Walter Evans, Jr.

Walter Evans, Jr., 90, of Metairie, LA, died Friday, April 3, 2020, at Lake Villa House in Metairie, LA, after a prolonged illness. A brief graveside service for immediate family only will be held Wednesday, April 8, 2020, in the Good Hope Cemetery, Highway 15 South, Ovett, MS. The Rev. Ricky Mitchell will officiate. Memorial services will be held at a later date to be determined at St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church, 1545 State Street, New Orleans, LA. Walter was born on July 12, 1929, in Stockton, KS, to Walter and Hazel Evans. He had four older sisters, Kathleen, Thelma, Donna Lee and Laura. He graduated from Plainview High School in 1947. He attended the University of Wichita (now Wichita State University) both before and after his days in the Navy. He served in the US Navy from 1950 to 1954 and was stationed primarily in Pensacola, FL. where he discovered the wonders of Santa Rosa Island, which became his favorite vacation spot for decades. More importantly, while stationed in Pensacola, he traveled with a Navy buddy to help repair a barn belonging to that friend’s father in Ovett MS. There he met Olivia Landrum, they began dating, fell in love, and were then married on April 3, 1954, at the Good Hope Baptist Church outside Ovett. They enjoyed 56 years of marriage and Walter was at Olivia’s side until her death in 2010. They had one daughter, Janet Patrice, and two sons, Walter James and Kenneth Randall. Walter worked as an engineer for Boeing in Wichita, KS. from 1954 to 1963. He then worked for Chrysler at the NASA Michoud Facility in New Orleans from 1963 to 1969 helping to build the Saturn V Boosters for the Apollo Space Program. After that he worked as a maintenance engineer at the Tenneco Oil Refinery (later acquired by Mobil Oil) in Chalmette, LA, retiring from that position in 1993. He and Olivia were active in the Presbyterian Church their entire adult lives. Walter was a Sunday School teacher, Youth group supervisor, Deacon and Elder at Gentilly Presbyterian Church, and later volunteered at St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church as an Usher, Property Committee member, and “Hard Hat” making repairs at the Church. He and Olivia travelled throughout each of 50 United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the Holy Land where they visited Bethlehem, the Sea of Galilee and Jerusalem. Although they enjoyed all of their trips, the Holy Land Trip with their church group was the one that Walter and Olivia talked about with great passion as they were excited to see so many places that they had read about in the Bible their entire lives. Walter enjoyed doing genealogical research and wrote a book on his family, “Evans-Miner Family History” in 1997. This book traced his paternal family tree back to Richard and Hannah Evans, who brought their eleven children from Kerry Parish, Wales, to Wisconsin in 1845, finally settling in Galena, IL. He traced his maternal ancestry back to Thomas Minor who immigrated from Somerset County, England to Salem MA in 1629. Olivia then convinced him to research and write a book about her family. He completed the “Landrum-Boutwell Family History” in 2002 which traced Olivia’s paternal ancestry to John and Jane Landrum who immigrated from Scotland to Rappahannock County, VA in 1688; and, her maternal ancestry to Lioney and Mary Boutwell who were married in Onslow County, NC in 1752 and were probably second or third generation immigrants from England. His genealogical research included countless visits to libraries, churches, and cemeteries in America, Wales, England, and Scotland. The biggest thrill of his research was finding the 250 year old Evans ancestral home in Wales, where he and Olivia met the current owners who gave them a tour and had dinner together. The modest combination home and stable was a “moonlight house”. The law at that time provided that if a family who worked on a noble’s estate could erect a house beginning at dusk and have smoke coming out of the chimney by daylight, they were given possession of the home plus the ground as far as one could throw an ax. The house then was a pre-fab with numbers carved in the timbers, which were still visible. Walter loved telling family and friends about visiting the home where several generations of his ancestors lived, and especially where his grandfather grew up as a small boy. When Olivia died, Walt continued travelling, visiting family and friends and attending various family reunions where he was usually the genealogy expert. He also enjoyed ballroom dancing at the Jefferson Orleans where he met his second wife, Sylvia Williams. They were married October 1, 2016 at St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church in New Orleans, LA. Walter’s grandson, Aiden, and Sylvia’s granddaughter, Lauren served as best man and bridesmaid, respectively. Walt and Sylvia enjoyed dancing and travelling until he became ill. He was preceded in death by his parents, his four sisters, his first wife, Olivia, and their daughter.
He is survived by his second wife, Sylvia Evans of Metairie, LA; his eldest son, Dr. Walter James Evans and his spouse, Toni Cooke-Evans of Fork, SC; his youngest son, Kenneth Randall Evans, Esq. of New Orleans, LA; two grandchildren, Allison Olivia Evans of San Diego, CA and Aiden Sean Evans of Lexington, SC; two step-grandchildren, Avonlea Sarah Barnhill of Fork, SC, and Richard Carlyle Cooke, Jr. of Lexington, SC., numerous nieces and nephews, and Sylvia’s children Brian Ross and his wife Christina, Michelle Perret and her husband Jerry, Bobby Williams and his wife Regal, and grand-daughter Lauren. All of them adored Walter because he was a kind, loving and honorable man who lived his Christian faith, and always treated everyone with respect. It was also frequently said of him that he never met a stranger. The Evans family expresses its gratitude to Phalon Cornist, NOLA Home Care, Passages Hospice, Lake Villa House, and Metro Med Pass who cared for him during the last 10 months of his life. Special Thanks are extended to Renee, Deanna, Stephanie, Nicole, Monica, Darleen, Monika, Chris, Sharon, and Dejuan. Memorials can be sent to the St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church in New Orleans, LA. There will be no visitation or public funeral service due to the coronavirus pandemic. A Memorial Service will be held at a later date at St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church. ARRANGEMENTS BY JACOB SCHOEN & SON FUNERAL HOME 3827 CANAL ST. NEW ORLEANS, LA 70119. Condolences may be left at www.schoenfh.com.

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