Evelyn Leona Schultz

Evelyn Leona Schultz, 94, died Wednesday, July 30, 2014

She was born August 22, 1919 in Cook County, Chicago, Illinois, to the late Edward "Mac" MacHette and Ethel Gladys Knodell. She was born in an apartment above the railroad office "at 39th and the tracks," as she put it. When her parents divorced, she was sent to live in an orphanage, possibly for a couple of years, while her mother worked. Evelyn was born with a "lazy" eye and was very self-conscious about it. She said the other children called her "Popeye." At the age of seven, mother and daughter moved to the 43rd Street station. Evelyn's great grandmother, grandmother, Uncle Jack, and Aunt Dorothy all lived within walking distance of her school, and she'd visit them often. She recalled making beads out of comic strips, flour, and water. Great grandmother Rawlings would regularly hand her a shopping list (which always included a bottle of "Rock & Rye") and send her to Walgreen's Drug Store, Evelyn's little red wagon filled with empty bottles to redeem for spending money. She remembered the junkman rolling his cart down the alley behind her grandmother's, calling "Rags, any iron, bottles, and rags." When Ethel married William Neumann some years later, Evelyn was subsequently adopted and took his name as her last and was henceforth known as Evelyn Neumann.

She attended Hirsch High School in Chicago and after graduation attended a secretarial college, excelling in typing and Gregg shorthand and earning an A.A. degree.

Still in Chicago, she married Robert Bernard Pieser in 1941 and while married to him bore two children, son Lawrence William in 1943 and daughter Barbara Lynne in 1947. Evelyn and Robert divorced shortly after he returned from serving in the armed forces, and Evelyn soon moved to California where she married Earl A. Schultz. Lawrence and Barbara were adopted by Earl, and the couple gave birth to their son Richard Earl in 1951, and to twin sons Keith Sean and Kevin Edward in 1953. At 8 lb. 3 oz. and 8 lb. 11 oz., they were the largest twins on record born at that hospital, a fact she proudly shared with almost everyone she ever met from then on.

Evelyn was a devoted wife and mother and ran a very busy household. In addition to their five children, her mother, Ethel, resided with them until her death, and for a time her uncle Jack, Ethel's brother, lived with them as well until his passing. The pink two-story house with a front and back staircase on Van Ness Avenue was often noisy and filled with life being lived to its fullest.

Evelyn had a beautiful voice, always singing around the house while doing chores, and was also fond of singing in public under the right circumstances. Both her birth father (who had moved out west as well and was a popular bartender in Santa Monica) and Earl would take her to dinner at a club with a piano bar and before long (and a drink or two), she would be up there singing her heart out. Joey Sax was her favorite pianist…he knew her key by heart.

Evelyn was a "super mom." As if raising five children wasn't enough, she was active in Cub Scouts, Blue Birds, Camp Fire Girls, and eventually became president of the PTA at Van Ness Avenue Elementary School. She also bowled, was a member of the Hollywood Mothers of Twins club, and hosted water ballet lessons in the family swimming pool.

When Keith and Kevin were born, encouraged by a talent agent friend, she signed them up with Central Casting, who was always on the lookout for identical twins because they could be switched out for extended screen time without breaking any union rules limiting such time. One thing led to another, and eventually Evelyn became an agent herself…first for Wormser, Helfond, Joseph, then for William Cunningham, and she eventually launched her own agency but it was short-lived. Nevertheless, she was one of the top children's agents in Hollywood during her prime.

Evelyn's was a life of peaks and valleys. The great tragedy of her life was losing her son Larry when he was just 23 years old. Over the years she also lost her father, mother, and her husband, but she was blessed with six grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. Always upbeat, independent, and active, she enjoyed crossword puzzles, champagne, and card games. In her 70s she travelled to Hong Kong, Thailand, and Australia, and in her 80s she was a volunteer at the Maple Counseling Center and at Cedars-Sinai Hospital. Sadly, on December 16, 2006, at the age of 87, she had a debilitating stroke and was from then on dependent on others for her care. It's a testament to her tenacious passion for life and for her loved ones that she lived another eight years.

She is survived by four children: Barbara Buckles, Richard Schultz, Keith Schultz, and Kevin Schultz. She is also survived by six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Adored by all, she will be missed.

Arrangements are under the direction of Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California.