Eva Lorene Blake

  Noted events in her life were:

• Nickname: Eve.

• Obituary: Beaumont Enterprise, 7 Jun 2007, Jefferson CO, TX. ² Eva Blake Bellard, known as Eve to her many friends and Grandma Eve to her loving grandchildren and great-grandchildren, died Tuesday in Tucson, AZ after what she called her "long and wonderful life" and a brief illness. She was 86. Born in 1920 in Independence, Kansas, Eve grew up in Tucson. She attended the University of Arizona, and when World War II began, she moved to Phoenix, where she met a young G.I. named Francis Bellard. At the end of the war, they married and moved to Beaumont, TX, where they raised a family of 4 children. Later, she lived and worked in Houston for 28 years, retiring in 1986 from General Motors. For the past 20 years, she was an active volunteer in the West Houston Medical Center Auxiliary, serving as president in 1995. Eve came home to Tucson 3 years ago to live out her remaining years near her daughter and "her mountains", and became active in the St. Mary's Hospital Auxiliary. Eve loved to paint, and she painted many beautiful images of the Arizona she loved, as well as many other scenes of nature that were special to her. She also loved to make crafts, which she sold for charity. Eve was preceded in death by her brothers Carl Blake and Jack Blake, and her sister Pauline White. She is survived by her children: son & daughter-in-law Randy & Nancy Bellard of Houston, TX; son & daughter-in-law Tommy & Terry Bellard of Stafford, TX; son & daughter-in-law Mark & Kim Bellard of Beaumont, TX; daughter & future son-in-law Betty Bellard & George O'Keefe of Tucson, AZ. She is survived also by grandchildren Lari Moazami of Tulsa, OK, Courtney & Shane Lambert of Rancho Cucamonga, CA, Monica & Jason Barnett of Houston, Kate Bellard and Kelly Bellard of Beaumont, TX, and Sarah & Tommy Gardner of Tucson. Eve had 8 great grandchildren: Quincy, Andrew, Hannah, Ana, Mia, Madeline and Jack. She also is survived by nieces and nephews Carol Massey, Julie Blake, Mike & Liz Blake, Brad Blake, Sally & Mike Milich, and John & Suzanne Stafford. Memorial services will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at Evergreen Mortuary chapel, 3015 N. Oracle Rd. in Tucson, AZ. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (www.komen.org)

Eva married Francis Durward Bellard, son of Durward Cornelious Bellar and Eugenia Francis.¹ (Francis Durward Bellard was born on 25 Mar 1917 in Jefferson CO, TX ³ and died on 24 Apr 1996 in Jefferson CO, TX ⁴.)