Cleveland community rallies around Everly Jean Hewitt and her memory

CLEVELAND, Minn. (KEYC) - The city of Cleveland and Cleveland Public School is paying tribute to one of their own.

“Social butterfly, loved all of the children, loved all of the adults that were with her. She had an amazing dolphin chirp that she could do. When she walked down the hallway, she gave everyone a high five,” Preschool/ECSE teacher Lynell Rohlfing said.

“So, just last week actually, she had one of her best weeks at school here. We do mystery science for science, and they were having to act like certain animals, and she just loved doing that. She had to get up and down and move around. I just remember her laughing and smiling,” kindergarten teacher Katie Hollerich explained.

These were just some of the memories fellow Cleveland Public School officials said about Everly Jean Hewitt.

Everly was a bubbly, kind, charismatic soul. She lost her fight to congenital diaphragmatic hernia on Sunday.

Even though she is gone, she will never be forgotten.

“We had a little fight with plastic bears one day. She was not wanting to work with math, and we kind of just ended up throwing the bears back and forth. I just remember that giggle, she thought it was hilarious. I will never forget that experience with her,” K-8 guidance counselor Shanna Roloff stated.

“Everly used a wheelchair from time to time when she first got here. I was in a manual wheelchair at that time and I said did you want to race. We did and I let her win of course,” industrial tech teacher Joel Boehlke said.

“Everly loved Halloween, and that is why I am dressed this way today,” Rohlfing explained.

The community of Cleveland and her Clippers family are making sure that her legacy will live on with everyone that she touched, with Team Everly buttons and posters lining the school’s hallways.

“She would come to me to get some extra work with English and math. She would come into the room and everyone would smile and everybody knew Everly. Her thing was to point at things and just like everybody knew it. She would point up and everybody would say ‘ceiling,’ and she would smile and laugh,” special education teacher Kelsey Janni recalled.

“Mr. Beloke and his class were going to make, I think, maybe 20 or 30 to give to family members. Mom just thought it was so cool that we were keeping her memory alive, and it very is a sad time. It is also a celebration of what she meant to all of us,” Janni added.

“It’s just a button, but the tangible part that makes it really meaningful. I am sure people will treasure these,” Boehlke stated.

Her desk is still sitting in her classroom with some of her favorite classmates, who are still cheering her on, even though she is in a better place.

“Team Everly, we love you,” Everly’s classroom said in unison.

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