'HER FAMILY WAS HER PRIORITY' SUN VALLEY HOMEMAKER ENJOYED SINGING, GET-TOGETHERS.

Byline: Holly J. Andres Staff Writer

Keeping her extended family together was the life's work of longtime Sun Valley resident Evelyn Cunningham, who died of congestive heart and renal failure April 7 in Valencia. She was 78.

``Her family was her priority,'' said her middle daughter, Caren Curren. ``Every Sunday when we were growing up, we would visit somebody in the family. She loved her family and enjoyed having us around.

``There are photos of grandchildren and great-grandchildren all over the house. There was a strong, maternal presence in our family. She was a strong person. She kept on truckin' when a normal person would have thrown in the towel. Being a homemaker suited her fine.''

Cunningham, called ``Babe'' or ``La La'' by relatives and ``Evelyn'' by friends, hated her first name, Zella, Curren said. She wouldn't change it, however, Curren said, because ``she would get lost in the crowd.''

``She cared about everybody; she never said or did anything that was mean,'' said sister-in-law Beverly Clements. ``She had a good disposition. She was a good neighbor to her neighbors. She was a great person. I married her brother to get her as a sister.''

Cunningham, who lived in Sun Valley for 77 years, was a member of the Sun Valley Garden Club for 30 years. She loved fruit and grew orange, fig and apricot trees, as well as strawberries, boysenberries and grapes. Her green thumb extended to successfully growing fuchsias, camellias and cymbidium orchids.

For many years, Cunningham sang with the Verdugo Hills Sweet Adelines Chorus. She loved the music of barbershop quartets as well as that of Frank Sinatra and Perry Como.

Cunningham enjoyed foreign travel. Two of her favorite trips were ones to Ireland, where she particularly loved seeing castles and the heather on the hills. She also enjoyed cruises to Alaska.

``She was generous,'' Curren said. ``She always pinched pennies for herself but gave away to others. Her bargain-hunting rubbed off on me.

``She would strip down her orange tree and set the oranges out for people who walked down the sidewalk. She was generous, welcoming and hospitable.''

Zella Evelyn Clements was born June 4, 1926, in Sun Valley. She attended Roscoe Elementary and Verdugo Hills High schools. She married George Alvin Cunningham Jr. on Nov. 18, 1945. The family attended Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Sun Valley when their daughters were growing up.

Cunningham is survived by her husband, George; daughters, Cathryne Richards, Caren Curren and Christine Graham; seven grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; her sister, Rosemarie Mercy; and her brother, Joseph Clements.

Cunningham was cremated. Her ashes will be scattered at sea following a private family service today.

Donations in her memory can be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital.

Holly Andres, [phone]

holly.andres(at)dailynews.com

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