Rita Lafever Evans

Rita Lafever Evans died November 8, 2013, at the Tennessee State Veterans Home, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where she had been a resident since 2011. Mrs. Evans was born in Sparta, Tennessee, and was a veteran of World War II, where she served in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, including service as the Military Aide de Camp to the Governor of Tennessee. Following the war, she became one of the first women to graduate from college under the GI Bill, in 1947, receiving her bachelor’s degree in English from Tennessee Technological University. She married Robert Carson Evans in 1949 (who preceded her in death in 2012 after 63 years of marriage), and did volunteer work and worked as a manager for several years before beginning a teaching career. She taught school in Lewis County, Tennessee and in Aiea, Hawaii. She may also be remembered as the Yearbook Advisor, as well as the Director of many plays over several years at Lewis County High School. Following her teaching career, she worked in retail fashion at Parks-Belk Department Store in Columbia, Tennessee. She was an active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Columbia, Tennessee. She was also preceded in death by her mother, Julia Williams Lafever, father, Andrew J. Lafever, sister, Bernice Lafever Murphy, and brother, Andrew J. Lafever, Jr. She is survived by her brother, William (Bill) Lafever, of Creve Coeur, MO, two sons, Robert C. (Bob) Evans, Jr, of Columbia, TN, and William A.(Andy) Evans, of Bellevue, WA, four granddaughters Tiffany Evans, Columbia, TN, Erin M. Evans, Bellevue, WA, Kristen H. Evans, Redmond, WA, and Julia N. Evans, Bellevue, WA, as well as four great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at a later date, with details to be announced by the family.