Coeta Evans

Celebration of life services for Dr. Coeta Grimes Evans will be 11:00 a.m. Friday, February 22, 2013, at the First Baptist Church with Dr. Greg Hook and Mike Taylor officiating. Interment will be prior to the service in the Alva Municipal Cemetery under the direction of Marshall Funeral Home of Alva. A visitation with the family will be from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Thursday. Dr. Coeta Grimes Evans, daughter of the late Mertle (Hulett) Grimes/Gastineau and Crayton Grimes, was born September 8, 1927, in Lenora, Oklahoma, and passed away February 17, 2013, at Woodward, Oklahoma, at the age of 85 years, 4 months, and 9 days. Coeta graduated from Lenora Elementary School and Taloga High School. She received higher education degrees from Oklahoma College for Women, BS, 1951, Chickasha; Master of Arts from Phillips University in 1959; and Doctorate of Education Degree from Oklahoma State University in 1980. She also studied three summers in Grenoble University in Grenoble, France and the University of Clermont-Ferrand in Vichy, France in courses of History, Foods, French, and Art. She married Earl Evans on April 27, 1950, in the First Methodist Church in Newkirk and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2000. Due to the transfer of her husband with Western Light and Telephone and Pioneer Telephone, she taught highschool Science, French, and Home Economics in Garfield, Grant, and Kingfisher County schools, concluding her teaching career at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, culminating 30 years of teaching and retiring as Chair of the Home Economics Department and Emeritus Professor in 1990. She was also a M.ED. Social Worker with the Department of Public Welfare in Kingfisher County for three years. Coeta spent much of her life sharing her love for family, church, community, and educational endeavors. She and her husband lived in both Kingfisher and Alva during her University teaching years. She was baptized in the Baptist Faith and is a current member of the First Baptist Church in Alva. She was a member of the Cherokee Outlet Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution; Chapter C, PEO, Delta Kappa Gamma, Alva Research Club, and Beta Sigma Phi. Highlights of her career were honors received from being selected as a “Golden Circle” member in 1993 and a state “Honorary Membership” in 1997 for outstanding service to the State and National Vocational and Technical Education. She received the “Hall of Fame” Alumni Award in 1997 from the University of Science and Arts from formerly Oklahoma College for Women. She also received the Dewey County Historical Society “Fall of Fame” Award from her native Dewey County in 2002. She passed on the lust for life, knowledge and education to her children, grandchildren, and former students. She saw humor and joy in all aspects of life and had many life long friends. Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Earl Evans; her son, Kerry Evans; her sister, Dixie Hays; her stepfather, Homer Gastineau; and two half brothers. Coeta is survived by her children, Dr. Kendall Evans and wife, Judy, of Aspen, Colorado and their children, Jamie, Jill, Scott, and Katy; Kevin Evans and wife, Tracy, of Woodward and their children, Taryn and Desa; Karyl Evans Morrison and husband, Russ, of Hudson Ohio and their children, Kolton, Kelsey, and Kimberly; one sister, Ardith Gastineau of Weatherford, Oklahoma; other relatives and many friends. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made through the funeral home to the Alva First Baptist Church or the Cherokee Outlet Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution in Alva. Remembrances may be shared with the family at www.marshallfuneralhomes.com.

Coeta Evans

September 8, 1927 - February 17, 2013