John Evans, Jr.

John Frederick Evans, Jr. was born on March 16, 1926 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was the third child (and the only son) of John Frederick Evans, Sr., and Jane Elizabeth Pickering Evans.

When John was ten years old, his father was transferred to the Omaha headquarters of the Union Pacific. Even though the headquarters was in Omaha, the family moved across the river to Council Bluffs, Iowa. This was due to the request of Gordon B. Hinckley, who asked John’s father to move to Council Bluffs to help with a small, struggling branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located there.

John was drafted out of high school to serve for two years in WWII in the Third Infantry Division. While in the army he was awarded nine military decorations, including the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and the combat Infantry Badge. After the war he finished high school and then completed four years of schooling at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Creighton University.

John married Patsy Ann Stone on March 31, 1950. They were sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple on September 8, 1950. John and Pat were blessed with seven children: Nancy, Kay, James, Sherie, Elizabeth, Mary, and Jared. They also have 30 grandchildren and 53 great-grandchildren. The family always had an American flag in their front yard and the children would take turns raising and lowering it each day from the flagpole. He loved to do magic tricks and “awe” his children and grandchildren with his rabbit in the hat trick. He made up a magic trick where he could tell the first three words of any of the first 200 hymns in the hymnal.

After working for 35 years in Fire and Loss Prevention work, John moved with Pat to Layton, Utah in 1992. John has always been active in the church, and has served in many capacities. He served as Bishop for the Council Bluffs Ward for five years. John served as the Financial Clerk in the Snow Canyon Ward for three years, then High Priest Group Leader. He served as an Ordinance Worker in the Ogden Temple with Pat for five years. He faithfully served as newsletter editor with Pat for nine years. He served a two year mission with Pat in the Winter Quarters Stake Mission. While living in Council Bluffs, John and Pat made regular trips to the temple which was 1,000 miles to Salt Lake City and over 500 miles to Chicago and then Denver. Dad took thousands of pictures which we are so grateful for. These photos serve as Dad’s photographic journal. John had many friends and was always kind to everyone.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Dorothy Evans Jackson, Marjorie Evans Buehner and a grandson, Matthew Crawford.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 11 a.m. at the Layton Snow Canyon Ward, 2455 Valley View Drive, Layton, UT. Friends may visit with family on Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lindquist’s Layton Mortuary, 1867 N. Fairfield Rd. and at the church from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Thursday. Interment, Salt Lake City Cemetery.

The family would like to thank the many ward members who have been such a support to our parents since 1992. They often spoke of the kindness of the ward members.