GRAVETTE - After 40 years, the day arrived: Friday, May 31, 2013 - a significant day for a Gravette woman. It was a day of mixed emotions. It marked the end of an era, a 40-year era, and the beginning of a new era: Retirement.

Retirement? Probably not for the Evelyn Wilmoth Gravettians know. Evelyn, who has watched after, cared for and helped teach children in the Gravette area for the past 40 years. What she will do now that “Evelyn’s Day Care Home and Pre-School” has closed is still an unknown.

Retirement? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Perhaps moving in a new direction would best describe the feelings Evelyn felt the last day of May.

Evelyn, with husband Larry and several assistants down through the years, has helped shape the lives of hundreds of little tykes getting ready for kindergarten and school - learning the alphabet, numbers, colors, how to hold a pencil, learning how to cooperate with new-found young friends, learning how important it is to stay quiet.

The children learned from Evelyn how to treat and address adults. “May I, Miss Evelyn?” was a common question heard many times each day as children addressed the firm and always caring lady to whom so many entrusted their children.

Her adventure with children began 40 years ago, in 1973, when a friend asked her to care for her three children, baby Janie and Clint and Stacy. Miss Evelyn had done some baby sitting, which she says she “loved,” but her employment record up to that time was at a garment sewing factory or with finance firms. Once she even worked at a bowling alley. But it was while working at the Credit Bureau in Rogers that she met Larry Wilmoth of Gravette. They married in 1972.

“God must have had a plan,” she said. The plan grew.

Besides taking care of her three children, more mothers called on her for the assistance they could depend on and “Larry was there to feed the baby when he came home at noon,” she said.

The year 1980 was an important one. That year she obtained her license from the state. It was the year she learned CPR, had her background checked and met other state requirements.

Representatives from the state and the health department have visited regularly since that time “to make sure I was doing my job, feeding the children right, for cleanliness and not overcrowding.”

It was a few years later when she moved from the location east of Kindley Park to “up on the hill” where growth continued.

She mentioned names of dozens of children she has kept through the years, names recognizable, names of adults who in recent years have brought their own children to her.

Many years the children were featured in a special program at Christmas time as well as being in parades. Once, in the Christmas parade, her fl oat, “Evelyn’s Little Angels,” won first prize.

She proudly points to a wall which holds a row of pictures of her “graduating classes.”

Watching her work several weeks ago with her last group of children was inspiring: More than a dozen little tots kept busy, working with pencils on an “assignment.” They were smiling as Miss Evelyn reminded them to “sssssssssh” if they became a little noisy. Later they clustered around her for a picture.

“I just focus on these little kids all I can and make sure they are ready to go to school,” she said.

There probably is a book that could be written about Miss Evelyn and her little angels, one she best could write. Perhaps she’ll pen that volume that will help some other caring persons to be so caring with children.

Always, Evelyn gives much credit to those who have assisted her in the day care operation, and especially to husband Larry.

“He has been my partner for 41 years,” she said, “always there to help, whatever I need, whether it’s to fix something or pick up something from the store, or yard work. He has supported me all the way. He’s my friend!”

Almost a month has elapsed since the “Day Care Home & Preschool” sign in front of the Wilmoth home came down. Miss Evelyn admits she looks forward to traveling. But retirement? Time will tell.

News, Pages 1 on 06/26/2013