For the past five years, members of the Mower County Senior Center had the opportunity to exercise with Evie. Although the program will continue, the opportunity to meet the inspiration for the program has gone.

Evelyn B. Anderson passed away Sept. 15, 2014. Her son, Jay Lutz, remembered her as energetic.

“Very energetic before she got sick, always active,” he said.

Anderson worked various secretarial jobs during her career, and worked at the Hormel Corporate office for 13 years.

She volunteered for many organizations, including Semcac, the American Red Cross, the Mower County Senior Center front desk and St. Marks Lutheran Home. She loved to go hiking and on day trips.

“She just always tried to stay busy, stay active and keep moving, try to be involved and try to help,” Lutz said.

After moving back to Austin from the Twin Cities in 2010, Anerson got involved in the Mower County Senior Center. About five years ago, she decided to bring a couple of workout DVDs in and make a weekly program of it.

Close friend Diane Wacholz also recalled Anderson’s love for keeping active.

“I think she enjoyed exercise, and she started the program because of that,” Wacholz said.

“Exercise with Evie” takes place from 1 to 2 p.m. every Monday and from 9 to 10 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday. Even though Anderson is gone, the program lives on. The DVDs are a combination of walking and weight-lifting, but at a pace that anyone can participate in, including senior citizens. The two discs she brought in were called “Walk Away the Pounds” with Leslie Sansone, and “Chair Dancing: Sit Down and Tone Up” with Jodi Stoloves.

“I think she enjoyed people, and she just wanted seniors to remain active, and that would help with the ability to be active, and it’s kind of at the pace of senior citizens,” Wacholz said.

Lutz was glad when his mother got involved in the program.

“I thought it was a good thing,” Lutz said. “I thought it was great; I thought it was great that she was still that active and that she cared enough about other people to keep that going.”

After she got too sick to be involved in the program, Wacholz and another member started to lead the group.

“We just carry it on because we knew Evie would want it carried on,” Wacholz said.

The class has grown since it first started about five years ago.

“I think it was Evie, she kind of made it grow year by year,” Wacholz said. “A lot of times, especially in the winter, we have more than 20 people.”

Yet Anderson isn’t only remembered for her love of activity. She is also remembered for her love of people and her warm personality.

“She just really enjoyed people,” Wacholz added. “She was just such a nice, welcoming person.”