Beverly Fern Middlemas Evans passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, in her home on March 5, 2017. She was born on December 29, 1925 in Ogden, Utah to Francis Clifton Middlemas, Sr. and Olga Louise Mortensen Middlemas, the third of four siblings. She was a graduate of South High School in Salt Lake City. She worked her own way through school in a time when women were not encouraged to do so and earned her degree in Business from the University of Utah where she affiliated with the Phi MU sorority.
She met Richard O. Evans as they attended the Hawthorne Ward and their marriage was solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple on March 16, 1950. She gave up her office career when she and Dick started their family, eventually having seven children. They settled in Millcreek and later moved to the Olympus Cove where she dedicated her time and efforts to raising the family and working beside Dick to establish a stable, nurturing home. Rarely did the kids arrive home from school without mom at home, and it was always a requirement to check in with mom and dad when coming home for the night with a short report on where we had been and what we "had been up to". She supported her family in everything they did, individually or as a group. Often seen as soft spoken, that mannerism took a serious turn when required in defense of her family.
A faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she served in many capacities, including Relief Society, Primary, temple worker in the Jordan River Temple and just about anything else she was asked to do. She has a simple but stalwart testimony of the gospel, sharing it more in the way she lived than in what she said. Many a day we would come home to a wonderful smelling house only to find the meal had been prepared for a neighbor or friend and we were left the surplus.
Preceded in death by her husband, son Douglas, granddaughter Leah, parents and siblings Francis, Helen and Bob. She is survived by children Marian (Craig), Elizabeth, Jonalee (Rod), Diane (Mark), Todd (Maren) and Brian, nine grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
Thank you to the Grandeur Peak Ward for their continued love and concern for mom, dad and Brian, and to the Midvale East 4th Ward for their care and for accepting them as their own for the last several years. We also express our gratitude to A Step Forward Rehabilitation and Hospice.
A viewing will be held on Friday, March 10, from 6 to 8pm at Larkin Sunset Lawn, 2350 East 1300 South, with funeral service on Saturday, March 11 at 11:00 am at the Midvale East 4th Ward, 87 East 7100 South, Midvale with viewing from 9:30 am to 10:30 am at the church. Interment at the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
