Arthur Evans

Arthur Draper Evans, 97, passed away on Thursday, December 17, 2015. Memorial services will be at 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, December 23, 2015, at the University Church of Christ Family Room, 733 East North 16th Street, with Mr. Brent Isbell officiating. Private burial will take place at Elmwood Memorial Park under the direction of Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 542 Hickory Street, Abilene. Visitation will be Tuesday evening from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

Arthur was born on July 15, 1918, in Wapanucka, Oklahoma, to the late Arthur Thomas and Augusta (Draper) Evans. He married the former Dorothy Frances Yates on July 29, 1939, in Enid, Oklahoma. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1941 from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, Oklahoma. Arthur was working for Railway Express Agency in Oklahoma, when he entered the United States Army during World War II. He was stationed at Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana, where he taught illiterates and worked on his Master’s degree. He was later deployed to China and returned to Oklahoma to be with his family, and had worked for Railway Express Agency in Oklahoma, Kansas, Kansas City, Missouri, Des Moines, Iowa and Chicago, Illinois. He retired as the Operations Manager in Kansas City, Missouri for Railway Express after 40 years of service in 1975. He moved to Abilene, Texas where he was a member of the Abilene Founder’s Lions Club, the University Church of Christ, and the American Association of Retired Persons. He worked at Abilene Christian University as a personnel representative until he retired on July 29, 1999.

Preceding him in death are his parents; wife Dorothy; two grandchildren; three brothers; and one sister. Survivors include son, Stephen Evans and wife Lek of Roi Et, Thailand; daughter, Pati Espenlaub of Kansas City, Missouri; three grandsons; and one great grandson.