Published: May 19, 2009 07:31 pm      

Friends, colleagues, community remember Anawalt Mayor Rash

ANAWALT — Eva Sue Rash, a tireless leader who guided the small town of Anawalt on the long road to recovery following the devastating 2001 flood, was remembered Tuesday by friends and fellow mayors as a dedicated public servant who spent her life helping others.

“She was always out front heading up everything that needed to be done in Anawalt,” Judy Cortellesi, a member of the McDowell County Commission, said. “She was the first on the scene, and the last one to leave. She will be dearly missed by everyone. The town of Anawalt will never have a mayor I’m sure that will equal the force that Eva Sue was in the town.”

Cortellesi said Rash worked as hard for McDowell County as she did for the town of Anawalt.

“Wherever Eva Sue was needed, Eva Sue was there,” Cortellesi said. “Whether it was on the town level or county level, or as a friend, she was there for you. It’s devastating. She’s battled problems for a while, and she was very brave. She never gave up. She always looked forward to tomorrow, and always kept a smile on her face.”

Rash, 59, was serving her 10th year as mayor of Anawalt at the time of her death Monday.

Bramwell Mayor Louise Stoker said she first met Rash following the horrific July 8, 2001, flood, which ravaged the small McDowell County town.

“That is my greatest memory of her is meeting her when that flood occurred,” Stoker said. “We took some supplies down. She was there overseeing all of the recovery of the flood, and everything that was going on. It’s a great loss. A great loss to the town and the county. It’s a great loss to this area and a personal loss to many people.”

War Mayor Tom Hatcher said Rash also worked as a judge in the city of War.

“She was just here on Wednesday of last week,” Hatcher said. “She talked to us about her medical problem. It’s really sad. I don’t really know how the town of Anawalt will be the same.”

Hatcher said Rash was a special person who loved her town and wanted to help it in all ways possible.

“Eva was such a wonderful and beautiful person and she was loved by many,” Hatcher said. “And she in turn loved us back. Above all, she loved her family. She adored Fred and her sons and spoke of them often in her conversations. She would do anything for them. She loved them tremendously and this love showed in her actions. Eva was dedicated to the people of Anawalt. She was mayor because she loved her town and wanted to help in any way possible. Being the mayor of a small town is not an easy task, but Eva gave ‘her all’ in everything she did. She worried about how to pay the town bills; she fretted over the water, garbage, roads, and other needs and where the next dollar to pay for those needs might be coming from. But this never seemed to get her down.”

Northfork Mayor Nick Mason said Rash also previously worked as a town judge in Northfork.

“She was a nice lady and a good mayor,” Mason said. “She tried to do a whole lot for the town over there. Of course sometimes it is hard to get any financial help to do those things, and it takes money. I’ve got that problem too. Her husband used to be a deputy sheriff. I’ve known Fred for years and years. Eva and I were good friends.”

Gary Mayor Henry Paul said Rash was a “hard worker” for the town of Anawalt.

“She was always pushing for projects to try to get everything better,” Paul said. “She was a nice person to be around, and always had a positive attitude. She’s done a lot for the town of Anawalt.”

– Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com