Donald Edward EVANS

EVANS, HOLLAND, LAKE, RILEY, HANSON, TERRY, WEIDEMANN

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 5/6/2007 at 11:42:12

Donald Edward Evans
November 16, 1916-January 24, 2007

DOWS—Donald Edward Evans, 90, of Dows, passed away on Wednesday, January 24, 2007, at the Wright Medical Center in Clarion. Funeral services will be held on Monday, January 29, at the First Lutheran Church in Dows at 11:00 a.m., with Pastor Robert Edwards officiating. Burial will be in the Otis Grove Cemetery in Dows. Visitation will be held at the church on Sunday from 4–6:00 p.m. and one hour prior to services at the church. The Ewing Dugger Helgeson Funeral Home of Dows is in charge of the arrangements.

Donald Edward Evans, the son of Edward and Isabelle (Holland) Evans, was born on the family farm south of Dows on November 16, 1916. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Church. Don attended the Vernon No. 7 Country School and graduated from the Dows High School in 1934. He then attended a business college in Omaha, Nebraska and while there, he worked in a mortuary and a famous cafeteria in downtown Omaha. He later went to California and worked on the General Motors assembly line. He returned to the farm and started farming in 1936. On August 12, 1939, he and Arleta Lake were united in marriage, and to this union six children were born, Gary, Roger, Veda Mae (deceased), Edward (deceased), Charlotte and Mark. They continued farming until 1977 when they began “motorhoming” and traveled to all 50 states. Donald was an avid reader and had the ability to retain all he read, which was his map for all their travels. He enjoyed bookstores and spent hours browsing through them.

Donald is survived by Arleta, his wife of 67 years; four children, Gary of Townsend, Massachusetts, Roger (Vipa) of Chaingmai, Thailand, Charlotte (Mark) Riley of West Des Moines and Mark (Cherise) Evans of Nevada; 15 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; three step-granddaughters; and four step-great-grandchildren. In addition, he is survived by four sisters-in-law, Letha Hanson of Hubbard, Herbie Lake of Hubbard, Lois Terry of Colorado Springs, Colorado and Norma Lake of Webster City. He was preceded in death by his parents; four half-brothers, Amos, Dan, Alger and Leo; one half-sister, Gail Weidemann; one son, Edward; one baby daughter, Veda Mae; and one grandson, Abraham Riley.

January 27, 2007
© Iowa Falls Times Citizen 2007