Hostess with the mostest

Eva Vest Easley of Bluefield was the hostess with the mostest. In her stately stone house, which guests aptly called “The Easley Mansion,” she and her husband, Tyler, entertained a parade of Baptist ministers, missionaries, denominational leaders, agency and institution heads and other just plain folks. When the local association held a world missions conference, the whole caravan of guest missionaries ate breakfast at the Easleys. Whenever a guest speaker came to Bluefield College or to First Baptist Church, Bluefield, they likely were “put to home” at the Easleys.

Martha Franks, the SBC missionary to China and Formosa, once wrote to her hostess: “In the parable of the Good Samaritan the Scripture says, ‘He took care of him,' which seems to imply everything. You took good care of me!!!” Christine Gregory, former president of the BGAV and of the WMU of the SBC, stayed “in the mansion” and wrote: “For a reason known only to himself, a loving Father gave me a friend in Eva Easley that I did not earn nor deserve. Yet, her love and affirmation has time and time again given me a boost I needed.” Christine enjoyed Eva's “Cabbage for a King” dish as well as her butterscotch rolls.

In 1973 David T. Shannon, who was dean of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (and later president of Virginia Union University), was a houseguest, and the word got out all over the Bluefields that the Easleys had entertained a black man. Someone observed that the one act of hospitality did more for race relations in the area than anything else. Shannon wrote his hosts: “Your hospitality was simply superb and I really felt at home among friends. Not only was my environment comfortable, but I also appreciated the delicious meals, the inspirational devotional periods, the conversation which was so stimulating and the interesting books which you shared with me. It is very encouraging to meet people like you and I thank God for you.”

The Easley house was a mansion. It had a grand entrance hall, imposing staircase, music room, formal dining room, parlor, an elevator, and a large kitchen and family room where visitors gravitated. And the hosts always pointed out the room where Tyler was born in 1922.

Eva and Tyler Easley enjoyed sharing their home, which became an unofficial Baptist hotel for visitors to Southwest Virginia. Actually, they were maintaining a family tradition. Tyler's grandparents, John (the first doctor in Bluefield) and Minerva (the mother of Baptist missions in Bluefield) entertained visiting Baptists at their home. His parents, Frank and Elizabeth Easley, built the home in 1921 at the foot of the hill from Bluefield College. In 1967 Eva and Tyler, who had married in 1945, took up residence in the house. In recent years, they downsized and moved into a new development, turning over “the mansion” to the next generation, John and Rebecca “Becky” Easley Beckett. But even in their new home, Eva and Tyler were keeping guests and serving those delicious meals for which Eva was famous.

Eva was one of six children “born and raised in the East End of Bluefield.” “My parents did not have much in a material way,” she once shared, “but they gave me riches in the Christian and spiritual morals they taught us.”

Kelly Thompson is a student at Bluefield College and a Heritage Fellow of the Center for Baptist Heritage & Studies. She once interviewed Eva, who shared that it was her mother who first taught her the importance of tithing. Her mother would give the children money to drop in the collection plate. “She learned,” wrote Kelly, “that all they had was God's and that it was up to them to give a portion back to him.”

Eva and Tyler met at church and their first “real date” was to go to First Baptist Church, Bluefield. It is the church to which they gave every ounce of devoted service.

Charles B. Nunn Jr, became pastor of First Baptist Church, Bluefield, in 1968, and he immediately began to recognize the leadership potential of Eva Easley. From 1975-79, Eva served on the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, and she was second vice president of the General Association, 1987-88.

In 1976 James Sullivan appointed Eva to an SBC committee, dubbed “Committee of 16,” chaired by Owen Cooper and charged to raise funds for all six SBC seminaries. She also served from 1977-86 on the development council of Southeastern Seminary.

Every good cause attracted Eva Easley: the Salvation Army, the local Heart Association, the Red Cross bloodmobile and the American Cancer Society. She was a trustee of Hargrave Military Academy and Bluefield College

She was generous to everyone. Once she visited a friend at the Bland Correctional Farm and discovered that an African-American woman was refused admittance because the guards thought that her blouse was too revealing. The woman had come from a great distance and had no other clothes to wear. Eva removed her own sweater and gave it to the woman to wear.

Eva's story cannot be told without mentioning cancer. It sneaked into her life when she was 25. It was just in a little mole on her ankle and she was pregnant at the time and couldn't be bothered. When she did have it removed, it was only the beginning of 60 years of living as a cancer survivor. She had recurrences, medical treatment, long periods of being “cured,” and further recurrences. She told her story to many others who had a cancer diagnosis and encouraged them to think positively of themselves as “survivors” rather than “victims.” After all, every day they lived was a day of survival.

Charles Nunn remained a devoted friend long after he left the Bluefield pastorate. He recalled that Eva ran her home by the clock and expected the pastor to do the same. Once when he preached past noon, he saw Eva twitching in her pew. Just for “devilment,” he clapped his hands and said, “I know that some of you are concerned about the time, but I am concerned about eternity.” Afterwards, Eva greeted him by saying, “Boy, you didn't fool me. I knew what you were doing.” Just on time for her but too early for everyone else, Eva Easley died early on Friday morning, Aug. 29, at age 84. Her memorial service was held on Sept. 2 in the Harman Chapel of Bluefield College.

Fred Anderson is executive director of the Virginia Baptist Historical Society and the Center for Baptist Heritage and Studies. He may be contacted at [email protected] or at P.O. Box 34, University of Richmond, VA 23173.