Frances Evans Sanders

Frances (Evans) Sanders was born on February 20, 1936, to her parents Oarvle Lee and Vina Clementine (Rhoades) Evans, in England, Arkansas. She lived a rich life, and passed on March 19th, 2022. She was predeceased by her two older brothers, Jay Evans, Clarence (CF) Evans, her younger sister Floy (Evans) Balch, and youngest brother, John Evans.

Her family moved from Arkansas to the San Joaquin Valley in the late 1930's. Frances graduated from LeGrand High School in 1954. She married her husband, Roy Sanders, in 1957, and had two children, Dennis and Lisa. She was happily married to Roy for 63 years prior to his death in 2020. She worked for years at the Merced Title Company, but followed her dreams to go to college, and graduated from Merced College with an Associate’s Degree in English, and continued on to Stanislaus State College (CSU Stanislaus) majoring in English. She spent over two decades as a 'permanent' substitute teacher, in the Merced City School District, making sure all of her students understood the eight parts of speech and grammar.

Her children and grandchildren were the focus of her life, and she spent many hours shuttling them to Cub Scouts, Brownies, musical rehearsals with the Merced High School Marching 100, and music, karate, and gymnastic lessons. She volunteered with her sister, Floy, in the Atwater League of Women voters, to help assure all were entitled access to fair and free elections, and was a member of the Atwater Women’s Club.

She is survived by her son Dennis, his spouse Dee Dee O'brien, and granddaughter, Annelise Sanders; her daughter Lisa Grant, her spouse, Greg Grant, grandson Christopher Battisti and spouse, Rachel, granddaughter, Danielle Morrison, her husband, Ryan, and newborn great-granddaughter, Scout, and step-granddaughter, Morgan Grant, and step-great-grandson, Wolf.

Memorial services will be held at Stratford Evans Funeral Home in Merced, CA, on Friday, April 29, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. Frances and her beloved husband, Roy, will be interred at the Plainsburg Cemetery immediately following the service.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.stratfordevansfunerals.com for the Sanders family.