Mary Evelyn Drew

December 28, 2025

Mary Evelyn Drew
October 8, 1924 – December 24, 2025

Mary Evelyn Libertus was born on October 8, 1924 to Ona and John Libertus in Hamilton County, Kansas. She joined four brothers—Mike, Ike, Allen, and Leroy. The family lived on a farm Ona and John purchased in 1919. They later sold the farm and moved to Coolidge where the children attended school. Evelyn was active in sports, particularly basketball where, once again, she didn’t let her small size hold her back. She also played the violin and had a beautiful soprano voice she used to sing in the choir. After graduating in 1942, she married Robert Grant Drew on August 22nd in Boise City, Oklahoma. Bob was drafted in 1943 and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. 

Their daughter, Nadella Ann, was born in the fall of 1943 in Syracuse while Bob was still serving. Evelyn worked in the office at Davis Motor Company. After the war ended, Bob came home and worked in Syracuse at the Kansas Department of Transportation. Evelyn eventually went on to get a degree in education from Emporia State University. The family of three briefly moved to Kendall, Kansas where Evelyn started her teaching career. She taught different grades and coached girls’ high school basketball. In 1950, Evelyn was offered a teaching job in the country school called Rising Star, a one-room schoolhouse south of Syracuse. She taught different grades all together and enjoyed the children and their parents until the school was eventually closed.

Evelyn was later hired as a Kindergarten teacher in Syracuse. Classes were held in two groups—morning and afternoon. Her largest class was sixty children a day, with no teacher’s aide! Her classroom was a magical place—from the large fishtank she always kept squeaky clean and full of goldfish to the iconic elephant slide in the playground that has now found a new home in the museum here in town. Evelyn was well-known for the annual plays she wrote and directed for her classes to perform. Every child had a part to play. Mothers made costumes and the event was held in the McCoy Auditorium.  It was always well-attended by proud family members and the community. 

Evelyn’s passion was teaching but family time with Bob and Nadella always came first. She loved her huge extended family as well.

She loved tap dancing, square dancing and Western dancing. She enjoyed bowling in leagues at Hilltop Lanes and movies as a family on the weekends at Northrup Theater. They were members of the Methodist Church and Sundays were spent at the church including involvement with Nadella who was active in Methodist Youth Fellowship. Evelyn was involved in many community organizations over the years including Eastern Star, International Order of the Rainbow for Girls with Nadella, the Oddfellows Lodge with Bob and the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks (BPOE) in Lamar, Colorado with Bob.  

After forty years of teaching, Evelyn retired in 1987 and life changed. Life changed drastically again when Bob passed away unexpectedly the following year in 1988. 

 Her grandkids grew up, married, and made her a great grandmother. She taught them to play dominoes, cards, board games and so much more. They all learned that even if Grandma’s rules might vary a bit from time to time in her favor, they were still Grandma’s rules. 

 Well into her nineties, she volunteered her time at the community newspaper--The Syracuse Journal. She loved playing bingo, scratching lotto tickets, visiting Nadella, spending time with her extended family in the area, and her dear friends in the Syracuse community including her neighbors, The Hedbergs—Tim, Rhonda, Kylee, Kelly, Keith, Kegan, and Kelsey became family.

In July of 2023, Evelyn was voted The Silver Queen and proudly wore her sash and crown in the Hamilton County Parade where she was cheered on and celebrated by the crowd. The following year in October, she was honored with a 100th birthday celebration.

Within the last few months, Evelyn moved to a care home in Colorado near her grandson and granddaughter in law, Mike and Rhonda. She passed peacefully to the next life where we know so many were waiting to greet her in heaven.

A Syracuse icon, she was tiny but mighty and will be deeply missed by many. 

Immediate family preceding Evelyn in death include her parents (John and Ona Libertus), her in-laws (Paul and Stella Crist), her brothers (Mike, Ike, Allen, and Leroy), her husband (Bob Drew), her son-in-law (Chuck Koehn), and one grandson (Bruce Koehn).

She is survived by her daughter Nadella Koehn of Argyle, TX; grandson Mike (Rhonda) Koehn of Elizabeth, CO; granddaughter Charene (Mark) Griffith of Southlake, TX; great granddaughter Brooke (Harry) Asprey of Argyle, TX; great granddaughter Drew Biermeier of Argyle, TX; great granddaughter Emily Koehn of Elizabeth, CO; and great great grandson William Asprey of Argyle, TX. Also surviving are numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, December 27, 2025  at the First United Methodist Church of Syracuse. Donations can be made in Evelyn’s honor to USD 494 Education Foundation, PO Box 1187, Syracuse, KS 67878.