My grandmother Evelyn with my father William Preston Williams at Dundee Military School, Chicago, 1934 - 1935There was no one in the Maybelline family more
invincible than Evelyn Williams...at least that's what she wanted us all to believe.
With the same voratious appetite Evelyn had for succeeding in all areas of her life, including playing the violin, mastering the stage as a ballerina and finally securing a position within the Maybelline family, she focused on her only child William Preston Williams Jr. (Bill.)
Evelyn wasn't your ordinary sweet homemaker, though she did love her son as ferociously as a mother Lion loves her cub, however her main objective was to instill a mindset for survival in the boy and that meant creating an indisputable bond between Bill and his uncle Tom Lyle Williams.
She succeeded, though not without making herself unpopular with the rest of the Williams family. Evelyn fought on the battlefield of life in her pursuit to win at all costs and today I realize my remarkable grandmother, the original auntie Mame, was two generations ahead of her time.
A tiny 5' 2" powerhouse with boundless energy, Machiavellian mental machinations and the ability to outsmart the smartest of wild cats, she had one desire. To place her clan at the top of the heap no matter what the price and Evelyn paid the highest price of all... with her life!
Read more about Evelyn Williams incredible story and her ability to get what she wanted - while growing even more beautiful and glamorous as she aged in
The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It.
Nana was a diva in every respect and not only expected but demanded I follow in her footsteps. I wonder if she'd be pleased today with the fact I've dedicated my life to her memory and the family she loved so much.
