Louis Evans Obituary

LOUIS EVANS | Visit Guest Book
Louis Llewellyn Evans 1935 ~ 2011 Our gentle, quiet, husband, father, and grandfather passed away quietly and peacefully as he lived; surrounded by his wife and children on Friday, June 24, 2011. He was born October 7, 1935 in Ogden, Utah to Darrell Elijah and Margaret Berghout Evans. Louis was the third of seven children. He spent his early years growing up in Mount Emmons, Utah and the family later relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah where he attended school and graduated from West High School as a member of the ROTC. Louis was active in the LDS church serving a mission in the Netherlands, home of his maternal ancestry. He later enlisted in the Utah National Guard being called to active duty for the Berlin Crisis. He was sealed to his eternal love, Ruth LaVon Sowards in the Salt Lake Temple on November 19, 1964. They raised five children and he served in many callings in the church, the greatest of which was patriarch to his family. He was, is, and always will be a true father; you will always be with us. Louis began work early in life and worked hard to provide for his family and retired from Meadow Gold Dairies in 2000. Later in life, he enjoyed being an ordinance worker in the Jordan River Temple. He is survived by his wife, Ruth and four children: David (Elizabeth) Evans, Becky (Lynn) Barton, Irene (Ken) Brown, and Elizabeth (Mark) Hodges, son-in-law, Lynn (Kristi) Langford and 17 grandchildren, siblings: James Evans, Marva Calton, Newell (Jan) Evans, Charles (Kathy) Evans, and Ben (Karen) Evans. He was preceded in death by his daughter Margaret Ann Langford, his parents Darrell and Margaret Evans, and sister Cora Franke. In lieu of flowers, donate to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (www.lls.org). Funeral services will be held Thursday, June 30th, 11:00 a.m. at the Hunter 9th Ward, 3450 So. 6400 W. A viewing will be held Wednesday evening from 6 - 8 p.m. at Redwood Memorial Mortuary, 6500 So. Redwood Rd. and one hour prior to services at the church. Online condolences may be left at www.memorialutah.com.

Published in Deseret News on June 26, 2011

For those of you who missed it...

Lynn finally got a BS degree to go with all that BS he's been blowing for the last 38 years. He graduated from Utah State University on May 7th in Logan, Utah with a degree of Bio-veterinary science, an absolutely worthless degree unless you take it to vet school. YAY! He is! He graduated Magna Cum Laude. We are so proud of him our buttons are bursting! Way to put the AG...in Aggie! "Make me a True blooded Aggie where the sage brush grows!"

17 Years and Counting!

We did it! We made 17 years. Lynn likes to tell people this little story. When we were first engaged and went to visit our University ward Bishop. The Bishop said, "I didn't see this one coming. This is like hitching a mule to a thorough bred." Lynn pipes up and says, "Don't call my fiance a mule!" Classic Lynn.

Looking back, it feels more like a well matched pair work horse pulling team. I have this theory. Marriage isn't about finding the "one". It's about finding one you like/love and working your guts out to make it work. 1% stars in the eyes 99% work and tolerance.

Through the years we've been through a few storms: infertility, (if you can weather that one and stay married the rest is easy); twins; building houses; losing a dear sister; two Bachelor's degrees and one Master's; building and then losing a business; a son with NLD; entrance to vet school; AND trying to move our family to Missouri.

Through the years we've been through some MAJOR triumphs: overcoming infertility twice and being doubly blessed once; building our dream house and then not caring much when we had to sell it; two Bachelor's degrees and on Master's; earning a General Contractor's license, Getting into 5 vet schools; keeping the faith through it all.

Yes, a well matched team of work horses who trade off being the mule at times.

Special Needs Children

One of the things that can break a mother's heart is the constant battle and vigil she holds for her "special needs child". It is never ending. It is especially hard when your child holds no appearance of being special needs, nor do they "act" like they are special needs. The only thing to tip you off this child might be different is "They act sorta strange at times."

In the past two weeks I've battled a Junior High teacher about accepting 2 late assignments, a scout leader I would definitely in my strong un-lady like language call a prick (yes, I make my mother proud...), and the myriad of youth who make fun of and shun my child. Not to mention the adults in sacrament meeting who laugh at him when he doesn't "get" a pattern for passing the sacrament and messes up.

I've spent hours on my knees pleading for his saftey and happiness. I've worn out pens in the temple writing his name on little slips of paper. I spend hours explaining things normal children and their parents take for granted to his absolutely literal brain. I don't know how many times I've told him to "Write out the problem so the teacher knows you can solve it. She can't see what's in your head."

The worst are his anxiety attacks; especially when other adults take his anxiety to just be defiance. He feels his greatests accomplishment in life was overcoming his fear of waterskiing. I have some good friends to thank for that...and their great patience.

I spend time cuddling his younger sister who has taken it upon herself to his protector. She feels guilty when she fails and other people are mean to him or she overhears some of my battles with adults. I don't know how many times I've told her she's just a child and she doesn't have to take them on as well as me. I thank her for her great love for her brother. She's quite amazing.

I wish people could see what I see. He is sooo amazing. He has a talent for music like no other child I know. I wish I could do math in my head. I afraid I'm hopeless at that one. He is gentle. He loves animals and babies. I wish people knew how hard he tries and knew and celebrated all his little triumphs with us.

I have a cousin who has a special needs child who is much more obvious than mine. She often talks about how grateful she is when people include him and love him.

I think having this child in my home is teaching me more about "Judge not that ye be not judged."

And yet, through it all he seems to be thriving, accepting and happy. What more can you ask for?

What's Up?

This has been a well neglected blog. Sometimes I think I'm losing my mind or if it weren't attached as part of my brain, I would forget where I put it. Not that I'm complaining. The "sitting around and waiting" portion of our life seems to be over and we have moved into the "hurry and get where you're going" portion.

Lynn was accepted into four different vet schools. I know. What a smarty farty pants. We chose Mizzou. The University of Missouri at Columbia. things have gone nuts at our house. We're painting, laying tile and wood floors. All these little things which have been stacking up for three years while Lynn has been carrying a 4.0 or close enough to it. We hope to have it all finished in the next two weeks and list our home for sale.

Meanwhile.... I'm looking for teaching jobs in Missouri. There are plenty in St. Louis. I have offers. The only problem: I can't drive two hours to work. So, we're still praying for something to come open in Columbia. I get to go to the police station and get finger printed, again, only this time for a Missouri teaching license. I think teachers may get finger printed as much as criminals...seriously.

Everyone asks me how the kids are taking it. Well, sometimes they take it well and sometimes they don't. Little Abby crawled into my lap last night and started to cry. She's in 4th grade this year and studying Utah history; which means she knows that once upon a time they had a Mormon Extermination Act in Missouri. She's a little concerned. We had a nice talk. I told her I wish I could tell her everything would be perfect, wonderful and OK but I don't tell kids things I don't know to be true. All I can tell her is I have faith and hope things will go well and if she exercises her faith, Heavenly Father will watch out for us and what better thing can we ask for? Plus, she has her family. We're an awesome family so she won't be alone and better yet...she's a twin! A built in friend! How lucky is she?

Now...if I can find horse property for sale in the Columbia area at a good price we're in business!

Pain

I’m going to wax philosophical on you all in this blog. I need to write this blog. I need to write it for me and for those I love.

You see, I’ve been thinking a lot about pain lately. Why pain? I get horrible migraines. Lately they feel as though they are worse; stronger, more painful and more often. Nobody knows why. All they can tell me is I don’t have a hole in my heart. I don’t have an artery in my head ready to burst and I don’t have a brain tumor (all good things I suppose). On top of the migraines life has seemed to be a constant struggle in our home the last few years. We struggle from being busy; busy and anxiously engaged in a good cause. We’re trying to get our dad through his undergrad and into vet school. We struggle through receiving half the income we had before and the same bills two incomes used to pay. We struggle with a dear son and his ADD + NLD. We struggle through the everyday trials in life.

I’ve been turning to the scriptures to find my “Balm of Gilead” and to be honest I haven’t really found it there. I think I have been reading too literally. I feel the spirit, but I just haven’t found the balm to my soul. I don’t feel like I have a huge sin that is harrowing my soul up to repentance…although I certainly have my weeknesses. Maybe I have forgotten the Lord in all things and I’m trying harder to plant the seed of faith and remember Him.

I turned instead to our living prophet and the apostles. I called up an inspired reason for the world wide web. I got into LDS.org and typed: pain in the heart. An article from October Conference 1998 by Robert D. Hales called Healing Soul and Body, popped up. His inspired talk addressed the pains I’m feeling completely. 12 years ago, this talk was written for me. Yes, it talks of repentance but it also talks of the necessity of pain to humble us so we can hear the Lord. He says we should not dwell on the pain but remember that Christ even Jesus suffered for these pains too. Something I know but have forgotten as I wallow in my pain. He encourages us to cast our burdens no matter how small more fully upon the Lord and look for his healing balm to follow. He suggests patience…something I’ve never been very good at. It’s one of my weeknesses along with a big mouth. Yes, I am aware.

A few more good articles and talks followed Elder Hales and I read them as well. I’m hoping soon to have “Balm of Gilead” flow to my soul or to have the hope of it. I guess one day they will end and I will have that perfect body spoken of in the scriptures.

If you made it to the end of my waxing philosophical, may you be blessed with the “Balm of Gilead”.

VMCAS

A quickie update....
Lynn's vet school applications went in on October first to 5 Veterinary schools along with a bunch of money. Many of the schools require the "official" application through the VMCAS system and then a supplementary application which is their way of getting money of the applicants. Most of the supplementary applications repeat the questions, or I should say go more in depth, on the questions from VMCAS.

Lynn applied to (in order of our preference):

Washington State University (Lynn's first choice)

Oregon State University (The kids and I choose this on first!)

Colorado State University

Kansas State University

University of Missouri at Columbia

The earliest we would hear anything is January, and only then if Lynn is a WICHE student who will have part of his tuition paid by the state of Utah. Most likely we won't hear a thing until February or March.

One thing Lynn has going for him is he is a tier on applicant, meaning he will be in the first group of applicants the school will look at. He has a high score. Now, start praying for me to be able to find a job when we get where ever it is we're going. :)