Eva Simmons, Organist Emerita of Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren, Dies at 101

Eva Kathryne Meyers Simmons, who passed away on March 27, 2026, at the age of 101, was a devoted member of the Church of the Brethren. Born in Fresno, California, in 1924, she was the daughter of farmer parents Will and Johanna Meyers. From an early age, Eva showed a passion for music, accompanying her Brethren church on the organ at age 7 and continuing to play until she retired as “Organist Emerita” from Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren in Glen Arm, Maryland.

Eva married Carl Simmons, Jr., in 1949 while they were both students at Bethany Biblical Seminary in Chicago. The couple served Brethren churches across the United States, raising a family in various locations including Saint John, Kansas; Sacramento, California; Yakima, Washington; Albany, Oregon; Klamath Falls, Oregon; and Dundalk, Maryland. They also held interim pastorates in Maryland before retiring from First Church of the Brethren in Baltimore. Eva and Carl were active members of Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren.

Eva’s professional life was dedicated to education, particularly in Baltimore City’s middle and secondary schools. She earned a Master of Education degree from the University of Maryland, College Park. Her service to the Church extended beyond music and ministry; she taught adults and children, quilted for charitable causes, and contributed to relief efforts through sorting donations and packing health kits for organizations like SERVV at New Windsor. She also worked alongside Dan West, who helped establish Heifer International, an organization focused on alleviating global poverty and hunger.

Eva was known for her love of family and community, often bringing homemade lemon meringue pie and meatloaf to church potlucks. She embraced life with a cheerful attitude, often saying, “I’ll have a little of everything.” Her travels across the United States allowed her to maintain connections with distant family and former parishioners, and she made it a priority to expose her children to national parks and cultural experiences.

Eva was predeceased by her son Wendell, her husband Carl, and her older sister Esther, who lived to be 100. She is survived by her sons Phillip and his wife Linda; Glenn and his wife Lois “Kittie”; daughters Virginia “Gini” and Lynette “Lyn” Miller and her husband Joel; her eight grandchildren and their spouses; six great-grandchildren; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

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