Jim D. Evans, 71, of Searsboro died Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014, at Grinnell Regional Medical Center. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell with the Rev. John Epperson officiating. Interment will be in the Searsboro Cemetery. Should friends desire, memorials may be directed to Grinnell Regional Hospice and sent in care of the Smith Funeral Home, P.O. Box 368, Grinnell, IA 50112.
Jim Duane Evans was born on May 9, 1943, in Iowa City to Carl and Hazel Marie Nichols Evans. He was raised in Malcom and attended Malcom Public School.
On Aug. 19, 1962, he was united in marriage to Sharon K. Bauman in Malcom and to this union two children were born, Shelley and Jimmie. The family lived in Malcom, Marion, and Springville, and he worked as a construction worker. The marriage ended in divorce.
On Sept. 19, 1970, he was married to Carol L. Starnes in Grinnell, and they were the parents of one daughter, Heidi. Jim and Carol made their home in Searsboro and he worked as a welder for the Donaldson Company until his retirement in 2000.
Jim enjoyed fishing, playing cards, tinkering with things in his garage, and socializing with his friends.
Survivors include his three children, Shelley Tharp of Madrid, Jimmie (Sherri) Evans of Long Grove, and Heidi Evans of Lynnville; six grandchildren, Randy Tharp, Mark Fite, Sally Jones, Lane, Haley, and Wyatt Mathis; two great-grandchildren, Kirra and Kyler; one sister, Judy (Denton) Galloway of Grinnell; one stepbrother, Ralph Winchell of Kellogg; two stepsisters, Dorothy Weyers and Marge (Larry) Thomas, both of Killduff; and three half-sisters, Barbara (Jerry) Ketchum of Clear Lake, Cathy (Rod) Erakovich of Arlington, TX, and Carla (Mike) Winters of Wellman.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife.