Mary Joanne Evans

It is with deep sorrow that we mourn the loss of our precious Mary Joanne Evans who passed away peacefully on July 31 in the presence of her family.  Her life on this earth was too short but we know that she is now in the presence of God and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

A resident of Heber Springs for most of her life, Joanne is survived by her loving husband Calvin, parents Carolyn (Lloyd) and Charles (Pam), sisters Linda (Stuart) and Kim, brothers Mark (Selena), Travis (Charity) Gregory, Lance, and Douglas (Elizabeth), as well as nephews, Aaron, Brandon, Andrew, Sean, Shane, Jaden, Spencer, Benjamin "Rowdy", and D.J. and nieces Marissa, Paige and Carly.  Her nieces and nephews were her pride and joy; she was their biggest fan and never failed to celebrate their accomplishments and share with others what they meant to her. Joanne enjoyed scrapbooking and spent many hours creating beautiful archives of family memories. She could always easily find a photo or recall a memory or record of someone or some event that others had lost track of. 

Joanne demonstrated her Christian faith every day through her love and endless work for others.  She truly loved her job as the Activities Director at Waycoff Senior Center in Heber Springs, where she carried out numerous activities, including delivering meals to the elderly.  She knew that she might be the only person that a homebound person saw on a regular basis.  Joanne was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Heber Springs and served in the nursery for over 30 years.  Through her tireless dedication and service in the Noahs of Ark Emmaus Community, countless souls were blessed and inspired.  It is with the endless hours of quiet service and commitment to others that she influenced so many lives. Through her gentle spirit and loving heart, she showed with actions, rather than words, God's love.  A person was made better just by being in her presence.  She never spoke much of herself, preferring to listen to others and give gentle and instructive wisdom when she could.   Aside from her family, she loved the Razorbacks, fall weather, scrapbooking, reading, her home and her community. 

As we struggle to understand why such a bright and beautiful soul was taken from us, let us remember the words from 1 Thessalonians 4:14 "For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him".  We can find comfort in these words knowing that this is only a temporary separation and we will be reunited with Joanne one day.

Celebration of Joanne's life will be held on Thursday 8/4 at First United Methodist Church in Heber Springs.  Visitation will be from 12-1 pm and Funeral Service held from 1-2 pm.  Internment at the Cleburne County Memorial Gardens at 2:00.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Waycoff Center or St. Jude's Children's Hospital.

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