John Bruce Evans, a co-founder of Idaho Beverages in 1925 and a lifelong resident of the area, died at 3:50 p.m. Sunday at Orchards Nursing Home. He was 99.
Evans was president of the soft drink bottling firm until his retirement in the early 1960's. He was also Washington State University's first basketball coach and one of the earliest residents of both Genesee and Lewiston.
Evans was born Sept. 4, 1876, at Genesee to John H. and Mary Evans. Evans' father farmed at Genesee and Lewiston and was one of Lewiston's first schoolmasters.
Evans attended school at Lewiston and then entered Washington Agricultural College at Pullman graduating with a degree in agriculture in 1902. He was one of some 20 members of the school's third graduating class.
During his college years, Evans was captain of the Cougar track team and business manager of the college newspaper, the Evergreen.
He worked for the college experimental station for several years after graduation and was involved in some of the first research on cross-breeding of wheat done at the school. He also served as the college's girls' and boys' basketball coach during the 1902-03 season, directing the Cougar cagers to a 2-4 won-lost record.
Evans then farmed near Wilma, a community that was opposite Clarkston along the Snake River Road and in Alberta, Canada.
He returned to Lewiston in the early 1920's and started Idaho Beverages with Orinn Prine, who had bought out the Idaho Bottling Co. in 1916. The firm obtained the Pepsi-Cola franchise in the 1940's and became the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of Lewiston.
The Evans family sold the company in 1974.
Evans married Mabel Thayer in 1905 at Pullman. She died in 1945.
He married Anna Hunt on Sept. 25, 1965, at Lewiston.
Evans had been a Gideon International Society member since 1945, holding numerous offices in the society as well as distributing thousands of copies of the Bible. He was also a member of the Orchards Community Church.
Survivors in addition to his widow at 701 9th Ave., Lewiston, are a son, John H. Evans, of Coeur d'Alene; a daughter, Joan Brown of Lewiston; five step-sons, Joe and David Hunt of Lewiston, Alfred Hunt of Pierce, George Hunt of Kamiah and Malcolm Hunt of Bremerton, Wash.; one step-daughter, JoAnn Crosby of Lewiston; a sister, Charlotte Price of San Diego, Calif.; two grandchildren, several step-grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
A daughter, Wilma Campbell, preceded him in death.
Lewiston Tribune February 02, 1976 pg. 9
transcribed by Kerry
Evans was president of the soft drink bottling firm until his retirement in the early 1960's. He was also Washington State University's first basketball coach and one of the earliest residents of both Genesee and Lewiston.
Evans was born Sept. 4, 1876, at Genesee to John H. and Mary Evans. Evans' father farmed at Genesee and Lewiston and was one of Lewiston's first schoolmasters.
Evans attended school at Lewiston and then entered Washington Agricultural College at Pullman graduating with a degree in agriculture in 1902. He was one of some 20 members of the school's third graduating class.
During his college years, Evans was captain of the Cougar track team and business manager of the college newspaper, the Evergreen.
He worked for the college experimental station for several years after graduation and was involved in some of the first research on cross-breeding of wheat done at the school. He also served as the college's girls' and boys' basketball coach during the 1902-03 season, directing the Cougar cagers to a 2-4 won-lost record.
Evans then farmed near Wilma, a community that was opposite Clarkston along the Snake River Road and in Alberta, Canada.
He returned to Lewiston in the early 1920's and started Idaho Beverages with Orinn Prine, who had bought out the Idaho Bottling Co. in 1916. The firm obtained the Pepsi-Cola franchise in the 1940's and became the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of Lewiston.
The Evans family sold the company in 1974.
Evans married Mabel Thayer in 1905 at Pullman. She died in 1945.
He married Anna Hunt on Sept. 25, 1965, at Lewiston.
Evans had been a Gideon International Society member since 1945, holding numerous offices in the society as well as distributing thousands of copies of the Bible. He was also a member of the Orchards Community Church.
Survivors in addition to his widow at 701 9th Ave., Lewiston, are a son, John H. Evans, of Coeur d'Alene; a daughter, Joan Brown of Lewiston; five step-sons, Joe and David Hunt of Lewiston, Alfred Hunt of Pierce, George Hunt of Kamiah and Malcolm Hunt of Bremerton, Wash.; one step-daughter, JoAnn Crosby of Lewiston; a sister, Charlotte Price of San Diego, Calif.; two grandchildren, several step-grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
A daughter, Wilma Campbell, preceded him in death.
Lewiston Tribune February 02, 1976 pg. 9
transcribed by Kerry
John Bruce Evans, a co-founder of Idaho Beverages in 1925 and a lifelong resident of the area, died at 3:50 p.m. Sunday at Orchards Nursing Home. He was 99.
Evans was president of the soft drink bottling firm until his retirement in the early 1960's. He was also Washington State University's first basketball coach and one of the earliest residents of both Genesee and Lewiston.
Evans was born Sept. 4, 1876, at Genesee to John H. and Mary Evans. Evans' father farmed at Genesee and Lewiston and was one of Lewiston's first schoolmasters.
Evans attended school at Lewiston and then entered Washington Agricultural College at Pullman graduating with a degree in agriculture in 1902. He was one of some 20 members of the school's third graduating class.
During his college years, Evans was captain of the Cougar track team and business manager of the college newspaper, the Evergreen.
He worked for the college experimental station for several years after graduation and was involved in some of the first research on cross-breeding of wheat done at the school. He also served as the college's girls' and boys' basketball coach during the 1902-03 season, directing the Cougar cagers to a 2-4 won-lost record.
Evans then farmed near Wilma, a community that was opposite Clarkston along the Snake River Road and in Alberta, Canada.
He returned to Lewiston in the early 1920's and started Idaho Beverages with Orinn Prine, who had bought out the Idaho Bottling Co. in 1916. The firm obtained the Pepsi-Cola franchise in the 1940's and became the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of Lewiston.
The Evans family sold the company in 1974.
Evans married Mabel Thayer in 1905 at Pullman. She died in 1945.
He married Anna Hunt on Sept. 25, 1965, at Lewiston.
Evans had been a Gideon International Society member since 1945, holding numerous offices in the society as well as distributing thousands of copies of the Bible. He was also a member of the Orchards Community Church.
Survivors in addition to his widow at 701 9th Ave., Lewiston, are a son, John H. Evans, of Coeur d'Alene; a daughter, Joan Brown of Lewiston; five step-sons, Joe and David Hunt of Lewiston, Alfred Hunt of Pierce, George Hunt of Kamiah and Malcolm Hunt of Bremerton, Wash.; one step-daughter, JoAnn Crosby of Lewiston; a sister, Charlotte Price of San Diego, Calif.; two grandchildren, several step-grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
A daughter, Wilma Campbell, preceded him in death.
Lewiston Tribune February 02, 1976 pg. 9
transcribed by Kerry
Evans was president of the soft drink bottling firm until his retirement in the early 1960's. He was also Washington State University's first basketball coach and one of the earliest residents of both Genesee and Lewiston.
Evans was born Sept. 4, 1876, at Genesee to John H. and Mary Evans. Evans' father farmed at Genesee and Lewiston and was one of Lewiston's first schoolmasters.
Evans attended school at Lewiston and then entered Washington Agricultural College at Pullman graduating with a degree in agriculture in 1902. He was one of some 20 members of the school's third graduating class.
During his college years, Evans was captain of the Cougar track team and business manager of the college newspaper, the Evergreen.
He worked for the college experimental station for several years after graduation and was involved in some of the first research on cross-breeding of wheat done at the school. He also served as the college's girls' and boys' basketball coach during the 1902-03 season, directing the Cougar cagers to a 2-4 won-lost record.
Evans then farmed near Wilma, a community that was opposite Clarkston along the Snake River Road and in Alberta, Canada.
He returned to Lewiston in the early 1920's and started Idaho Beverages with Orinn Prine, who had bought out the Idaho Bottling Co. in 1916. The firm obtained the Pepsi-Cola franchise in the 1940's and became the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of Lewiston.
The Evans family sold the company in 1974.
Evans married Mabel Thayer in 1905 at Pullman. She died in 1945.
He married Anna Hunt on Sept. 25, 1965, at Lewiston.
Evans had been a Gideon International Society member since 1945, holding numerous offices in the society as well as distributing thousands of copies of the Bible. He was also a member of the Orchards Community Church.
Survivors in addition to his widow at 701 9th Ave., Lewiston, are a son, John H. Evans, of Coeur d'Alene; a daughter, Joan Brown of Lewiston; five step-sons, Joe and David Hunt of Lewiston, Alfred Hunt of Pierce, George Hunt of Kamiah and Malcolm Hunt of Bremerton, Wash.; one step-daughter, JoAnn Crosby of Lewiston; a sister, Charlotte Price of San Diego, Calif.; two grandchildren, several step-grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
A daughter, Wilma Campbell, preceded him in death.
Lewiston Tribune February 02, 1976 pg. 9
transcribed by Kerry
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