NORTHERN TODAY 15 Northern MEMORIALS THOUSANDS HAVE TRAVERSED the hallowed halls and grounds of Northern State University throughout its history, each leaving a footprint that defines the institution that it is today, and no one more so than Evelyn Roberts. Evelyn Wolverton was born in Doland, S.D. in the fall of 1918. After completing two years at Northern Normal College she went on to teach country school in Clark, S.D. In 1940 she married her high school sweetheart, Raymond Roberts. They were blessed with four children, Gaylen, Stanley, Claudia and Cynthia. After 20 years on the farm, Evelyn and Robert moved their family to Aberdeen so Evelyn could fulfill her lifelong dream of returning to college. At the age of 43, and with four children under the age of 12, Evelyn entered Northern State College as a non-traditional student in 1961. Four years later she had not only earned her bachelor’s degree in biology, she landed a position as a professor of biology and botany with the institution, a post she held for the next 20 years retiring in 1985. During her time as a professor, Evelyn earned master’s degrees in biology, from Northern State, and botany from SDSU. “I’ve often described her as a woman born ahead of her time—for many reasons. Only after I became older, especially with children of my own, did I realize that everyday life in the Roberts house was something very unique for that time period,” writes Evelyn’s daughter Cindy. “The years have helped me gain a renewed appreciation of what my parents accomplished at a time when their goals were not common place.” During her lifetime, Evelyn’s pursuits stretched far beyond her teaching and research at Northern State. A long-time member of Aberdeen’s St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, she was involved in the development of the city’s first food co-op, Natural Abundance. She and her husband also enjoyed traveling, camping, bird watching, antique collecting, photography, gardening and woodworking. Former student Kirk Redlin writes “Her zest for life and her deep passion for biology left a permanent mark on my life as a teacher which I sought to emulate in my teaching career 30 years ago. My success as a teacher was due in large part to people like Evelyn who touched my life.” NSU Professor Emeritus and friend, Dan Tallman adds “Erika and I remember Evelyn most fondly. She was a warm and caring person in an academic world that can sometimes be cutthroat. How fortunate we were to have her as a colleague! We both learned so much from teaching biology labs with Evelyn.” Evelyn and her husband Raymond were married 60 years at the time of his death in 2000. She passed away on Sep. 22, 2008. “Evelyn was a woman who met life head on, knowing that every goal could be reached if a plan was made, a “to do” list written, and sufficient intestinal fortitude called upon. The lives of her children, grandchildren, students, friends and colleagues have been enriched for having known her. Evelyn will be missed.” ~An excerpt from Evelyn’s Memorial Program~ “A teacher affects eternity; she can never tell where her influence stops.” “Almost everyone has a teacher who was a major influence, inspiration or set an example, in such a way that their life was changed. In my case, that person was Evelyn Roberts,” writes Richard R. Halse, a student of Roberts’ at NSU in 1966. -- Henry Brooks Adams “I’ve often described her as a woman born ahead of her time—for many reasons. Only after I became older, especially with children of my own, did I realize that everyday life in the Roberts’ house was something very unique for that time period…”
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