Evelyn Folkers, age 105, rooting her Chicago Cubs on from Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon
Evelyn Folkers of Monona dons her Chicago Cubs vest and hat while holding a letter she recently received from the Cubs organization thanking her for being a loyal fan. Folkers celebrated her 105th birthday September 27 and has been a patient at Veterans Memorial Hospital since just before that milestone celebration, but that has not prevented her from continuing to cheer on her Cubs during their first World Series appearance since 1945. Standard photo by Joe Moses.
by Joe Moses
Life-long baseball fan Evelyn Folkers of Monona has been keeping a watchful eye on the Chicago Cubs' progress as they have made their way back to the World Series for the first time since 1945. Even an extended stay at Veterans Memorial Hospital hasn't kept the 105-year-old Folkers from keeping up with her Cubs, a team that recently recognized her for being a loyal fan.
Folkers became a fan of the Cubs in the mid-1980s after marrying her second husband, John Folkers, who was also a fan. John's son and Evelyn's step-son, Rich Folkers, is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1970 to 1977 for several teams, including the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals and the San Diego Padres. Evelyn has had a strong connection to baseball that continues to this day for the 105-year-old resident of Monona.
Evelyn is currently staying at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon while recovering from an illness but continues to watch the Cubs' progress on television, when it hasn't been blacked out due to broadcast rights on competing networks.
Evelyn's great-nephew's wife, Sandy Ryan, recently contacted the Chicago Cubs organization and let them know about Evelyn being one of the Cubs' biggest fans and also being a centenarian who recently celebrated her 105th birthday September 27, shortly after her hospital stay began. The Cubs organization responded with a letter thanking Evelyn for her years of support of the Cubs as a fan and included an Ernie Banks baseball card as a keepsake. Evelyn plans to frame the letter and baseball card and display it in her room upon returning to her residence at Garden View Assisted Living in Monona.
The last World Series championship won by the Cubs was in 1908, which would have been three years before Evelyn was born. That year, the defending champion Chicago Cubs won against the Detroit Tigers in five games. The Cubs' last World Series appearance in 1945 was also against the Detroit Tigers, when the Cubs lost in seven games. Evelyn has been watching as the Cubs continue to battle the Cleveland Indians in the 2016 World Series.
