Evelyn Kern

Evelyn Kern, 91, passed away peacefully at home in Shreveport, La., on Sunday, August 17, 2014. Evelyn was born in New York City on November 5, 1922 and was a lifelong resident (and lover) of New York, only relocating to Shreveport for the final weeks of her life. Evelyn was the daughter of Jacob and Minnie Lipshitz and is preceded in death by her parents, her brother Milton Lawrence, son Donald Kern, and sister-in-law Anne Lawrence. Evelyn's greatest joy in life came from her family and she was a dedicated and doting mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and aunt. For the last 26 years, she shared her joy with special friend and companion Arthur Levine. Evelyn leaves behind an abundance of loved ones, including: brother, Philip Lawrence; daughter, Anita Ogden and her husband Walker; daughter, Jacalyn Nierman and husband, Ron; daughter-in-law, Karen Bergman and husband, John; grandchildren, Melissa Wainman, Daniel Seiden, Evan Nierman, Jonathan Nierman, Asher Nierman, Justin Kern, Adam Kern, and Samara Kern, all who will affectionately remember her simply as "Grandma." Her 10 great-grandchildren knew her as "Bubbe." Evelyn will also be missed by a great number of friends and acquaintances, as her outgoing personality, infectious positive attitude, and talkative nature meant that she rarely met a person that she did not leave an impression upon. A lover of the arts, Evelyn cherished her times spent at both the ballet and opera in New York City. Her home of nearly 60 years in Woodmere, New York, was a virtual museum, with paintings from her favorite artists covering nearly every inch of available wall space. And though Evelyn always insisted that New York was the greatest city in the world that did not stop her from exploring other parts, as she loved to travel both domestically and abroad. Funeral services assisted by Rose-Neath Marshall Street will be held on Tuesday, August 19, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. at B'nai Zion Congregation, 245 Southfield Road, with interment to follow immediately at Greenwood Cemetery. Officiating will be Rabbi Jordan Braunig. Evelyn's grandsons will serve as pallbearers. The family wishes to extend heartfelt thanks to those that gave excellent care to Evelyn during her final months. Winnie Mumby was particularly special to Evelyn for more than 10 years, while Alice Robinson, Deborah Robertson, and Cheryl Knuckles made Evelyn's short stay in Shreveport as comfortable as possible. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Evelyn's honor to The Healing Power of Music project at the LSU Feist-Weiller Cancer Center by calling 318-813-1423. Evelyn was truly one-of-a-kind and will be missed dearly.