Momma because then the Baird Clan will be all back together again .... Someone's barn is going to end up burning down! I am so grateful to my family KS, MO, NY and FL you made it so easy to pass the word. Your loving support is so appreciated and comforts us all, especially Dad.

In heaven you can expect her surrounded by her family getting ready for our arrival…. She will be so happy to be reunited with all especially her son Charles Paul who left this world too soon. 

I am positive the whole gang will ensuring the party is perfect… she will have her man’s best friends at her side… I image a gaggle of her precious pups there Collier (her Collie that she and dad drove across many states to buy, entrusted to her parents when family went globetrotting); Ugly (cutest Alaskan malamute puppy ever); Sunshine Charborough (her Golden Retriever stud); and her mighty Maltese 4 pound defender “Jack”. Geez she had a way with animals.

She was a passable cook but geez she always tried to get better, why is that so funny. She believed in well done food, cooking kills all germs, lol. She was taught to make Wigalia dinner by dad’s mom. She became the master and it was always amazing. She was the master Pierogi chef. 

I learned from her you don’t have to be the master of everything just excellent at those things important. 

This farm girl from Kansas was the Queen of dinner parties and etiquette. All of us learned to use and fold napkins (cloth of course; she hated paper napkins) setting the table and throwing parties was an art form. 

She was a kind-hearted woman; a loving mother and wife who spoiled her grandchildren without complaint and great grandchildren seemed to bring her back from the darkness of Alzheimer’s. 

She was sweet with a side of zest. If she loved you she always told you the truth, even if it wasn’t what you wanted to hear. She was generous to a fault, a pussy cat at heart, and yet she sugar-coated absolutely nothing She enjoyed country music and the Momas and the Papas. She loved spaghetti. Westerns were only surpassed by her love of ice cream specifically butter pecan. While she could not swim, she loved riding on the boat and walking on the beach. She loved Orange Crushes from the Waterman’s ALOT!

Mom was known for her timeless words of wisdom, including “Life is hard; but it’s harder if you’re stupid” and “Don’t be a jackass.” 

She loved flowers and had dad as her planter and she was an avid bird watcher. Her back yard is littered with bird houses that even in the end when she sat in her chair in living room she watched her favorite Cardinals. While everyone thought she disliked squirrels, she fed them and they came to the window to visit her every day. She was the family historian, writing down memories. Thank you mom.

Mom loved her neighbors. Her long time neighbors would visit multiple times a week and she encouraged us kids to know our neighbors, silly did we know that was her way of keeping tabs on us as kiddos. She knew that if we were considering no good one of them would call. She taught me it takes a village to raise a child, especially if your family is 2000 miles away. 

Inside joke-she and Frank (aka DAD, Chuck) are loved and admired by the entire town for the amazing Christmas display and spirit they exuded for all, hoping it brought sunshine to all. She loved to drive around and look at the Christmas lights and was always excited to have the best display since 1973! You might think you were in Brooklyn, Kings County, Dyker Heights!

Christmas was her jam! 

Her house was always festive and Christmas Wigalia and Don Ford were two of our staples. 

One of mom’s funniest stories was her, Chuck and Don was taking a trip to Delaware for dad’s boat. The boys were chatting, mom decided she did not like something she picked up a BIG long wrench and almost wacked them…. Needless to say when mom needed to get your attention… Alzheimer’s or not she got your attention.

In the last few years, Evelyn's memory loss was getting worse and then July two years ago she had the first of three strokes. She graduated hospice at one point as she regained the ability to walk with assistance again. On September14th, the day before Charlies 83rd birthday-she seemed to have the last stroke that was a turning point in the decline leading to her death.

She will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by many friends, neighbors, nieces, nephews. Tremendous heartfelt thanks go to the truly compassionate and exceptional hospice nurses and staff of Charles County Hospice who provided a peace and tranquility during her transition from this life into the next. 

Following her wishes, there will not be a service right away, we will have a mass -but well-wishers are encouraged to raise a glass to her and say a little prayer…… Just image her in the front yard…. With her shoes in her hand dancing about asking you to come out and play. 

We will let you all know what the plans are… we don’t know yet…. We look forward to final toast to Evelyn…. Who we are sure is asking us all to come out and play!