Evelyn Tauxe

Evelyn Reidun Gustavsen Tauxe, age 90 of Salem, passed away Sunday, February 20, 2022. She was born October 19, 1931 in Tacoma, Washington to Jens Gustavsen and Ingrid Gustavsen.  She married Leif Eriksen in San Francisco in 1954 and later divorced in 1974.  She then was married to Robert Tauxe in Los Osos, California on August 2, 1975 and they were happily married for 30 years before his death on September 4, 2005.  They were later sealed together in the Phoenix Arizona Temple on December 29, 2020.

Evelyn started her life auspiciously as she came out arm first.  Up until then, most mothers and babies did not survive.  There just happened to be a doctor from Chicago who developed a method for this type of birth and was teaching doctors in Tacoma when Evelyn was born.  After failing with his first attempt with this method, he was able to successfully save Evelyn and her mother.  Her father Jens was a Methodist minister at the time for a Norwegian congregation in Tacoma and when the depression started, he and her mother moved back to Norway when Evelyn was 9 months old taking her and her older sister Mildred who was 19 months old with them.

Evelyn grew up in Norway during WWII when Norway was occupied by Nazi Germany.  She told of amazing tales when she and Mildred would go to town to buy milk and groceries for their Mother and her two baby sisters Wenche and Rigmor.  They would have to go through checkpoints with German soldiers and one time she was so scared that she began to run and a soldier was about to shoot when her sister Mildred screamed for her to stop.  She also spent a lot time in the forest near their home picking berries and mushrooms so they would have enough to eat.

Evelyn loved to play golf and won several awards but her pride and joy was when she got her one and only hole in one.  She loved to play games and was very good.  She was particularly fond of baking as she would bake cookies, cakes, brownies and especially cupcakes for her friends and family as she earned the name of Mrs. Cupcake.

When Evelyn was 87 years old she decided to be baptized and become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints.

Evelyn is survived by her sons Stan (Kay) Eriksen of Salem, Utah and David (Connie) Ray of Pismo Beach, California whom she loved dearly.  She would read books and sing with them when they were young and would love to visit them as much as she could when they were older.

A viewing for family and friends will be held on Saturday, February 26, 2022 from 10:00-11:00 am at Sundberg-Olpin Mortuary, 495 South State Street, Orem, with a graveside service immediately following at 12:00 pm at the Salem City Cemetery, 965 South 140 East, Salem, UT 84653.

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