Eva Mae Kerlick-Gohlke passed away at Emeritus Assisted Living, San Antonio, Texas, on June 7, 2014, surrounded by her loving family.
Born Oct. 9, 1915, in Green, Texas, to Nettie and James Pinckney McCarley, Eva was one of 12 children, with whom she was a fraternal twin to Neva. She attended school in Karnes City, Texas, where her family resided. As a young woman, she met Alfred J. Kerlick of Ecleto, Texas, a school teacher with whom she fell in love and married on June 22, 1939. She and Alfred made their home in Yorktown and purchased the Red and White Grocery Store, which in later years was renamed Kerlick’s Super Market. They reared three daughters. She and her husband were active in St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and other civic organizations. In the early 1950s, Eva opened a Merle Norman cosmetics studio and remained in the cosmetic business, as well as their grocery business until their retirement. After Alfred’s death she was introduced to and married Norman Gohlke of Yorktown, on August 25, 1983, in St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. Eva was active in St. Paul’s Miriam’s Circle until she left Yorktown to live with her daughter, Janice and son-in-law, Maurice, in Florida. She eventually moved back to Texas where she lived with her daughter Mary Gail and son-in-law, John, in Houston. Our mother was blessed with an eye for beauty, whether it be personal style, fashion, decorating, gardening, or setting a table for family and friends. She took great pride in her family.
She is survived by her three daughters, Mary Gail Wise and son-in-law, John of Houston, Janice Dene Haddad of San Antonio, and Valda Kay Florence and son-in-law, Doug, of San Antonio.She has seven beautiful and devoted grandchildren, 12 loving great grandchildren, and numerous step-grandchildren and step-great grandchildren.
She was predeceased by her husbands, Alfred J. Kerlick and Norman Gohlke, her parents, J. P. and Nettie, all of her siblings, and her son-in-law, Maurice Haddad. F
amily welcomes guests to celebrate Eva’s life at a memorial service to be held at 2:00 P.M., June 29, 2014, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 234 N. Gohmert St. in Yorktown, Texas, and a reception following at the Yorktown Historical Museum, 144 W. Main St.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 245, Yorktown, Texas 78164 or The Arthritis Foundation (Texas), 4300 MacArthur Ave., Suite 245, Dallas, Texas 75209-6524.
