Evi was born in Kadrina parish, in Virumaa, Estonia on June 5th 1932 to Elli and Johannes Terts. She had a brother, Jaan, who was 4 years older.
Evi grew up on the large family farm in Pöima village. Her uncles and their families all lived close and her cousins were her best friends. The Terts family was large, but very close-knit. The farm had many workers who were also like part of the family.
Life was wonderful.
Then came the war.
The family was on "the list" to be taken by cattle cars to Siberia. As a wealthy landowner and businessman, Johannes was considered an enemy of the state by the invading Soviets. The family was out for the day, running errands. As they headed home, their housekeeper warned them that the "black cars" were waiting for them.
They hid in the forest. They watched their home be burnt down by the Soviet destruction battalion.
Evi’s youngest uncle had already gone to Finland, to check on the situation there. He came back and the entire Terts family went with him by boat to Finland. Evi was 12 when she last saw her home.
The family stayed in Finland for a short while and then crossed over to Sweden. They were registered in a refugee camp, Brogareskolan in Gävle, on September 24th, 1944.
After the refugee camp, the family lived in Trollhattan, where Evi attended school.
Not feeling safe in Sweden, because Sweden was sending some Estonians back to now Soviet occupied Estonia, the family decided to cross the ocean to Canada where they landed in 1950.
They spent a brief time in Ajax, Ontario, at a camp for refugees, until moving to Toronto.
The family worked at a mushroom farm in what is now Scarborough. Evi worked as a babysitter for a doctor's family.
Soon she started working at the Royal Bank of Canada, where she was a loyal employee until her retirement in 1989.
Evi married her first love, Rinaldo (Naldo) Kilu in 1953. They enjoyed a fun life together. They built a cottage and enjoyed their twilight cruises on the lake and waterskiing. They enjoyed hosting parties and living the life of young people without any burdens.
Naldo died young, at the cusp of 50. Evi was heartbroken, but strong.
In August 1980, she connected with Volli Gustavson.
Here started the next chapter of her life.
She and Volli enjoyed sailing, travelling and just being together. They lived separately, but were each other’s biggest support. They were together for longer than Evi and Naldo were married. She loved him dearly. She loved Volli’s daughter, Stella and Volli’s family, like her own.
Evi didn’t have children of her own, but doted on her nephew, Andres and niece, Silvi and their families. It brought her great joy to help with the great-nephews (Vello, Margus & Peeter) and great-niece (Lia).
The latest, greatest joy was the birth of her Great-great-nephew, Henry. She didn’t see him much, but always wanted to hear about him.
She loved to hear about everyone’s pets and laughed so hard at their escapades.
Evi was a loving, kind and generous person til the end. She was always positive.
She had many life-long friends and made new ones easily.
When she moved from her home to Amica, she embraced her life there and made new friends.
Her move to Ehatare was, in her own words, the best thing, as she got to enjoy the company of her own people, sing her own familiar songs, eat her own familiar food, and speak her own language.
Evi lived a beautiful life.
She didn’t dwell on negative things.
She cared.
She loved.
She had a wonderful life.
We will miss her!