LaRue Evans has seen life from many perspectives.

From 21 years spent teaching at Washington High School to time spent in Berkeley, Calif., during a teaching fellowship, she has become a better-rounded person in her 92 years spent on this Earth.

Recently in an interview, Evans discussed portions of her self-titled memoir — “LaRue”— and a published account of her California experiences, “Berkley Through Bifocals.”

Going to Berkeley was quite a switch from the small-town life in Beaufort County, Evans said.

“I was this naïve young woman from the flatland of North Carolina. I won this John Hay Fellowship to the University of California at Berkeley. I entered the campus with a sense of fear and trepidation, but also a sense of excitement. I was there from September 1965 to June 1966.”

Evans lived in international housing on the UC-Berkeley campus with close to 400 other students
Communists and members of the John Birch Society roamed the campus during this time, espousing their causes, Evans recalled. Evans experienced labor-union meetings and observed an entire Hell’s Angels group roll through Berkeley one night.

Evans said seeing the notorious motorcycle club was a distinct experience. Evans said she and two friends went to see what would happen as the Hell’s Angels group passed through the area.

“There were three of us — two of my friends and I. One of the friends was Chinese and had been through so much in China that she was scared to death, and she didn’t want to go down there,” Evans said. “The other friends and I were adventuresome, and we wanted to see them. Nothing happened, but it was really impressive — the entire group come riding down.”

After her time in Berkeley, Evans returned to her then-home in Winterville, where she had an experience that showed her how her life had changed. She entered the post office on a routine day. One of the town’s prominent residents said to her, “Well, I guess you are a Communist now.”

“It was very insulting,” said Evans.

Evans’ time at Berkeley is mentioned in “LaRue,” but it’s only a small part of a much richer life, she said.

“LaRue” mentions time spent at East Carolina Teachers College (now East Carolina University), experiences during World War II and civic service in Pitt County.

Evans was one of ECU’s “One Hundred Incredible Women” honored during ECU’s 100-year anniversary in 2007.

Evans retired from teaching in 1981, but the ending of “LaRue” mentions a life philosophy to which she still adheres.

“There is, I do believe, a force at work, some kind of force in the world. The tides come and go, ebb and flow. The moon waxes and wanes. The creation of the Earth and the creation of the human body — all this lends evidence to a Superior Force,” she said.

Anyone interested in obtaining a copy of either book, or copies of both books, should contact area bookstores or search online.