Nany Evans oral history.indd - Washington Secretary of State

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Madrigal Singers. I played the piano for soloists. I played the piano a lot. I was active in the musical productions and things of that nature. We had a wonderful music teacher at that time – Cecil Enloe. Later he went to California and we were all very sad. Hughes: Tell us about some lasting lessons you learned from growing up during the Depression. Evans: Well, to this day I turn off the lights and scold my husband and my children for not doing so. And I always say you should turn off equipment that you’re not using. Hughes: Or as my mother would say, “We’re not supporting the PUD!” Evans: That’s right. I’m sure I’ve carried it way too far, but I can be very cheap about things if I don’t see the reason for spending money. I’m sure our daughters-in-law don’t want to hear me preaching to them about it anymore, and I’m sure my sons don’t either. But I just grew up in a time when you were not extravagant in any way, and it has stayed with me. Hughes: Can you remember times during the Depression when things were so thin that you really noticed that different meals were being served? Evans: Our meals were always just fine because Mother could take nothing and make it something. And we would always have dessert. I haven’t made a dessert in I can’t tell you how many years. I don’t make dessert; we don’t eat dessert. But there was always the regular dinner at our house when I was growing up. Hughes: Mother probably did wonders with Jell-O. Evans: Of course. And she would make pies and cakes – all of those things that I don’t do. So food was never a problem — but I had several friends who always seemed to have more sweaters than I did, you know – things you compare yourself with when you’re a teenager. When I went to college, the big thing there was cashmeres and pearls, and I didn’t have either. So I suppose clothing was sometimes an issue. Hughes: Did you make some of your own clothing? College bound. Evans family album Evans: I cannot sew. I took Sewing in school because 14
I had to. In the eighth grade and during your freshman year, you had to take Cooking and Sewing. I practically flunked both. Hughes: Here’s a wonderful thing that you said during a 1972 interview: “My parents brought me up to believe that you could do anything you want to do.” Evans: Yes. Mother particularly always said that because she had that religious, spiritual basis for much of what she did. She was not religious in the strict sense because she accepted so many other ways of life and other people, but that was part of her philosophy – that you could achieve anything you put your mind to. Hughes: She was a Methodist? Evans: She was. But she was very fundamental about certain things, and there were certain things that you talked about and certain things that you didn’t talk about. Hughes: What were some of the things that you didn’t talk about? Evans: Sex. Hughes: You didn’t talk about sex with your mother? Evans: Oh no! I learned all about sex – well, as much as you can learn – from my oldest sister, Barbara, who became sort of a surrogate mother when my mother went back to work. She was the one who would put my hair in curls as a young girl because she had time. But Mother was always encouraging. There was financial difficulty during my teens, but Mother kept saying, “Well, don’t let this detour you. There is always a way to get what you want to get.” It was always that way with Mother. And so when it came time to discuss going to college, which obviously was expensive, how to pay for it was an issue. And mother said, “Well, work hard, study hard. Maybe you can get a scholarship.” And that’s what happened. Hughes: Before we get you off to college, please tell me more about your dad’s personality. How would you describe dad? Evans: Well, I loved my father. He was a terrible disciplinarian. Hughes: Which is to say not much of a disciplinarian at all? Evans: Not much. (chuckling) So I would always go to him first – his darling little girl – with any requests. And he would almost always say yes. I would never go to my mother first 15
Page 2 and 3: Nancy Evans Research by John C. Hug
Page 4 and 5: certificate says Nancy Ann Bell, wh
Page 6 and 7: England family. There were a lot of
Page 8 and 9: Evans: Yes. My father’s mother wa
Page 10 and 11: Evans: Well, I was a spoiled brat.
Page 12 and 13: wartime. So that was a severe blow
Page 16 and 17: ecause she could say no. So I think
Page 18 and 19: had two grand pianos as well as the
Page 20 and 21: ecause he wasn’t waiting for me.
Page 22 and 23: and then I came. When I competed fo
Page 24 and 25: out of college, living with all the
Page 26 and 27: Christmas program. That was just a
Page 28 and 29: Hughes: What was your first impress
Page 30 and 31: in Vancouver. They were very Britis
Page 32 and 33: Evans: Dan tells this story wonderf
Page 34 and 35: Hughes: I’ve never met Sally Gort
Page 36 and 37: number of times but it’s still so
Page 38 and 39: SAS nonstop. You could have 40 poun
Page 40 and 41: Evans: No. I can’t. I think he wo
Page 42 and 43: Evans: Uh-huh. Hughes: Is that the
Page 44 and 45: Evans: That’s right. And lost. Bu
Page 46 and 47: Hughes: As things went along, were
Page 48 and 49: Hughes: Barry Goldwater may have be
Page 50 and 51: Hughes: Did you really find that pe
Page 52 and 53: Hughes: That’s funny. And then th
Page 54 and 55: Evans: Well, I used to always say t
Page 56 and 57: Evans: Yes, pronounced “Poe-gi.
Page 58 and 59: we’re sitting in the drawing room
Page 60 and 61: cabinet wives - the wives of the ca
Page 62 and 63: Evans: Well, Elsie was one. She was
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Evans: Yes. And in fact I remember
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governor was supposed to arrive at
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pointed two pillows for us that are
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dog, “Peggy! Peggy! Come here, Pe
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een assassinated. So there was a ne
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Hughes: I’m told that the chief h
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Hughes: Was Neil McReynolds the gov
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carpet layer. I was standing there,
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just all the time because we were l
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Nelsen was his name. We hired him a
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Hughes: Nancy didn’t go along? Ev
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The Governor’s Foundation wanted
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ecome “senior” now to separate
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a trundle underneath, so three bunk
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sort of stabbed at it and tried to
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whole thing. I remember I was very
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Hughes: I bet that made a big hit.
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They had been put to bed but they w
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Hughes: I read that you, and I thin
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adjourn. I was young and had never
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at the hotel and said, “Do you ha
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chickens. We don’t like whole chi
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good causes. I couldn’t believe t
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never left your eyes. Paul Newman w
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go back to Dan for a few seconds, b
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Evans: And we don’t carry that ma
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told me that on the first trip he e
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people. Never. Dan had worked quite
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Nancy plays the piano for a sing-a-
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Evans: No. It was organized (in 196
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inauguration of President Obama. Th
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this cute little guy. Then we start
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Evans: No. But we met her and Princ
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the way Pickleball started. The sto
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Evans: Pretty much. I would hope th
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the library, which used to be a lit
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told this story that Jean Gardner c
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Evans: A bit out of the norm. So I
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then sort of a Van Dyke, and finall
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Hughes: Tell me about that. Evans:
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Hughes: Tell us about any other tri
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aquavit, which was terrible. And th
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I remember I was standing in the fr
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early. Well, when Dan was a freshma
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time.” Finally he decided to do i
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and put him on the plane for his ju
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president of the college. He just d
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Evans: Yes. I know he likes and res
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Heffernan: The other question I hav
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He hooked up with a lot of Australi
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think very well. So it was a huge l
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first of January. Then after some l
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But I got the rental furniture deli
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was very interesting. And he always
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Evans: Yes, we did. Hughes: Did you
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So we enjoyed all of that. But when
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was all decorated with very, very c
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me again. But that was my daily wal
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Hughes: You bought a house, tore it
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away after building your first-ever
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had good friends, Sherman and Nouch
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Evans: Yes. And “What about my ch
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learned he was coming to Seattle to
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the fire is lit, the cookies and mi
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very successful and it’s a separa
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Sheppard and she attended the UW. I
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over here. Celia, being a mother, w
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Evans: So they didn’t have to wor
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Hughes: You have always been pretty
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that he’s always easy, but he is
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“Crosscut” 100 Crystal Mountain
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Minnesota 12 Minow, Newt 187 Minto,
Page 208:
Wallgren, Monrad 2 Washington, D.C.
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