Evelyn Christina Sayre

Evelyn Sayre
Evelyn Christina Sayre, 91, was born January 18, 1919 in rural Putnam County to Ardie and Oma (Grider) Fechtling and passed away April 14, 2010 in Kirksville, Missouri.
Evelyn attended rural schools in the Lowground area and Unionville High School, graduating in 1938. She furthered her education at Kirksville State Teachers College for four years. In 1942 she married Dr. Fred Sayre and they moved to Coldwater, Michigan. Fred established a medical practice there and Evelyn served as his lab assistant. Two children were born to this marriage: Fred and Quentin. Fred and Evelyn later divorced and Evelyn relocated to Martinstown in 1963.
Evelyn’s love of art was born in1933 when she attended the World’s Fair in Chicago and was inspired by works of art displayed there. As a schoolgirl, she enjoyed sketching more than doing homework. The superintendent of schools learned of her talent and told Evelyn if she could find 10 students who wanted to study art he would hire an art teacher. She did and the art department at Unionville High School was formed. Always looking for ways to develop her talent, she studied art in college and also studied under a well-known artist in Michigan.
The subjects of Evelyn’s oil paintings included homes, old barns, still lifes, florals and sea scapes. She was featured in the Best of Missouri Hands, 1988, and entered her paintings into display in Unionville and Kirksville, including the Red Bard Art Festival. She developed an interest in outhouses, noting that many times the outhouse was the last building standing on an old farmstead. Some of Evelyn’s outhouse paintings were made into prints. Evelyn was commissioned to paint several works of art over the years.
Evelyn was an independent woman who enjoyed improving the farm and homeplace through her projects.
Evelyn is survived by her son, Quentin Sayre and his wife, Sharon, grandson Jeremy Sayre, granddaughter Christina Sayre, a niece, Mary Comstock, and a nephew, Mac Fechtling. She was preceded in death by her parents, an infant daughter, her son Fred in 1994, and a brother, Frank Fechtling.
Funeral services will be held April 17 at 2:00 with visitation one hour prior to the service at the Playle and Jones Family Funeral Home in Unionville. Interment will be in the Lone Pine Cemetery, north of Martinstown, MO.
Memorials are suggested to the art scholarship at Putnam County R-1 High School and may be entrusted with Playle and Jones Family Funeral Home, 709 S. 27th St., Unionville, MO, 63565