2 weeks Ago
Starting life together in their mother’s womb, Evan and Evelyn Robinson have remained close in many ways throughout their lives. They were born in Pocatello in 1946 at St. Anthony Hospital, and they have spent their lives in various pursuits, as well as traveling to places near and far -- always returning home to Pocatello.
Their birth was exciting in and of itself. Until the day of the planned Caesarian section, their doctors assured their parents, via ultrasound, to expect a baby girl. However, to everyone’s surprise, it was a baby boy hiding behind his sister.
Evelyn jokingly maintains that her brother “stole her birthright!” She adds, however, that “the two of us have been virtually ‘elbow to elbow’ in so many ways since that day.” Both remember being happy to share their growing up years with their half-sister on a small farm south of the city. Here they dutifully did their assigned chores every day, then it was off to play at the base of Chinaman’s Peak, having fun on hunting trips with their dad, and loving the outdoors.
“Evan was always the “fix-it” person around our property,” Evelyn says, while she, meanwhile, says that she never minded taking the blame for some of their childhood stunts or mishaps. “We both loved life,” says Evelyn, “especially the exciting and fulfilling times we enjoyed as kids. We would never want to change the past.
It was great!” All too soon it was graduation time from Pocatello High School. Then Evan was off to join the Air Force and a 20-year career as a firefighter at six different bases. He spent two years in the Philippines, a year in Thailand and seven years at a classified base in Nevada known as “ America’s Secret MIG Squadron .
” He adds that there is a book by that name written by Gillard R. Peck, Jr. Evan emphasizes that all these years were a broadening experience, meeting all kinds of people and becoming acquainted with various cultures.
“I loved it!,” he says. Home again, after his career in the Service, Evan enjoyed another 20 years as Operations and Maintenance Supervisor for School District 25 and, on retirement, he spent time at the local Veterans Home. Evelyn, meanwhile, had been off to the Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, originally to become a missionary but later to earn a diploma in Christian Education, followed by her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, all in Springfield, Illinois.
Then from 1974-1977 she was the founding principal of Westfair Academy in Jacksonville, Illinois. She returned to Pocatello in 1979 and taught first grade at Bonneville Elementary School. In 1988 she became principal at Lewis & Clark Elementary for a total of 26 years until her retirement in 2014.
From this date to 2020, she was hired by the Idaho Department of Education as a Capacity Builder, an assignment to area schools that were not meeting Idaho academic standards. She emphasizes that “education was the love of my life!” A highlight of Evelyn’s career was being awarded the National Distinguished Principal from Idaho, which was presented to her in Washington, D.C.
It was a special honor,” Evelyn emphasizes, and I’m grateful to have been selected to receive it.” She and Evan enjoyed their lifetime careers with Pocatello’s local school district, and both chose GRACE Assisted Living in Chubbuck as a special place to retire. They are once again close to each other, and they both say how much they appreciate the excellent care given them thus far in their two years to date at the facility.
“Independent as we both have always been,” says Evelyn, “it still seems a bit ironic that we should now be in an “official” independent living situation at this time in our lives.” They both agree that it feels like home. Dean & Nancy Hoch are former educators, authors, and travel writers.
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