Evelyn Eleanor “Evie” Bollinger went to her eternal rest on October 17, 2023 at the age of 96. Evelyn was born to Mabel and Walter Bollinger on September 2, 1927, in Detroit, Michigan.
Evie is survived by her beloved sister Shirley Haney (Al Head), fond sister-in-law Gloria Bollinger, and many loving nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her devoted Milwaukee area extended family: Al, Susan, Caitlin (Zach Tritz), and Alia Van Lith; and Mary, Jean, and Kathy McCue. The “sisters” decorated Evie’s nursing home room for every holiday and season and provided visits and delicious meals and treats. Her church family included Leslie Giordano, who sent stuffed puppies and quilted works of art in addition to her calls from Colorado Springs; and Gloria Potter, who provided many visits and notes of encouragement.
Evie was preceded in death by her infant daughter Emma, her parents, and siblings Louis, Mary Jane, Doris, Raymond, Walter, Robert, and Carol. Loving friends Janette Baumgartner, Ginny Dolgner, and Sandy Krawczyk Wilber waited for Evie to join them. Fur babies Buttons and Zipper and their predecessors also anxiously awaited Evie’s arrival. When Evie could no longer have a dog while in assisted living and nursing home facilities, she started a collection of much loved stuffed puppies who became very real to her, setting them on a window ledge during the day so they could see out and tucking them in each night.
Evie told incredulous stories about her challenging childhood being raised on a farm in Ohio. She was feisty, independent, and an entertaining storyteller and jokester. In short, she was a firecracker! Evie was active - she golfed, snowmobiled, and bowled with the Goof Balls on a league and had a high game of 297. She found great joy in vacationing with dear friends, traveling to far flung places like Hawaii and Alaska, and creating lifelong memories.
When Evie decided at the age of 69 that she was going to take on caregiver responsibilities for a 3-month-old infant neighbor, her friends placed bets on how long that would last. That commitment turned into a devoted 28-year-long relationship. Evie became Caitlin and Alia’s “Auntie Evie”, applauding them at their many school and church functions.
Evie was a former employee of Emerson Electric. She was a member of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, Wauwatosa, WI.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the church or to the Wisconsin Humane Society, 4500 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53208. Evie used to take Caitlin on field trips to the Humane Society to “just look” at the puppies. The love of animals that Evie instilled eventually resulted in the Van Liths adopting puppy Riley and 3 cats over time. Evie was Riley’s dog sitter for many years, being transported in a little pink carrier when she was a pup.
The family would like to extend their gratitude to the caring nursing staff at Mitchell Manor, especially Tasha, Nevenka, Jerry, and Jessica. We are also grateful for the supportive services of Allay Hospice.
The family is being served by Schmidt and Bartelt, Wauwatosa, WI. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 4 at 2:00 p.m. at Woodlawn Cemetery, 614 E. Howard Ave, Milwaukee. Condolences and memories of Evie may be shared with her family on the Schmidt and Bartelt site.
