If you were to imagine a person who loves to travel, who enjoys spending time with friends and going to concerts and who walks one mile every day, you would probably not visualize a 98-year old.  But in the case of this Friends Life Care member, you would be wrong!

Meet Friends Life Care member Evelyn Summers!

Evelyn Summers was born in Oklahoma City in 1919. She completed her undergraduate studies in St. Charles, Mo. at Lindenwood College, a small women’s college that later turned co-ed, earning degrees in piano and organ. She then went on to receive her Master’s from Oberlin Conservatory.

Evelyn had planned to teach collegiate piano, but quickly realized upon graduating that positions in the field were scarce. Instead, she accepted a job at Toledo Museum of Art teaching music programs for children ages 4 through 8. Throughout her 6 years living in Ohio, Evelyn taught music appreciation courses, hosted a children’s radio program, and met a law professor working for Toledo University who is now her husband.

In 1949, the pair moved to Buffalo, NY where they started a family with four lovely children.  Evelyn’s husband was granted sabbaticals every 7 years, so the Summers family traveled and lived abroad quite a bit. “Our first sabbatical was in Sweden,” Evelyn recalls, “we took our four children, ages 4, not quite 3, 1 and 5-week-old baby and traveled via boat – quite a year!” Over the years, the Summers lived in Belgium, Germany, England, Puerto Rico, Switzerland and Japan.

Once returning to the States, Evelyn taught both public music classes and private piano lessons. In 1983, she volunteered to teach English to foreign students at International House, and continued to teach until this past Spring when they did away with the language program. She now spends her time attending many concerts, seeing friends, and taking daily one-mile walks.

Evelyn Summers has lived a very fulfilling and active life and, thanks to Friends Life Care, continues to do so while staying in her own home. By becoming a member and transferring the risk to a long-term care plan, Evelyn is able to dance through life without the fears of aging.

Want more information on what a Friends Life Care Membership has to offer? Click here to find out more!