Eva Mae LeFevre

August 7, 1917 - May 18, 2009

On this Sunday morning, I have an old friend on my mind. Eva Mae LeFevre passed away back in May. I have wonderful childhood memories of her and the LeFevre family. I even followed Mylon LeFevre throughout his singing career and all his ups and downs. I admired Eva Mae and am grateful for the influence she and the LeFevre family, and gospel music in general, have had on my life. I will miss this great lady.





There are many videos posted on Youtube with Eva Mae, Mylon LeFevre, The LeFevre Trio and Mylon and Broken Heart. There are a few of Mylon and Alvin Lee for those of you who remember those days.

Obituary

Eva Mae LeFevre, Home at Last
1917 - 2009

Eva Mae LeFevre entered rest at 7:25 a.m. on Monday, May 18, 2009. She was 91.

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS:
Visitation: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 ~ 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
H. M. Patterson & Son-Arlington Chapel , 173 Allen Road NE, Sandy Springs, GA 30328 USA
Service: Thursday, May 21, 2009, 12 p.m. (noon)
Mt. Paran Church of God Central , 2055 Mt. Paran Rd, Atlanta, GA 30327 USA

Known as the First Lady of Gospel Music, Eva Mae first began singing and playing the piano as a young child at her father’s church in South Carolina. In 1934, she married Urias LeFevre and began a 40 year journey leading The LeFevres, which became one of the most beloved groups in gospel music history.

Eva Mae’s trademark unique piano artistry and beautiful alto voice became a defining influence for the LeFevres. The group became staples on WGST radio, based out of their hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. They later pioneered a gospel music television program, The Gospel Singing Caravan, while touring as many as 100,000 miles a year across North America.

In 1978 Eva Mae LeFevre became the first living woman to be inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Ten years later, she was the first gospel music inductee into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

After attempting to retire years ago, Eva Mae could never walk away from her love for gospel music. She continued to delight audiences across North America throughout her twilight years, both through Gaither Homecoming appearances and solo concerts. Today, she has joined her husband in eternity. Her spirit, her dignity, that flawless alto voice and contagious laugh, her quick sense of humor and unshakable faith in Christ was an inspiration to us all. She will be sorely missed.

~ Prior News ~

In the Spring (late April) of 2009, Eva Mae LeFevre entered recovery at an Atlanta area nursing home after being released from the hospital. She had been admitted to the hospital due to a mild case of pneumonia at which time doctors also discovered a fractured hip.

Thank you for your love, concerns and your prayers.
If you would like to send a card in remembrance, you may send them to:
Family of Eva Mae LeFevre, P.O. Box 681081, Marietta, GA 30068-0019

For more about this legendary wonderful lady, please visit: Eva Mae LeFevre

Scary Fun

I didn't start my blog until November 1st, so I didn't do a Halloween post. I thought that I'd just keep it for next year, but my granddaughter caused me rethink it.

This is her favorite website (next to Spongebob games on Nickelodeon). We use this website all year long. She loves to dunk the wolf, the virtual pumpkin carving and the shows. She hates the haunted house and virtual abduction. She says it's too scary. She's 4.

cyberhaunt.com

This is another great kids site that she likes a lot.

meddybemps.com


This one is more for older kids and adults. It's my favorite scary site.

Devil's Tramping Ground

I am an Old-time radio and audio drama fan. Here is a creepy kids original audio drama.

Halloween In July

Friday Funnies

Do You Remember Leon Russell?

In the 80's my oldest daughter came to us and said, "Mom, Dad, who is Bob Dylan"? We looked at each other in astonishment! In a home where classic rock was part of our everyday lives, it never occurred to us that there was someone missing from our music collection. Since he was more of a folk singer, we didn't buy his music, but we just took it for granted that our daughter knew who he was. The making of "We are the World" brought him back into the public limelight.

I am just as surprised to find that so many young people don't know who Leon Russell is. I guess, once again, I just took it for granted. To me he is a legend! He recorded some of Dylan's music too. We should keep our children knowledgeable about the great classic artists of our time! Leon is still around! He still performs. Check him out on youtube. Keep the music alive!

Leon in the early years



Leon in the latter years



Did you know that Leon was the piano playing crypt kicker on "Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett and Crypt Kickers 5?

If you have never heard the "Out of the Deep Freeze" video story, you can get it here:
Deep Freeze Video

You can visit Leon's website here:
Leon Russell

Don't forget to sign the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Petition here:
Hall of Fame Petition

It's Deer Season!

I found these crockpot venison recipes that look interesting. They are certainly unusual. Sweet venison? I definitely like the crockpot idea.

Crockpot Venison Apple Cider Stew

1 pound beef or venison stew meat -- (up to 2)
8 carrots -- sliced thin
6 potatoes -- sliced thin
2 apples -- chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 cups apple cider

Place carrots, potatoes, and apples in crock pot. Add meat and sprinkle with salt, thyme, and onion. Pour cider over meat and cover. Cook in crock pot on low heat 10-12 hours. Thicken gravy.

Crockpot Deer Stew

1 pound bacon
2 pounds cubed deer meat
2 medium turnips -- cut up
1 large can Veg-All
1 can tomato sauce - (16 oz)
1 onion -- diced
Salt -- to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper -- to taste

Fry the bacon first and then use drippings to brown floured deer meat (or beef). Put browned meat in a slow cooker and pour in the liquid from the Veg-All. Add the tomato sauce, the diced onion and cut up turnips. (Add water as needed to obtain desired consistency.) Cook in crock pot 3 to 4 hours on HIGH (all day on LOW) or until meat is very tender.

Add Veg-All vegetables and bacon and cook an additional 15 minutes.

Please share your venison recipes.

Amish Friendship Bread

My sister gave me some Amish Friendship Bread. If you don't know what it is, it's kind of like sour dough. You have to feed it regularly. At the end of 10 days, you divide it into 4 parts and give away some, keep some and bake some.

I'm taking it to work today after baking it last night. I placed it on a paper plate to slice it before I wrapped it in foil for travel. I didn't realize how "elegant" this photograph would look. Ha! Ha! You can start your Amish friendship from here.

My sister is also selling Avon. If you buy Avon, please consider buying from her. Did I just spam myself?

Your Avon Representative

Speaking of fall color... I found this picture of Grandfather Mountain, NC. It is great computer wallpaper.

Crime in Mayberry?

My husband and I were recently visiting our daughter, son-in-law and grandsons on the military base where they live. Our daughter is in the service. We were traveling through North Carolina, Virgina and Maryland, enjoying the beautiful autumn color and visiting friends and family. We passed by Mt. Airy, NC, which is Andy Griffith's hometown. We decided we didn't have time to stop there this time and that we would invite our friends from Virginia to meet us there some weekend and tour the town in the Mayberry police car.

I woke up this morning to a sad headline:

Man charged with killing 4 in Mayberry model town

Published: 11/2/09, 7:45 AM EDT
MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (AP) - Police arrested a man early Monday in the parking lot slayings of four men shot in the North Carolina small town that was the inspiration for Mayberry in television's "The Andy Griffith Show."

Mount Airy, with a population of approximately 8,700, is the hometown of Andy Griffith and has built a tourist trade on nostalgia for the 1960s show that continues to thrive in syndication.

Authorities received information about his whereabouts around 2:30 a.m., according to a statement. Details haven't been released.

“We’ve never had a killing of this number", Police Captain Andy Freeman said.

The four were shot with a high-powered assault rifle outside Wood's TV, in the shadow of a water tower that says "Welcome to Mount Airy" and has a picture of Griffith and Opie, his son on the show.

I just couldn't help but think; "that wouldn't have happened on Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife's watch."

A Mildew Mess

I didn't intend for my first post to be quite this way but I've spent the majority of the day on this so it's on my mind.

A few weeks ago my husband and I, my daughter and 2 of my grandchildren went camping. On the last day, it was raining. This meant all of the camping equipment was damp. We decided to leave it in the truck while we painted the camping equipment closet. A few days later, the camping things were unloaded and we had a mildew mess!

I had to find information on killing mildew from fabric. I found a good place to start.

Remove mildew from fabric chairs

I cleaned 2 children and 4 adult chairs, along with a pack and play. The only thing I did different was to spray everything with a light coating of windex before I used the solution and put a little pinesol in the water to disinfect the odor.

I didn't take a picture of the nasty mildew stains beforehand because I hadn't planned to post this (it was awful and it smelled terrible). I did take an after shot. I hope you can see that the stains actually came clean and the chairs smell just fine! My granddaughter's little pink chair still has a few stains but they are not very noticeable.

One article suggested using buttermilk. I decided to pass.