Eva Meeks and her loved ones are celebrating her 100th birthday this Sunday!
Eva was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania on February 4, 1924. She was born to Bruno Ciliberti and Guiseppina Ciliberti (Staltari), who both immigrated to the United States from Calabria, Italy. At Ellis Island, they changed Bruno’s surname to Gilbert.
She had three sisters, Jean, Vicki and Inez, who she enjoyed spending time with along with her friends. When Eva was in high school, the family moved to New York where she met the love of her life.
She met Grant Brinkerhoff Meeks in New York during his time in the Navy. They fell in love and got married at Niagara Falls. Their first child, Edward (Tedd) Meeks, was born in New York, and after that they moved to Lovell, Wyoming, where Grant was a native. Later, the family moved to Worland, Wyoming and had three more children, Lynn Beardsley, Randy Meeks and Dru Ann Alexander. Eva then resided in Rock Springs, Wyoming for most of her life.
She was very involved in and hosted many Card Club Parties, and she loved crocheting and needle point. She also won runner-up in the Miss Washakie Pageant. She was beautiful and still to this day, an extremely beautiful woman. This all came second to her being an amazing mother. Eva would make fudge divinity penuche, and always included her children in the baking of her beloved sweets. She always was a very attentive mother to her children, which led to her becoming a very attentive and fun grandmother to her 11 grandkids. She would always have an abundance of candy corns for them.
Her family has ballooned with 29 wonderful great-grandkids and 7 great-great-grandkids, as well as many grafted in family members. To this day, she always has a warm and genuine smile on, and no matter her age, she has a firm and loving hug for each one of her family members. She has always been one to laugh the hardest! Eva has the best sense of humor, and she would slap her leg laughing that hard.
She is also a woman of very few words, but when she speaks, you listen. She never injects or bullies herself into anyone’s life, she just adds to them. She asks if her loved ones want her opinion before she gives it, and it’s always welcome because of that. She is soft, funny, sweet and yes, spicy!
Eva has persevered and made it to 100 years of age with her easy-going style and her overabundance of love and forgiveness. She has no issues sticking up for herself and letting you know a thing or two, but you must really earn it to get that from her. Her fun, sweet and kind nature has always been her way of life. Her family jokes about her diet cokes preserving her for all these years. She had to have one of those daily, and this was her treat. Family gatherings have always been her favorite. You can always see her sitting there watching everyone with a huge smile on her face. She would always laugh at the little kids and is always in on the jokes and laughter.
She is truly a gift from God to our family and we are so thankful we’ve had her for these 100 years. Happy Birthday, Eva! We love you more than you could ever know.”
~Eva’s family
