Evelyn Emily Simarski

Evelyn Emily Simarski

Evelyn Emily Simarski (neé Gietkowski), 99, died November 16, 2021, at Froedtert Hospital, Wauwatosa, on the same day she arrived.  Long a resident of the Milwaukee area, she lived since 2016 at Congregational Home, Brookfield.

Evelyn was born April 27,1922, in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.  Her parents, Emily and Tomasz Gietkowski, had emigrated from Poland.

In her hometown, Evelyn grew up by the Wisconsin River.  She was often outdoors, fishing, swimming, biking, skating, and tobogganing.  Her widowed mother singlehandedly raised Evelyn, the youngest, and her three siblings, and nurtured Evelyn’s lifelong love of writing.

Evelyn met the tall, dashing Army Air Force cadet Edward Joseph Simarski during World War II in Stevens Point. They married there at St. Peter’s Church on June 10,1947.  Evelyn worked as a legal secretary in Stevens Point and later for a state senator in Madison.

After Ed graduated from University of Wisconsin- Madison law school, they moved to Highland, Illinois, then to Milwaukee, and finally to Greenfield where they raised their three children.  Edward practiced law at Giffin and Simarski (later Simarski and Stack) in Milwaukee.  Both devoted themselves to their children’s—and later their grandchildren’s—pursuits.

Lifelong Catholics, they belonged to St. Charles Borromeo Church.  They also held season tickets to the Milwaukee Rep and loved to attend classical concerts.

Ev was a voracious reader, with a particular penchant for mysteries.  Music was another abiding passion: she studied violin from youth, rekindling lessons at age 97.

Ed and Ev celebrated their Polish heritage and helped found the Polish Center of Wisconsin, including donating the library’s Polish eagle doors.

Sharing a love for the outdoors, they built a lake cabin in Upper Michigan and enjoyed the wild area with family winter and summer.

Evelyn’s central passion was writing.  She wrote journals and stories all her life, and her trove of notebooks is still bringing jewels to light. She self-published a memoir, Reflections by the River, in 2012, which brings to life a young girl’s experiences in a small town and on through marriage and family.

Evelyn lived a rich and sometimes adventurous life, eager to learn, loving to travel, keenly observing, and delighting in generations of family and friends.  Whether perfecting her golf swing, icefishing, or pursuing her love of nature, animals, and art, her spirit and curiosity enlivened her and others’ lives until her last day.

Evelyn was preceded in death by daughter Kim Emily and husband Edward. Surviving descendants are Evelyn’s son Jeffrey Edward and daughter Lynn Teo (m. Guy Guthridge) in addition to Jeffrey’s daughter Emily Lynn and  son Austin Edward (m. Kelly Simarski) along with their sons Finn and Soeren; and many nieces and nephews as well as loyal friends.

A service will be on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 at Krause Funeral Home, 21600 West Capitol Drive, Brookfield, WI. Visitation 1:30 pm, service 3:00 pm, dinner 4:00 pm.  A private family burial will take place at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the ASPCA, WildAid, and the Polish Center of Wisconsin.