Evelyn Bruce Kingsbery

Evelyn Bruce Kingsbery passed away in Kerrville, Texas on February 25, 2023. She was born in the Shaw Bend community in San Saba County on August 13, 1929, to Charles Daniel Bruce and Leona Banister Bruce.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack Kingsbery. Evelyn is survived by her four children: Ann and Mike Hilliard of Arizona; Bob and Kerri Kingsbery of Tioga; Kay Kingsbery Bell of Kerrville; and Bruce and Karyn Kingsbery of Uvalde. Her grandchildren are Amber Anderson of Frisco; Michael Kingsbery and wife Laura of Prosper; Barbara Bowers and husband Brian of Kerrville; Sarah Branscomb and husband Trey of Kerrville; Emma Clark and husband Ray of Bulverde; Maj. Cole Kingsbery, USAF, and wife Samie of Layton, Utah; LCDR Grant Kingsbery, USN, and wife Bonnie of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Great-grandchildren are Faith, Jacob, and Alexis of Frisco; Derek and Conner of Prosper; Jack, Luke, and Sadie Bowers, and Banister and Bennett Branscomb, of Kerrville; Sawyer and Porter of Layton; Madison and Clay of Virginia Beach; and McCoy of Bulverde. She is also survived by nieces Joan Hunter, Sue and husband John Porter, Carol and husband Bob Otto; nephews Walter Robin, Joe Kingsbery and wife Huimin, Walter Kingsbery and companion Jane Christman, Stuart Kingsbery and wife Lauren, and Bill Kingsbery and wife Heidi; step-grand-daughter Sharon Womack Cufone, and many great-nieces, great-nephews and cousins. 

Evelyn grew up on ranches in San Saba, Kimble, Brown, and Coleman Counties, and graduated from Santa Anna High School. She attended Tarleton State College for two years and graduated from Sul Ross State College. She competed in college rodeo and was a founding member of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA). Later she was on the alumni board at Tarleton and was active in the NIRA alumni organization. She started teaching school in Leakey in 1950. She married Jack Kingsbery in Santa Anna on June 30, 1951. Evelyn and Jack ranched in Uvalde and Zavala Counties. For many years, Evelyn taught in public schools at Batesville, Crystal City, La Pryor, and Carrizo Springs. She earned her Master of Library Science at Our Lady of the Lake College, worked at Southwest Texas Junior College, and was Library Director at SWTJC for eight years.

After retirement, Evelyn and Jack moved to College Station, and then to Kerrville in 2015. After Jack’s death in 2016 she continued her much-enjoyed volunteer activities, operating a camera during worship services at Trinity Baptist Church, Kerrville, and investing time at Hill Country Youth Ranch at Ingram. She had a vibrant faith in Christ and loved history, reading, writing, horses, travel, her public school and college students, and spending treasured time with family.

“God has blessed me incredibly with family, friends, work, ranch life, travel, and the opportunity to enjoy and marvel at His creation. My faith is centered in Jesus Christ and His promise of eternal life. How great is that?” Evelyn Kingsbery, age 87.

The family requests that any memorial gifts be given to charities Evelyn treasured: Hill Country Youth Ranch, https://youth-ranch.givingfuel.com/online-donations-to-hcyr;  Trinity Baptist Church Building Fund, https://www.tbck.org/giving-portal/;  or Peterson Hospice Blessing Fund, 250 Cully Dr., Kerrville, TX 78028.

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