Evelyn Joyce (Harris) Cantrell, beloved mother, Nana, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, daughter, and friend, passed away peacefully on September 15, 2026, at the age of 74. Evelyn was born on February 17, 1952, in Orange, to Joe Bailey Harris and Ocella Initha (Barnhart) Harris. Joe and Ocella were both blind and raised two daughters who had full vision. Evelyn grew up in Orange with her older sister, Audrey, whom she called “Bye,” and remembered their childhood as happy and full of adventure. They climbed trees, played school and grocery store, made mudpies, played with dolls, sucked honeysuckle nectar, and stayed outside until nearly dark. When Bye first started school, Evelyn cried because she felt all alone. But each day Bye brought home the peanut butter cookie she had saved from her school lunch for her little sister.

Her childhood memories were filled with the simple things she treasured: riding in the back of Papa’s truck to the dump on Saturdays and coming home with something to play with, fishing with cane poles at Adams Bayou, eating vegetables straight from Papa’s garden, and listening to the bedtime stories her mother made up about Jane and Susie, two little girls who were always getting into mischief. Christmas meant homemade decorations made from popcorn and construction paper, stockings with a candy cane and an orange, and toys made by Papa. As Evelyn later wrote, “Aunt Bye and I never had luxuries, but we had a happy childhood. To us, this was normal.”

That closeness to family stayed with Evelyn throughout her life. She remembered telling her own mother that she never wanted to grow up because she didn’t want to leave her. Evelyn became the mother of Angela Deneane Martinez and Valerie Nicole (Martinez) Cluff, and Nana to Jayda Guzman, Halle Cluff, Mia Cluff, Sienna Cluff, Ryder Cluff, Kason Cluff, Juliet Cluff, Jace Cluff, and Scarlet Cluff. She was also a great-grandmother to Emilia Guzman.

Throughout her life, Evelyn held a variety of jobs, including working as a grocery store clerk, a certified nurse’s aide for hospice, and selling insurance.

Evelyn was spunky, eccentric, outspoken, stubborn, sassy, and adorable. And there was no shortage of things she loved. She loved her family, fishing, crafts, bingo, animals, scary movies, anything paranormal, and Westerns. She loved the color purple—not the movie, the actual color—and she believed in Bigfoot. She loved all her dogs and cats over the years and, most recently, adored Meow Meow, a strawberry longhaired cat, and Snuggles, a Bichon Frisé dog. She also loved making chicken and dumplings and 7-up cake for the people she loved, her traditional chicken and dressing at Thanksgiving, and making candy at Christmas. At church, she was known for spoiling the children in her primary class with treats and crafts.

Faith was part of Evelyn’s life from childhood. Her father made sure the family went to church every week, and one of her proud childhood memories was singing “I’ll Walk with God” with her sixth-grade choir when they won first place among six schools. Looking back, Evelyn wrote that she never regretted her childhood and knew her parents had done the best they could.

Evelyn also enjoyed traveling. In her later years, she visited family and friends in Florida, Oklahoma, Utah, and Indiana, traveled to Tombstone, Arizona, and cruised the Caribbean and Alaska. Some of her happiest moments could also be found much closer to home, gathered around the kitchen table playing her favorite dice game, “5000.”

Evelyn is survived by her daughters, Angela Martinez and Valerie Cluff (Nelson); grandchildren, Jayda Guzman (Arturo 'Tito'), Halle Cluff, Mia Cluff, Sienna Cluff, Ryder Cluff, Kason Cluff, Juliet Cluff, Jace Cluff, and Scarlet Cluff; greatgrandchild, Emilia Guzman; her aunt Audrey L. Seago, as well as extended family and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, William “Bill” Cantrell; her sister, Audrey Ledbetter; her brother-in-law, Donnie Ledbetter; and her parents, Joe and Ocella Harris.

Evelyn will be remembered for her spunk, her strong opinions, her love of family, her faith, and her ability to find adventure and happiness in ordinary things. We will remember her when we fish, make chicken and dumplings, see the color purple, hear a good ghost story, watch a Western, play bingo, or find ourselves laughing about one of the stories she left behind. We will tell her stories, laugh about the memories, and continue to love her.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Starr Funeral Home, 510 Starr Street in Hemphill, Texas.

Burial will follow at Horton Cemetery in Bronson, Texas. Pallbearers will be Nelson Cluff, Ryder Cluff, Kason Cluff, Jace Cluff, Tito Guzman, Jim Fogle, and Tony Patillo.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, September 26, 2026, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, 500 W. Bonds Ranch Road in Haslet, Texas.

Evelyn’s life will be remembered with love, laughter, and plenty of stories by the family and friends who knew and loved her.

Memories and condolences may be shared at starrfuneralhome. com.