Evelyn Cross

Evelyn Cross, 82, of Robinson, IL, died on February 9, 2026, at Brookstone Estates in Robinson. She was born on July 9, 1943, in Robinson, the place she called "home" all her life. She graduated from Robinson High School in 1961, stepping into adulthood with a confidence and a personality that tended to know what it wanted, even then. That sense of certainty showed itself early, because on January 6, 1962, she eloped with Larry Cross. Her dad went out in the snowy weather looking for her and was not thrilled, but Evelyn had made up her mind. As time would prove, she could not have picked a better man. Larry was her opposite in a number of ways, and Evelyn liked that about him, the kind of balance that makes the old saying feel true: opposites attract.

They built their life the way most good lives are built, day by day, with work and routine and the small responsibilities that quietly add up to something lasting. Evelyn started her career behind a switchboard as a telephone operator for General Telephone in Robinson. From there, she carried that same competence into Golden Rule Insurance Company, where she worked her way up from filing clerk to validating clerk handling premium income, and later served as a group correspondence clerk, helping policyholders understand their coverage while keeping track of payments across many group plans. It was patient, meticulous work, and Evelyn had a way of keeping things on track. She later moved to Gas Utilities Co. in Robinson as a cashier and billing clerk. When CIPS purchased the company, she stayed on until retirement as a part-time cashier responsible for multiple reports. Over the years, she proved herself dependable, consistent, and capable, the kind of person people trusted to get it right.

While Evelyn was building that working life, she was also building a life centered around church, and it was not a casual connection. She attended Highland Avenue Baptist Church for more than fifty years and served as the Sunday school secretary for many years, giving time and attention to the unglamorous details that make ministry possible. That same faithful steadiness showed up in the way she invested herself in the things she loved outside of work and church, and one of those early loves was bowling. In her younger years, she bowled on a league and was part of the Channel Chargers team, traveling and competing in many tournaments, both local and national. As the years went on, the hobbies that most defined Evelyn were the ones that kept her hands busy, because Evelyn was almost always making something. She enjoyed sewing, ceramics, and crocheting, and collected enough fabric and yarn to stock a store! She sewed a lot of things, including her own clothes, and she always went for bright colors, which fit her, because even when she was practical, she still liked a little flair.

And if sewing and crocheting feel like fitting images for Evelyn, it is because they mirror the way she pieced her life together over time. She belonged to the quilt guild and loved arranging quilt blocks and seeing patterns come to life. She poured herself into Project Linus, making blankets meant to comfort others. She also loved knitting, having made sweaters, blankets, and afghans. She had an embroidery machine as well, because she was always finding a new way to create. That instinct to make things for people was connected to something deeper in her, because Evelyn was a caring person, especially with her nieces and nephews. She could be a little strict with them, the kind of aunt who held a line and expected you to mind, but it came from the same place her care came from: she was invested, she was paying attention, and she wanted good things for the people she loved.

That love did not stop with people. It extended to the smaller, quieter companions that shared her home and her days. Evelyn loved dogs and cats, and it seemed like there was always at least one of each under her roof, woven into the ordinary routines of life. She loved getting out, too, especially when it meant going somewhere with Larry. Country music was a big part of that, and more than once, it carried them all the way to Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry. The bank group offered another kind of adventure, and Evelyn was all for it, especially when it included flea markets. She could get happily absorbed, stopping to look at one more thing and then one more after that. Once, she stayed just long enough that she did not make it back to the bus on time, and people had to go looking for her. It is funny now, but it also fits, because if you knew her, you knew this: she moved through life unhurried.

Evelyn did not move through life like the clock was in charge. She had her own pace, and she kept it, whether she was browsing a flea market aisle, stitching together a new project, or taking the long way through a day. That may be one of the gifts she leaves behind, a quiet reminder that life is not only measured by how much we fit in, but by how fully we are present in what we are given.

Evelyn was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Larry Cross; her parents, Verice & Ruby (Kamplain) Baker; her sister, Linda West; her parents-in-law, Victor & Pearl Cross; her brothers-in-law, Bob Cross and Ronald Cross; and her sister-in-law, Mary Gangloff. She is survived by her sister & brother-in-law, Martha & Ed Michl; her brother-in-law, Ron West; her sister-in-law, Marty Cross; and several nieces and nephews.

A time of visitation will be held from 10:00-11:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 12th, at the Goodwine Funeral Home in Robinson. A funeral service officiated by Pastor Dwight McDaniel will immediately follow at 11:00 a.m., and burial will be in the Robinson New Cemetery. In honor of the years of support she gave to the organization, memorial contributions may be made to the "Crawford County Humane Society", with envelopes available at the funeral home.