Frances Mae Evans
Frances Mae Evans, 97, of Missoula formerly, of Kalispell, passed away on Sunday, May 25 at her home, The Springs at Missoula, surrounded by her family and friends.
She was born Aug. 7, 1916, in East Glacier to Frank Busch and Mabel Brierley Busch and was delivered at their ranch by midwife, Mary Hide. She joined her sisters, Dorothy and Eleanor and was followed by Gertrude, Charles, and Barbara. Her father was employed by the Great Northern Railway and the family lived on a ranch near East Glacier where the siblings fished, gathered fruits, tended gardens, cared for many pets, and rode horseback. The family moved to Kalispell when Frances was to start school and resided on the northeast side where she attended Edgerton Grade School and later Flathead County High School. Her mother, Mabel, cooked at the Mayflower Café in Kalispell for many years after Frank’s death in 1942.
Frances remained in the Flathead Valley her entire life. She married Harlan W. Evans at the age of 21. She and Harlan were avid ice skaters, tennis players, and Frances dabbled in water colors and loved golf. She worked out of the home during World War II years at JC Penney’s in Kalispell. The family moved to Whitefish in 1961 where Harlan was President of the First National Bank until his death in 1970.
Frances then worked at the Candlewick Gift Shop in Whitefish for 20 years until she retired at age 75 and returned to Kalispell to live. Frances was a member of the First United Methodist Church and a member of Beta Sigma Phi for many years. She always enjoyed her bridge clubs in Kalispell and in Whitefish.
She loved the Flathead Valley and all the outdoor activities it offered, including fishing, huckelberrying in the North Fork, vegetable and flower gardens. Summers were spent on Bitterroot Lake at her beloved cabin and she could be seen trolling in the early hours while Rick and Bev slept in. The family avidly fished the Fisher River, North Fork River, Swan River and Thompson River as well as trolling Bitterroot Lake. Frances was a fantastic cook and maintained healthy eating habits for her family her entire life. She waited with great anticipation every April for the ice to leave the lake and off we would go for the summer. She was able to be at her beloved cabin every summer with her loving family, neighbors, and friends through last summer of 2013.
Frances was preceded in death by her husband Harlan in February 1970; three sisters; Dorothy Casteel, Eleanor Reetz, and Gertrude Whittig; one brother Charles Busch, and grandson Michael Evans in 1988.
Frances is survived by her son, Rick W. (Sally) Evans of Missoula; her daughter, Beverly Gordon (Terry) of Bend, Ore.; one sister, Barbara Busch of Kalispell; grandchildren, Cheryl (Mark) Burnham of Salem, Ore. ; Jacquie (Tim) Finholm of Denver, Co.; Tiffany (Randy) Lewis of Billings; Jodi Anderson of Seattle, Wash.; Rick Jr. (Kelli) of Houston, Texas; Ryan Evans of Polson; and Ashley Warden of Missoula; 13 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
The family would like to thank all of the staff at The Springs at Missoula for their care, kindness, and love shown toward Frances these past two and a half years.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, June 5 at Garden City Funeral Home and Crematory from 4 to 7 p.m. Graveside services will be held in Kalispell on Friday June 6 at 2 p.m. at Glacier Memorial Gardens Cemetery with the Rev. Dan Dixson officiating.