Happy Birthday Topsy!

Grand Island Woman Donates $40,000 to Stuhr Museum on Her 100th Birthday

GRAND ISLAND, STUHR MUSEUM — Mildred “Topsy” Evans, a life-long Grand Island resident, celebrated her 100th Birthday on Tuesday, February 26 by giving $120,000 to three Grand Island organizations – Stuhr Museum Foundation, The Grand Island Public Library Foundation and Fonner Park Exposition and Events Center, Inc.

Evans, along with her daughters Susan Glade and Bobbie Weaver, presented representatives of each organization with three checks for $40,000 a piece at the Stuhr Building at Stuhr Museum.

The money for these generous donations comes from the Mildred L. Evans Charitable Remainder Trust. The funds going to Fonner Park and the Grand Island Public Library are unrestricted, while the donation to Stuhr Museum Foundation is to establish the Gordon and Mildred Evans Permanent Endowment Fund. The earnings from this fund will be spent specifically for the operation, programs and improvements to the museum as decided upon by the trustees of the museum’s foundation.

Both Gordon and Mildred Evans are lifetime residents of Grand Island where they both attended Grand Island Public Schools and the Baptist College. They married in 1933, had two daughters, both of whom served as successor trustees of the charitable trust.

Mrs. Evans has enjoyed volunteering for various community projects and teaching Sunday school. She has belonged to different community organizations, she is a long time member of Chapter CK, PEO and her interests include china painting, knitting, and bridge playing and traveling abroad with her daughters.

Before passing away on December 31, 1993, Mr. Evans managed the family business, Flower Evans Company which engaged in real estate, insurance and investments. The original Flower Evans Company was started in 1912 by C.T. Flower who purchased the Grand Company and began operation of the business under the name of C.T. Flower, Real Estate and Insurance. E.M. Porterfield entered the Grand Island business in 1917. The name was changed to Flower and Porterfield. The firm was incorporated in 1919 and remained as such until the death of Mr. Porterfield in 1932. In August of 1935, the business was consolidated with that of the American Securities Company operated by V.E. Evans and sons, Gordon and Clayton. The firm name was changed to the Flower Evans Company. Prior to Flower Evans Company, V.E. Evans was a partner in Glass-Evans Auto Company which acquired the agency for Ford motor cars, at that time the Model T.

In 1919 the Glass-Evans agency became the largest in the state outside of Omaha and the firm subsequently built a two-story building which was one of the largest garages built in Grand Island. It held 200 cars at the southeast corner of Second and Wheeler and eventually became the Montgomery Ward building.

The Evans family includes grandchildren David Weaver and his wife Laura, Susan Weaver Shellito and husband Brian, Carolyn Glade, Gordon Glade and wife Cara, Tom Weaver and Sarah Glade. Great Grandchildren include Chase and Caitlin Weaver, Reilly and Georgia Shellito and Evan and Aden Glade.