Evie's first puppet festival was the San Louis Obispo National Festival in 1975. Of that festival Evie reminisces; "It was the friendliest group of people I'd ever met. Unlike teacher's conferences where everyone tends to stay in their own group, the puppeteers were really welcoming and made you feel part of things right away. They were so eager to share." It was a good beginning for Evie, she has been to a festival every year for the past 27 years.

Following her first festival, she joined the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry and the rest flowed easily from there. Evie was recruited to serve on the LA Guild board, help Gayle Schluter with various festival registrations and demonstrated her volunteering spirit in hundreds of ways over the years as an active member of the Puppeteer of America and the LA Guild. Although shy about her performing skills, Evie used her puppetry in the classroom throughout her 38 years as a pre-school and kindergarten teacher, taught puppetry classes at Pepperdine and later went on to do shows with the late Betty Wilson.

She has been involved with IPM from the beginning and puts in countless hours assisting at events, providing food and beverages and sorting and filing the huge stack of accumulated puppet ephemera accumulated by Alan. In addition to the time Evie shares with IPM, the Los Angeles Guild and the national, organization, she is also in charge of the volunteer ushers at the Pasadena Playhouse, staffs a thrift shop in Pasadena, reads at a local school in a program called "Reading is Fundamental" is an active member of her Society of Friends Church, is the treasurer of her PEO Chapter, assists her daughter in a catering business, goes to a Senior yoga class and has recently joined Curves to get some exercise. While her schedule puts many of us to shame, she still finds time for her three daughters and six grandchildren, ranging in age from six to 21 years. IPM wishes to thank this friendly, committed and engaging friend for her time and love of the puppets and the people at IPM and in the world at large.