Obituary of Evaughn Antionette Lewis Ferrell

Evaughn Antionette Lewis Ferrell, 82 years old, of Newman, California, passed away on February 18, 2023 in the city of Modesto, California. 

Visitation will be at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, March 10, 2023 at Sierra View Memorial Mortuary, 4900 Olive Ave. Olivehurst, California.

Funeral service will begin at 1:00 p.m. in the chapel of Sierra View Memorial Mortuary with longtime friend and Pastor Maurice Gadson of Christian Fellowship Baptist Church officiating from Kansas City, Missouri. Burial will follow at Sierra View Memorial Park. 

Evaughn Antionette was born on April 22, 1940 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to James William Lewis & Maud S. Smith Lewis. Evaughn and her twin sister Yvonne (pronounced Uoo-von) were the youngest two girls of ten children born to the union of James and Maud Lewis. Evaughn's twin sister died in November 1940, before they were even a year old. Evaughn's dog, Wag, helped her to learn to walk and she lived a long fruitful life. 

Evaughn grew up on the Lewis farm in Lowry Township, Oklahoma. She was one of the first black teenagers to integrate Guthrie High School in the late 1950's. In high school, she participated in maby school activities, including cheerleading, basketball and the Guthrie High School Chorus. She has a beautiful contralto voice. Evaughn married and moved to California where she joined her older sisters Bettye and Amanda and her brothers Delma and Ernest.

Evaughn had three beautiful children: Basil E. Horton III, Renita Horton & Rosalyn Prater. Evaughn lived in Palo Alto for many years and worked at the NASA library at Sanford University. She later remarried, Thomas Ray Ferrell, in Palo Alto. They lived in Palo Alto & San Jose before retiring and moving to Yuba City, California. Evaughn and Thomas worshiped at the First Baptist Church in Yuba City, and they had bible study together each night. Evaughn was a gifted amateur photographer and took & kept many pictures of her children, grandchildren, friends and family members. She was also an avid gardener with a real "green thumb" who loved to nurture flowers, garden vegetables, fruit trees and plants inside and outside of the house. She liked to cook for her family on the holidays and loved to dance. 

Evaughn was preceded in death by her dear husband, Thomas Ray Ferrell; her parents, Mr. James & Mrs. Maud S. Smith Lewis; and eight brothers and sisters: James Cornelius Lewis, Delma Gene Lewis, Ernest Harold Lewis, William Roosevelt Lewis, Saide Maud Lewis, Amanda Earline Lewis & Yvonne Annette Lewis. 

To cherish her memory. Evaughn leaves: a brother, Ira Lawrence Lewis, and a sister, Bettye June Lewis; three children: Mr. Basil (Griselda) Horton III, Ms. Renita R. Horton & Ms. Rosalyn Prater; nine grandchildren: Basil Horton IV, Shavonne Horton, Diamante Horton, Dahlia Horton, Jewel Horton, Chris Bueno, Ajene Vickers, Vonisha Raines & Vaughn Raines; eight great-grandchildren: Zenia, Zoe, Christiana, Laylah, Khai'ri, Allen, Aiyanna, Kaci, many in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and other family & friends. 

The Pallbearers are as follows:

Marcel Lewis, Myron Lewis Jr., Basil Horton IV

Marvin Lewis, Diamante Horton, Jewel Horton 

She will be greatly missed by all.