Evelyn Muriel Tennis-Parisotto, age 95, Passed quietly in her sleep the evening of November 15, 2012, a long time resident of Calaveras County.
Evelyn owns Sky Valley Ranch in Copperopolis where she has lived for past 40 years of which the past 4.5 years brought her to Foothill Village-Sr Living in Angels Camp.
Where she has had an abundant social life with many of her longtime friends and fellow members of the Calaveras American Association of University Women.
Evelyn was born on August 19, 1917 in St Francis Hospital, San Francisco immediately following her twin sister, Dorthea (deceased March 1922) who was born just minutes before on August 18, 1917.
The proud family welcoming Evelyn into the world were also born in San Francisco - parents, Henry C. Tennis, Sr. and Alice Josephine Whearty, an older Brother, Henry "Charles" Tennis, all residing on Harris Street in Oakland, CA.
Evelyn and her Brother were baptized both Protestant and Catholic, unusual for the early 1900's christian beliefs.
A momentous occasion was watching the Golden Gate Bridge being built from her grand-parents home and participating in the "Pacific Coast International - Golden Gate Bridge Ceremony, Sunday, February 26, 1932 held at 2:00 pm, on the Crissy Field, Presidio of San Francisco and walking across the bridge on its opening day as she proudly displays her program in her childhood scrapbook.
Evelyn returned to San Francisco, earlier this year on an excursion with Foothill Village, a clear blue sky, she and others took in the beautiful sights and most impressive was her famed Golden Gate Bridge.
Evelyn's childhood included trips to the Santa Cruz Mountains, Zenia California and her first trip to Calaveras County in 1930, at the age of 13 was to Copperopolis and Vallecito. Where her Uncle was an Army Guard and also worked as an Assistant Assayer and Office personnel (1915-1917) at the Union Copper Mine.
Her Uncle Clem was married to a 4th generation Calaveras County resident Rose Garses a step Granddaughter to Grandpa Read of the Union Mine in Copperopolis (Read-McCarthy) and a sister to Jessie Garses Botto of Vallecito.
Evelyn also had an uncle who was a member of the Union Guard and was stationed on active duty at the Copperopolis Armory in 1860.
Evelyn and her Brother, Charles spent a great deal of time in Copperopolis and the Botto ranch in Vallecito, swimming and just having a great deal of fun until the US entry into WWII.
Gas rations and early deaths of Jessie & Luke Botto caused the family to lose contact.
Evelyn, being the remarkable young lady she was, did not start school until she entered the 7th grade in 1930 and December 14, 1932 she promoted from Westlake Junior High School entering Oakland Public - Technical High School.
She participated in the Chorus 14th annual (May 9, 1933) competition of the reserve officers training corps units; a member of the rolling team, and was a Junior Member of the American National Red Cross Life Saving Service, upon completing course study she was awarded a Diploma on June 19, 1935.
Evelyn went on to achieve her Associate of Arts Degree at San Francisco Junior College on May 20, 1938.
While at SF Junior. College, Evelyn participated in Chorus and the School Orchestra playing the violin, and spoke German - her paternal families language who migrated from Helgoland, Germany.
She then transferred to the University of California - Berkeley. wherein she graduated - May 25, 1940, receiving a Bachelor of Arts - College of Letters and Science, with a Major in Chemistry and also received her Junior College General Teaching Credential as well as receiving her Laboratory Technician License from the State of California.
At the 21st commencement ceremonies, June 15, 1952, Evelyn received her Masters in Arts, Bacteriology and Experimental Pathology (Micro-Biology) from the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford University)
Furthering her teaching credentials, as a Lecturer / Associate Professor, she taught from 1941 to June 1982 at San Francisco State College in Bacteriology, biology, Physiology, Behavior Biology; and at the University of California San Francisco and Stanford University in Hematology Laboratory, Bacteriology, Pathology, Experimental Pathology and Microbiology as both a Laboratory Technologist & Professor.
While teaching / lecturing at various colleges within the peninsula; Evelyn's had a full time career receiving and working from June to December 1941 at the University of San Francisco as a Medical Laboratory Technician Trainee where she then transferred during WWII (1942-1947) working 4 months at the San Francisco Blood Bank, often commenting how the practice at the time was to use the same syringe with no gloves, instigating her transferring as the "in-charged" Laboratory Technician of the San Mateo County Blood Bank for 4.5 years.
Her career then took her to Mills Memorial Hospital in Oakland as a Laboratory Technologist for 8.5 years, where she was often participating in humorous entertainment and pranks with her colleagues known as the "Pills from Mills".
Evelyn enjoyed travel and adventure and being a women ahead of her time; her and her colleagues never hesitated to take an opportunity to travel while working or furthering their studies - allowing her to visit Niagara Falls in Canada and New York extending her trip to meet her Sister-in-law's family in Brockton, Mass.
In 1955, on a Grand European tour, including a visit to her maternal grandmother's ancestral homeland - Ireland, which she referred to as being full of "little hills" not like our Sierra and Rocky Mountains.
Her Grand Euro trip included reconnecting with a school friend in Norway, who studied English in San Francisco; Italy, Switzerland and Holland.
Completing Her Grand trip included staying with her Brother, Charles and his wife Blanche, stationed in Germany with the US Army, and getting to know her twin nieces, Charla & Carolyn, of which the entire reunited family ventured off on a driving tour including a sightseeing visit of the Taj Mahal in India.
August 1956 through September 1958, she took a position, as part of the University of California San Francisco's international program, as a Medical Field Staff - Laboratory Technologist, to establish a program for training Indonesians in laboratory procedures.
As the only laboratory technologist utilizing her skills and experience she also worked and taught laboratory procedures to the natives at the medical center.
The program was a part of the International Cooperation Association in Djakarta, Java, Indonesia, a US Government project to aid other countries in raising their living standards. Again, not letting any opportunity go by, Evelyn traveled to Borneo, Sumatra, Easter Island, Hong Kong and a failed trip to Sinapore due to a smallpox epidemic.
She often laughed upon her first trip to Calaveras County, that they waited an endless time for cattle to across the byway only to travel beyond the equator, August 29, 1956, to once again await the crossing of "Monkeys" prior to continuing along the travel-way towards their destination.
Upon returning home for a visit, she joined friends at Mills Hospital - as the "old timers" were quoted saying "only our "Evie" could tell stories of fascinating work, of travel, of political strife, of fun and adventure.
Evelyn described the country around Djarkata as tropical and beautiful, the climate awful--hot and sticky day and night, with a low temperature of about 86•--- and living conditions as frightful.
There was a strict order for Americans to stay indoors after dark (5:15pm) and to heed a "stop or I'll shoot" command when driving about the city or country. After-work hours were dull and consist mostly of bridge and reading.
Among other harrowing experiences, such as being shot at and having insulting things written on her car and house.
Evelyn's rowing days from Technical High, never left her, as she was often seen out on the Java Sea sailing.
Never being one to pass up an adventure, Evie recalled the time that she and three other British and American citizens from the yacht club went for what was supposed to be a quite little jaunt on the sailboat "Java" to a lovely island eight miles away.
A sudden squall played havoc with their plans. Evelyn and the crew lowered the sails only to find the motor useless as the waves became higher and higher reaching well over their heads causing damage to their mast which fell on top of Evelyn head, breaking her arm.
Upon waking, Evelyn never to lose her head, started bailing for a day and night ...
The American Ambassador sent the American Marines out to rescue the boat and crew.
Shipwrecked, and all but abandoned hope - after 32 hours, a plane from the United States Embassy spotted them.
The Indonesian police sent a ship out to rescue this heroin and her friends and to tow their boat to safety - Evie modestly doubts her value in Djarkata, but the fact that the Indonesian government was willing to spend $3,000 to rescue her from a tropical island and bring her back to her post proves her worth.
After her visit home, Evie returned to Indonesia as an "ambassador of good will for the American people".
Afterwards Evelyn would remark of this adventure that "after you give up all hope of survival, there is then no more fear".
Upon completing her field post and returning to the United States, Evie committed to the need to give back to those who saved her and her friends life, especially that of the US Marines and Navy, she joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary, San Francisco Point Bonita Flotilla #17 in support of their boating safety program.
Serving as Division Staff Officer, Training Officer, and upon election as the Commander; She received a Certificate of Commendation for outstanding achievement in furthering the purposes and principles of the Coast Guard Auxiliary; serving as Secretary / Records Officer receiving recognition for exceptional ability and outstanding and devoted service to the organization and its programs of boating safety was awarded Life and Permanent Membership in the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla, 12th District in 1977.
Evelyn's adventures, travel and education continued when, once again, she crossed the Equator on July 2, 1965, with UCSF International Programs on a Semester Tour of South America providing training, teaching and working raising living standards around the world through medicine.
Not one for having a dull trip; Evelyn was once again caught in a squall while swimming with friends off the shores of Brazil - as her friends watch her be taken further and further from shore - Evelyn thought was Portugal wasn't such a bad place to visit having missed it on her Grand European Tour and then again she thought you fool stop fighting the current and began swimming parallel coming up on shore several miles south from where she left her friends.
Evie's adventures and travel continued with friends through the years including Jackson Wyoming in August 1966; Canada, the Yukon, and Alaska in 1968; a walking tour of New Zealand & Australia; in 1986 a cruise to Jamaica and the Caribbean; 1988 - included a Balloon ride in the Napa Valley, 1993 - Christmas in Santa Fe and back to Ireland in 2002 as well as the occasional over turn boat on the pond at Sky Valley Ranch.
In 1973, Evelyn purchased Sky Valley Ranch and was soon joined in 1974 by her longtime friend, Louis Paul Parisotto.
Upon arriving in Copperopolis and signing up for phone service at Calaveras Telephone Evelyn inquired about the Botto family; where it so happened another cousin, Edward Gouzenne was working - and only in a small county -- He immediately made a quick phone call to Florence Botto White-Hocking reuniting the cousins. Evelyn and Lou commuted to work -- Evelyn at the University of California at San Francisco and Lou to Lockheed Aircraft Corp. where he worked as an Inspector in air craft manufacturing and Aerial photography for 25 years via Lou's single engined Beechcraft Bonanza.
December 29, 1977, Evelyn married Louis Paul Parisotto of Sunnyvale in Garnerville, Nevada. Louis was born, March 14, 1916 in Ogilvie, Illinois to Cesare Parisotto and Maria Smania, immigrants from Italy. and was killed on March 6, 1983 when his plane crashed in a field just east of their Copperopolis home.
Evie's hobbies were vast including sewing, knitting, golf, bocce ball, Piano, and was an avid Cribbage and Bridge Player.
She was a member of the Calaveras AAUW - and served on her favorite committees medical and first aide, education-providing scholarships for local students, bridge, as well as Co-Chairing the Octoberfest. In 1994 Evelyn was Cowbelle of the Year, at the Annual Conference at Reno Nevada for the Calaveras-Tuoulmne chapter.
She was also an active member in the Calaveras Historical Society; devoting countless hours as a docent at the Calaveras Museum; a long standing member and served on the Mark Twain Hospital Foundation Board, and worked on the Mark Twain Hospital project committee for rural health and business alliance and chaired the local branch's Medical Technology Section.
She is also a member of Ruby Parlor #46, Native Daughters of the Golden West in Murphys and was actively involved in the historic, education efforts.
Her Father served as Grand President to the Native Sons, in San Francisco, a 25+ member.
Evelyn was always proud of her California heritage as her Great Grandmother, Alice Grace, was sent to New York during the potato famine from Ireland where her family owned the Grace Steam Shipping Company.
She met and Married Patrick Murphy who traveled across the Isthmus of Panama on a mule to San Francisco taking three (3) years to send for Evelyn's Great-Grandmother who sailed around the Cape Horn; they had 11 children and lived on the hill over the straight above where the Golden Gate Bride is now.
Evelyn and her long time friend, Roland Voss (Deceased January 2012), were often hosts at the Sky Valley Ranch for the Shriners, Kiwanis and AAUW Gourmet Club barbecues enjoying its private fishing pond and airstrip where often local ultra lights, air balloons and hang gliders besides local pilots could be seen flying in the horizon or take-offs/landing as part of the entertainment.
They also participated in the Oktoberfest, Golf Tournaments and various other activities in support of the local chapters.
Evelyn was a member of the San Mateo Branch of the AAUW prior to moving to Calaveras County.
2005 Evelyn was honored as the Grand Marshal celebrating Copperopolis Homecoming for her many contributions to the community, and tireless work in preserving the history of the area. Including acknowledgement from CCTV for her video recording of the Royal Mountain King Mine.
Where ever Evie traveled or what ever she did there was always adventures, stories to tell, lively entertainment with thoughts, and concern from a giving - loving heart she lived each day with a light spirit -- a 30+ year survivor of Breast Cancer - yet not a care for her trials and tribulations.
She is survived by numerous cousins including Florence (Botto-White) Hocking of Murphys, Clifford (Ruby) Botto of Oakdale, Eleanor (Botto-Darby) Brisco of Sacramento, and John Botto (Winnie) of Carson City, NV.
Nieces: Charla (Carlos) Gonzales of Rohnert Park; Carolyn (Hank) Pollex of Mt. View; Grand Nephews: Robert (Selina) Schacht of Costa Mesa, Paul Schacht of San Mateo; Grand Nieces: Bianca (Brian) Wilson of Rohnert Park; Julia (Gablea) Wolf of Davis and Amy Pollex of Mt. View; Great Grand Nephews: Benjamin & Luke (Step-grand nephew) Wilson of Rohnert Park and Great-Grand Nieces: Aziana, Meeka & Issa McKaylee all of Costa Mesa, God-Children Kurt (Ellen) Ritter of Texas, Walter Ritter of San Diego and John (Susan) Ritter of Laos; James P (Jessica) Furar of Ladera Ranch and Ian (Lisa) Furar of Laguna Beach (both nephews of Lous) and her long time neighbor & friends Diana & Ed Fischer of Copperopolis, cousins, Charles & Tammy (White) and Sons, Brandon (Carlye) Fry and Charlie (Doreen) Hebrard who extensively saw to her care the past decade - as well as numerous other cousins and friends.
San Andreas Memorial Chapel is handling arrangements.
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