Evelyn Tracy Stout

On Oct. 25, the world lost a most incredible woman. Evelyn Tracy Russell Stout was a dancer, welder, machinist, pioneer, and adventurer but more importantly she was our mother, our grandmother and our great-grandmother.

Tracy was born in Kansas City, Kansas Feb. 18, 1924 to Bertha Margaret Bell Russell and Undril Ulysses Russell. Tracy was born with a defective patenductus valve in her heart in an age that had not yet discovered the medical breakthroughs of today. As an adult she became the second cardiac surgery done in the United States and the experimental surgery performed then opened the doors to modern cardiac surgery. Every cardiac physician she would see through out her life would get to read her surgery report and left them gasping and amazed that anyone survived.

Today due to what they learned over the years the modern procedures are same day surgery! The original surgery report reflected that the experimental surgery and drugs they used caused her to become deaf and also left her with a paralyzed vocal chord. Her voice took on the whiskey soaked tone that every boyfriend I ever had thought was sexy. It made me crazy.

As a young child she attended a one room school house after being sent to the country by the city doctors where she lived on the "old home place" in Clarksburg Mo. with her spinster great aunt and her bachelor uncles. Tracy lived there until her first year of high school when she was able to return to the city and her parents. She would for the rest of her life love the country. Tracy managed even with her heart defect to learn to tap dance and actually was part of a troupe who danced for society events held in the famous Country Club Plaza.

She always said she was a lousy dancer but she could jitterbug like no ones business. She met her soul mate while in high school; James William Stout (Bill) after the beat up Model T he and his friend were driving crashed into the drainage ditch in front of her parent's home. Her grandfather who was cleaning the ditch was knocked out it into the yard, he was shaken but unhurt. Tracy who wrote the book on acting like a lady proceeded to give Bill and his buddy a cussing that would have made a sailor blush!

Bill later told his mother that he hoped that he never ran into that woman again! Years later they would elope to Las Vegas and marry and even after his death in 1982 she never remarried knowing that he was her one and only. She was a welder during WWII and built airplanes her size allowing her to get in places most couldn't fit. She used to say she was 5'2" we never believed her but she was larger than life in so many ways. Tracy is survived by her beloved son Charles James Stout of Oxnard and much loved daughter Robin Marsh O'Grady, her adopted son and completely devoted son-in-law Thomas H O'Grady.

Her very best birthday present her grandson Cassidy A Marsh with great-grandson Gage Cassidy Marsh and her special piece of sunshine granddaughter Sabrina Marsh Karlsen and loved husband Leif Karlsen who are expecting Tracy's second great-grandchild in May. She always said that she was blessed with her family but those of us who were her family have always felt that the opposite was true.

Tracy and her wonderful spirit touch so many lives she was the most honest, devoted, unselfish person who loved mornings and washing dishes and who loved us without boundaries. She always knew and made you believe that no matter what that everything would be ok. Amazingly it always was.

It was her wish that she be cremated and her ashes spread with Bill's in the Pacific Ocean, and has asked that we celebrate her life and not mourn. We will have instead a celebration of her wonderful life at her home at 345 Ibsen Place, Oxnard CA (Oxnard Imperial Mobile Home Park on Saviers Rd), 4-6:30 p.m. on Thursday Oct. 29.
"If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together, there is something you must always remember, you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think, but the most important thing is, even if we're apart.. I'll always be with you."

Winnie the Pooh