Donald France Evans, the fourth child of Reverend Charles and Alma (Miller) Evans, born in Acme, PA on March 22, 1927, has departed his earthly body and joined our Heavenly Father on April 9, 2022 at the age of 95.
Feeling the call to serve his country in a great time of need, he missed his high school graduation to enlist in the Navy during World War II. He was awarded the American Theater and Victory Ribbons. During his service, he was proud of bringing comfort to families by performing taps at countless funerals for our fallen heroes. He was honorably discharged August of 1946.
Feeling called to the ministry, he moved to Chicago to attend the Moody Bible Institute in Illinois where he earned his degree in 1954. While attending college, he met his beloved wife of 71 years, Betty Lou Wainscott. They were wed May 26, 1950 in Champaign, Illinois. To this union, four children were born.
Donald worked in Schaumburg, Illinois as a records manager for the Union Oil Company. With Union 76, he traveled the country training other divisions in proper process and procedures in records management. His work was recognized by the Association of Records Managers and Administrations (ARMA International) whereby he was awarded the Emmett Leahy Award in 1973. He also served as the ARMA International President from 1970-1971. He was awarded Manager of the Year from the Records Management Association, Chicago Chapter.
Upon retiring, Donald and Betty Lou moved to Sumter, South Carolina in 1988 and lived there for 37 years with their daughter, Kathy. Donald wrote several books and enjoyed spending time in his garden, bowling, cooking, playing softball, studying his Bible, and teaching others the Word of God. He loved to tell a good joke and his smile would light up a room.
In April of 1989, he started what was to become his greatest passion and accomplishment of the next 20 years of his life; a prison ministry at Sumter-Lee Regional Correction Center. It was there he ministered to well over 2000 inmates. During an interview he stated, "I'd see them on the street and they would come up and thank me. They would tell me that they were going to church or that their family situation had improved". When his health declined to the point he could no longer physically minister at the prison, he passed the torch onto others but continued writing to inmates and advocated for several men's parole from home.
Donald was proceeded in death by his father, Rev. Charles Wesley Evans, Sr.; Mother, Alma Evans; his siblings, Rev. Luman Evans, Betty Ruth Evans, Rev. Charles Evans, Jr., Rev. Dwight Evans, and Jean E. Beck; his sons, Donald Evans, Jr and Stephen Evans. He is survived by his wife, Betty Lou Evans; daughters, Karen (Evans) Irvine and Kathy Evans; siblings, Doris Evans, Vincent Evans, and Shirley Evans, along with many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Visitation will be held on April 14, 2022, from 4 to 5 p.m. with funeral services at 5 p.m. followed by military honors all at Meyers Funeral Home in Batesville. Burial will take place at a later date at Indiana Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Madison, Indiana.
https://www.bedfordgazette.com/obituaries/donald-france-evans/article_c318bae2-539c-58bf-ae2a-4eafe8eb7d9d.html
Feeling the call to serve his country in a great time of need, he missed his high school graduation to enlist in the Navy during World War II. He was awarded the American Theater and Victory Ribbons. During his service, he was proud of bringing comfort to families by performing taps at countless funerals for our fallen heroes. He was honorably discharged August of 1946.
Feeling called to the ministry, he moved to Chicago to attend the Moody Bible Institute in Illinois where he earned his degree in 1954. While attending college, he met his beloved wife of 71 years, Betty Lou Wainscott. They were wed May 26, 1950 in Champaign, Illinois. To this union, four children were born.
Donald worked in Schaumburg, Illinois as a records manager for the Union Oil Company. With Union 76, he traveled the country training other divisions in proper process and procedures in records management. His work was recognized by the Association of Records Managers and Administrations (ARMA International) whereby he was awarded the Emmett Leahy Award in 1973. He also served as the ARMA International President from 1970-1971. He was awarded Manager of the Year from the Records Management Association, Chicago Chapter.
Upon retiring, Donald and Betty Lou moved to Sumter, South Carolina in 1988 and lived there for 37 years with their daughter, Kathy. Donald wrote several books and enjoyed spending time in his garden, bowling, cooking, playing softball, studying his Bible, and teaching others the Word of God. He loved to tell a good joke and his smile would light up a room.
In April of 1989, he started what was to become his greatest passion and accomplishment of the next 20 years of his life; a prison ministry at Sumter-Lee Regional Correction Center. It was there he ministered to well over 2000 inmates. During an interview he stated, "I'd see them on the street and they would come up and thank me. They would tell me that they were going to church or that their family situation had improved". When his health declined to the point he could no longer physically minister at the prison, he passed the torch onto others but continued writing to inmates and advocated for several men's parole from home.
Donald was proceeded in death by his father, Rev. Charles Wesley Evans, Sr.; Mother, Alma Evans; his siblings, Rev. Luman Evans, Betty Ruth Evans, Rev. Charles Evans, Jr., Rev. Dwight Evans, and Jean E. Beck; his sons, Donald Evans, Jr and Stephen Evans. He is survived by his wife, Betty Lou Evans; daughters, Karen (Evans) Irvine and Kathy Evans; siblings, Doris Evans, Vincent Evans, and Shirley Evans, along with many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Visitation will be held on April 14, 2022, from 4 to 5 p.m. with funeral services at 5 p.m. followed by military honors all at Meyers Funeral Home in Batesville. Burial will take place at a later date at Indiana Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Madison, Indiana.
https://www.bedfordgazette.com/obituaries/donald-france-evans/article_c318bae2-539c-58bf-ae2a-4eafe8eb7d9d.html
Donald France Evans, the fourth child of Reverend Charles and Alma (Miller) Evans, born in Acme, PA on March 22, 1927, has departed his earthly body and joined our Heavenly Father on April 9, 2022 at the age of 95.
Feeling the call to serve his country in a great time of need, he missed his high school graduation to enlist in the Navy during World War II. He was awarded the American Theater and Victory Ribbons. During his service, he was proud of bringing comfort to families by performing taps at countless funerals for our fallen heroes. He was honorably discharged August of 1946.
Feeling called to the ministry, he moved to Chicago to attend the Moody Bible Institute in Illinois where he earned his degree in 1954. While attending college, he met his beloved wife of 71 years, Betty Lou Wainscott. They were wed May 26, 1950 in Champaign, Illinois. To this union, four children were born.
Donald worked in Schaumburg, Illinois as a records manager for the Union Oil Company. With Union 76, he traveled the country training other divisions in proper process and procedures in records management. His work was recognized by the Association of Records Managers and Administrations (ARMA International) whereby he was awarded the Emmett Leahy Award in 1973. He also served as the ARMA International President from 1970-1971. He was awarded Manager of the Year from the Records Management Association, Chicago Chapter.
Upon retiring, Donald and Betty Lou moved to Sumter, South Carolina in 1988 and lived there for 37 years with their daughter, Kathy. Donald wrote several books and enjoyed spending time in his garden, bowling, cooking, playing softball, studying his Bible, and teaching others the Word of God. He loved to tell a good joke and his smile would light up a room.
In April of 1989, he started what was to become his greatest passion and accomplishment of the next 20 years of his life; a prison ministry at Sumter-Lee Regional Correction Center. It was there he ministered to well over 2000 inmates. During an interview he stated, "I'd see them on the street and they would come up and thank me. They would tell me that they were going to church or that their family situation had improved". When his health declined to the point he could no longer physically minister at the prison, he passed the torch onto others but continued writing to inmates and advocated for several men's parole from home.
Donald was proceeded in death by his father, Rev. Charles Wesley Evans, Sr.; Mother, Alma Evans; his siblings, Rev. Luman Evans, Betty Ruth Evans, Rev. Charles Evans, Jr., Rev. Dwight Evans, and Jean E. Beck; his sons, Donald Evans, Jr and Stephen Evans. He is survived by his wife, Betty Lou Evans; daughters, Karen (Evans) Irvine and Kathy Evans; siblings, Doris Evans, Vincent Evans, and Shirley Evans, along with many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Visitation will be held on April 14, 2022, from 4 to 5 p.m. with funeral services at 5 p.m. followed by military honors all at Meyers Funeral Home in Batesville. Burial will take place at a later date at Indiana Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Madison, Indiana.
https://www.bedfordgazette.com/obituaries/donald-france-evans/article_c318bae2-539c-58bf-ae2a-4eafe8eb7d9d.html
Feeling the call to serve his country in a great time of need, he missed his high school graduation to enlist in the Navy during World War II. He was awarded the American Theater and Victory Ribbons. During his service, he was proud of bringing comfort to families by performing taps at countless funerals for our fallen heroes. He was honorably discharged August of 1946.
Feeling called to the ministry, he moved to Chicago to attend the Moody Bible Institute in Illinois where he earned his degree in 1954. While attending college, he met his beloved wife of 71 years, Betty Lou Wainscott. They were wed May 26, 1950 in Champaign, Illinois. To this union, four children were born.
Donald worked in Schaumburg, Illinois as a records manager for the Union Oil Company. With Union 76, he traveled the country training other divisions in proper process and procedures in records management. His work was recognized by the Association of Records Managers and Administrations (ARMA International) whereby he was awarded the Emmett Leahy Award in 1973. He also served as the ARMA International President from 1970-1971. He was awarded Manager of the Year from the Records Management Association, Chicago Chapter.
Upon retiring, Donald and Betty Lou moved to Sumter, South Carolina in 1988 and lived there for 37 years with their daughter, Kathy. Donald wrote several books and enjoyed spending time in his garden, bowling, cooking, playing softball, studying his Bible, and teaching others the Word of God. He loved to tell a good joke and his smile would light up a room.
In April of 1989, he started what was to become his greatest passion and accomplishment of the next 20 years of his life; a prison ministry at Sumter-Lee Regional Correction Center. It was there he ministered to well over 2000 inmates. During an interview he stated, "I'd see them on the street and they would come up and thank me. They would tell me that they were going to church or that their family situation had improved". When his health declined to the point he could no longer physically minister at the prison, he passed the torch onto others but continued writing to inmates and advocated for several men's parole from home.
Donald was proceeded in death by his father, Rev. Charles Wesley Evans, Sr.; Mother, Alma Evans; his siblings, Rev. Luman Evans, Betty Ruth Evans, Rev. Charles Evans, Jr., Rev. Dwight Evans, and Jean E. Beck; his sons, Donald Evans, Jr and Stephen Evans. He is survived by his wife, Betty Lou Evans; daughters, Karen (Evans) Irvine and Kathy Evans; siblings, Doris Evans, Vincent Evans, and Shirley Evans, along with many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Visitation will be held on April 14, 2022, from 4 to 5 p.m. with funeral services at 5 p.m. followed by military honors all at Meyers Funeral Home in Batesville. Burial will take place at a later date at Indiana Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Madison, Indiana.
https://www.bedfordgazette.com/obituaries/donald-france-evans/article_c318bae2-539c-58bf-ae2a-4eafe8eb7d9d.html
