Sherryl Evans

Sherryl Sielaff Evans passed peacefully March 27, 2020, after a short illness.

Sherryl was born in Ritzville, Wash., on Nov. 10, 1940, to Lester and June Sielaff. She went to Ritzville schools and graduated in 1959; she was awarded the creative arts award.

She attended Eastern Washington College studying elementary education and art. In her junior year of college, she married Vince Evans of Ritzville. They made their home in Washtucna and Ritzville, where they farmed wheat. Sherryl would prepare wonderful lunches for the harvest crew that she served out of the back of her station wagon.

They raised their three children: Colleen, Eric and Aimee.

Sherryl was a very talented artist, mainly concentrating on western art, painting mules and horses using oils, inks and watercolors. She belonged to the national artist group, Women Artist of the West showing her work all over the western U.S.

She was also an editor of the WAOA's quarterly bulletin, West Wind. Her work is on display in many homes all over the world.

Sherryl and husband Vince constructed three large metal sculptures that are on display in Ritzville. She did the Pioneer Woman with Child, Mr. Ritz and Shontz Schuler, her great-grandfather who was the contractor who built the Carnegie Library in Ritzville. She also did many other small sculptures and artwork.

Sherryl always had a camera in hand taking pictures of family, flowers and of course mules and horses to draw later. She was also an accomplished seamstress and was a past member of Beta Sigma Phi.

Sherryl was a woman of great faith and sang in the choir at Emanuel Lutheran Church for many years and she loved reading. Sherryl started and then organized the Ritzville Horse Riding Clinic at the Ritzville Rodeo Grounds annually for many years.

She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Vince; her children, Colleen (Mike) Ruzicka, Eric (Fawn Green) Evans and Aimee (Colby) Schell; grandchildren, Kelsey (Nate) Knodel, Cort (Jenna) Ruzicka, David, William, Christopher (Sarah) Green, Rachel Schell; and great-grandchildren, Wade, Sage and Emmitt.

She is also survived by her sister, Marilyn Sielaff; nephews, Mitch Sielaff and Adam (Angela) Miller; nieces, Sarah (Carl Walker) Sielaff, Michele (Bob) Larson, Kimberly (Scott) Yaeger and Melissa (Jeremiah) Rainer; along with her husband Vince's sisters and brother and their families and many great-nieces and nephews.

Sherryl was preceded in death by her parents, Lester and June Sielaff; and brother, Steve Sielaff.

Memorials may be made to Emanuel Lutheran Church, Ritzville Alumni Association, Hospice House of Spokane or a charity of your choosing. There will be a public gathering for a Celebration of Life at a later date.

A public visitation was Tuesday April 7, 2020, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Danekas Funeral Home in Ritzville.

To leave online condolences for the Evans family and to follow updates on a public gathering, please visit our website at http://www.danekasfh.com.