Evelyn Joan Koldenhoven, nee Radius. 89.9. Died September 12, 2013. She passed away in the arms of her daughters in her room at Providence Life Services Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Palos Heights, Illinois. Cause of death, inoperable massive brain tumor. Evelyn was born December 28, 1923 in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents were John and Alice (Dykstra) Radius. Her only and younger brother by five years was Calvin John Radius, now living in Golita, California. Her mother always gave God the glory for Evelyn’s presence here on earth she having survived a near death bout of Cerebral Spinal Meningitis at age six months. She grew up to be strong and healthy. Evelyn developed a tenacious instinct for survival and strong inner resolve to overcome adversity at an early age. Evelyn attended Roseland Christian School in Chicago, survived the Great Depression, and graduated from Chicago Christian High School in the January class of 1942. Her first job out of high school, Evelyn worked at Goodman Manufacturing as an Executive Secretary. She met her husband, Richard Koldenhoven on “Fish Market”. They married on October 10, 1944, honeymooned at Starved Rock, Illinois. Dick, an Army Lieutenant, was shipped out to Okinawa 3 days later and Evelyn set up an apartment in Roseland at 106th and Wentworth Ave. As a temporary job she drove cars back and forth to Texas with an auto dealership. She followed Dick where they lived on several Army bases across the country including Ft. Benning, GA and Ft. Hood, TX. Upon returning to Chicago, she sharpened her executive secretarial skills at Beverly Business College. She worked at Beverly Bank until their first daughter, Darlene, was born six years later a blue baby with the cord wrapped around her neck three times, a day before their wedding anniversary. A month later, Dick shipped out for a 4 year tour of duty to the front lines of Korea as a First Lieutenant, returning as a Captain with a Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star with Valor and one Oak Leaf Cluster and was company commanding officer. While Dick was in Korea, Evelyn co-owned and managed an insurance real estate business with her father. When Evelyn’s father passed away in 1954, around age 56, her little family moved in with her mother at 104th and Normal in Roseland. Evelyn cared for her mother until she died at age 92 in January of 1991. Evelyn and Dick became members of the Fourth Christian Reformed Church of Roseland where they were active leaders of the Young Couples Club, he a Deacon and Elder, and Evelyn taught Sunday School. Dick and Ev opened an IGA supermarket on 89th and California in Evergreen Park. Throughout his time at the store, Evelyn would drive from Roseland to Evergreen Park almost every night with a hot dinner for Dick, usually with Darlene, and later, Joan, along who would have fun stamping prices on products, restocking shelves, or picking out long playing records to listen to at home. She made sure her kids saw their hard-working father once in a while as he was gone from 6am – 10pm, 6 nights a week. When Darlene was eight years old, she contracted Polio. It was Evelyn’s determination that she wouldn’t succumb to the disease. Evelyn and Dick took turns around the clock for three days straight placing hot towel compresses on her legs while constantly moving her legs to keep the muscles from atrophy. This was in an era when the medical advice at the time was to not move the patient at all and most polio victims lost use of their legs. Evelyn endured 8 miscarriages until 1959, when their daughter, Joan Lee was born, prematurely and with bi-lateral auricular atresia deafness. Despite the objections of many, Evelyn was determined to see her daughter live a “hearing” life. Evelyn researched and found the first company, Belltone, who developed the first bone conduction hearing aid. Joan was the first to wear such aides when she was only 6 months old. Evelyn then searched the country traveling from New York to Los Angeles determined to find a surgeon who could make Joan hear naturally. While in Los Angeles, they were introduced to Dr. Richard Buckingham of Park Ridge, Illinois, who developed a surgical technique to take cartilage out of the elbow and made hearing bones and an artificial eardrum. At age 4, in January of 1964, Joan was the third patient this surgery was performed on and the first child and first successful outcome with 40% hearing in one ear. Evelyn removed Joan from preschool at Elim Christian School for Handicapped Children and enrolled her in Kindergarten at Roseland Christian. Later on that year, on December 22, 1964, Dick died unexpectedly at age 41 from complications of Malaria, which he contracted while in the service for the Philippine liberation. Evelyn immediately went to work to support her family and mother. She worked as a legal secretary for State Senator Frank M. Ozinga for six years. She moved her family from Roseland to Evergreen Park in 1968. 1968 also brought a few challenges in the educational arena. Evelyn fought and won a victory with Chicago Southwest Christian School board to change the voting rules from a male only vote to one vote per family with the head of the household, male or female, having the vote. With no money available for Darlene’s college education, Evelyn applied for state grants, only to find she also had to work tirelessly, but successfully got the proper accreditation for the Chicago Conservatory College of Music in order to receive the Illinois state grants. Evelyn extended her children’s education by taking them regularly to all the Chicago Museums and Concerts in Grant Park. Evelyn then worked for Napier Insurance Company as an insurance agent. She later worked at Christ Hospital as a medical records transcriptionist and ward clerk for the night shift for seven years while taking care of her aging mother during the daytime hours. She hardly ever got to sleep! During this time, and taking a cue from her late father, a precinct captain, Evelyn campaigned vigorously for the passage of the equal rights amendment with Joan in tow. After working at Christ Hospital, she held down 3 jobs simultaneously; working at First National Bank of Evergreen Park, McAllister Equipment Company, and Beverly Bank. A year later she secured her position at Sciaky Brothers International as an Executive Secretary and then worked her way up to Senior Buyer. She struggled to keep her family going, working at half the salary and doing more work than her male colleagues. She worked at Sciaky until she retired at 67 in 1991. Evelyn began her retirement years living in her condo in Crestwood, Illinois, yet still worked cleaning house for elderly women for whatever they could afford to pay her. She also served faithfully as an election judge and volunteered at Rest Haven Central (now called Providence Life Services) in Palos Heights with the Activity Department assisting with bowling for the residents. She also fund raised with the Women’s Auxiliary for many years, having served two years as Treasurer. Her daughter Joan and her husband Gary Schutt had started their family and she enjoyed playing with her grandchildren, Courtney, Candace and Mike. She loved taking them to their music lessons on many occasions. She, Joan and the kids would often take impromptu “road trips” to historic sites throughout Illinois and Indiana on school breaks. She traveled to Los Angeles many times to visit her Grammy Award winning daughter, Darlene, where they traveled to many places in California. Evelyn also enjoyed going to recording sessions and concert appearances that Darlene sang on. One of her favorite sessions she observed was the film “Dutch” that Darlene sang on and conducted the choir to picture. Evelyn sang in church and school choirs her whole life. Evelyn’s favorite choral experience was singing in the Christian Reformed Church of North America’s Free to Serve multi-media concert event with music composed and conducted by Darlene in 1996. Evelyn lived to be a great encourager of her daughters and her grandchildren’s greatest cheerleader. It was through her many struggles that she became an advocate for justice, equality and individuality. By example and by words she taught her daughters and grandchildren to be tenacious, to be achievers, and to never give up on achieving your dreams. Evelyn moved to the Holland Home in 2003. She enjoyed being a “missionary” to the residents as she led the dinner devotions for 9 years and enjoyed the games, Bible studies, and the 2:00pm Coffee Time. A breast cancer survivor herself, in April of 2013 she was ultimately diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and then moved to Providence Life Services Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Palos Heights, where she entered Hospice care and passed away in the arms of both her loving daughters. Education was a very high priority for Evelyn. She often worked at odd-jobs while working full-time in order to give her daughters a Christian education. She saw both her daughters and granddaughters achieve their Masters degrees and grandson his Bachelor’s degree during her lifetime. Darlene earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education cum laude in 1971, and a Master of Music in Voice magna cum laude, in 1973. Joan earned a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership magna cum laude, in 2007, and was a Barat Scholar earning a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership with a Women’s Leadership Concentration with Honors in 2011, both from Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois. Her granddaughter Courtney earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts and Sciences with a Worship Arts minor (Jubilee Fellow) from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan and her Master of Divinity from Northern Baptist Seminary in Lombard, Illinois. Her granddaughter Candace earned her Bachelor of Art in Graphic Design with a minor in Photography with Honors from Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois, and her Master of Fine Arts in Digital Imaging and Photography from Governors State University in University Park, Illinois. Her grandson Mike had just earned a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Sciences and returned to Calvin for his final semester where he will complete his degree with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science. MIke is in the process of applying to grad schools where he hopes to achieve a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. To this day, her daughters and grand-daughters are ever grateful for teaching them how to parallel park in one move. Her grandchildren, their cousins and friends loved her as a babysitter because she would get down on the floor to play with them and take them to fun places. She would often be singing or whistling around the house and always encouraged anyone around to chime in. She was always a lot of fun playing games, turning cartwheels, making snow angels and just letting her hair down, in spite of it all. A powerful prayer warrior, Evelyn’s love and faith in Jesus Christ kept her and her family strong throughout her long life. Psalm 27:1, “The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom then shall I fear?” sustained her through many of life’s trials and tribulations. The Joy of the Lord was her strength. [End] Visitation will be at Colonial Chapel in Orland Park on Sunday, September 15, 2013, 4pm – 8pm, with funeral services to be held on Monday, September 16, 2013 at 12:00 Noon with interment at Beverly Cemetery, being laid to rest next to her husband.