Eva Marie Dyke

Funeral Services at First Baptist Church Walters, OK on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., Trenton Dyke, nephew, officiating, assisted by Rev. Brad Spurlock with burial in the Walters Cemetery. Visitation at Hart-Wyatt Funeral Home, Walters, Wednesday, September 2nd from 5-7:00 p.m.

A Memorial Service will be held at First Baptist Church, Belton, TX on Saturday, September 5th at 10:00 a.m., Rev. Andy Davis officiating with Eulogy by Hari Dallakoti.

Eva Marie (Kennard) Dyke entered into the Heavenly Father’s presence on August 28, 2026.

Eva Marie was born in Ft. Worth, TX, October 13, 1925.

She graduated from Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Eva Marie served as Baptist Student Director and Bible teacher at East Texas State University, Commerce, TX, Texas Woman’s University, Denton, TX, and Lilly Jolly School of Nursing, Houston, TX. She taught Bible and world religions at Temple College, Temple, TX for many years. She also served as guest professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, and the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor.

Eva Marie was appointed as a “Foreign Missionary on Home Missions’ Soil” to the San Francisco Bay area (pilot project: University of California, Berkeley) during the turbulent sixties. She ministered and proclaimed the Christian gospel to devotees of other religions. She was later transferred to the Northwest Baptist Convention to become International Director for this vast region. During these years she was asked to speak at many international retreats and Woman’s Missionary Union conferences. She was introduced as a Foreign Missionary serving on American soil.

Eva Marie married Paul Dyke, research scientist in agriculture, who shared her passion for this ministry; and they continued this outreach in Northern Virginia and the Washington D.C. areas where Eva Marie was under appointment of the Mt. Vernon Baptist Association. Almost every Sunday a group of internationals enjoyed dinner and dialogue in their home. Then Paul was transferred to the Blackland Agricultural Research Center in Texas, and for many years they continued this ministry in the Temple-Belton area through an International Bible Class at First Baptist Church, Belton and in many hospitality gestures through the years. Great rejoicing came when some of these aliens to God’s grace became followers of Christ.

In her twilight years, “Eve” and her husband authored a book of meditations entitled, Reflections on God’s Grace and Glory, which includes several personal stories of her encounters with these students. She also wrote a book of poems bearing the title, Sermonettes in Rhyme.

Travels have taken the Dykes to many different lands including an extended stay in Rome, Italy where Paul had an assignment with the FAO (Agricultural Branch of the United Nations). In this setting Eva Marie served as church pianist as she had done previously in churches in California and Texas.

Eva Marie was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas and Eva Kennard, and her sister, Marguerite Zimmermann. She is survived by her husband, Paul Thomas Dyke, nieces and nephews, and many spiritual children including the McBeths (Audine, Dennis, and Roy), Hari Dallakoti, Angela & Steve Tamura and son Jonathan, Myrtle Gammage, Sahana Carpenter, Safa Alsadawi, and Hiroko Yarnell.

Memorials can be made to the Baptist Home for Girls, 13958 Emma Lane, Madill, OK 73446, the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor, 900 College St., Box 8409, Belton, TX 76513 (for the Dr. Harrison Olan’g Scholarship), or to the International Missions Fund at Baylor University, 1311 S. 5th St., Waco, TX 76706.