Evelyn Austin died earlier this month, May 3rd, at the age of 87. I found out yesterday, and while I wish I had found out earlier, I am glad to know now and I will miss her all the same. Evelyn has always been a friend of our family, extremely close with my grandmother especially. When my own grandmother died, Evelyn became a surrogate to some extent. She proudly displayed photos of my sister and I on her refrigerator as if we were her own flesh and blood. When I would come home from college to visit she would invite me to her house to update her on my education, social life, and to gossip about what had happened in Idyllwild in my absence. Evelyn was always encouraging of my sister and I; towards the the end of her life, when she could hardly see a hand directly in front of her, she would still tell us how beautiful we are. While there have been far too many tragic deaths in Idyllwild lately that garner more publicity that Eveyln's, she holds a special significance, at least to me. When I was much more interested in a career as a trumpeter than I am now, she gave me her husband's old cornet; a silver, Martin, from the 1890s. It is a beautiful horn from an unforgettable person, so I decided to play it for her one last time in this youtube. I miss you Eveyln, and I'm grateful for the role you played in my life.
