Rosa Lorene Evans

Rosa Lorene Messer Evans, 88, of Richmond, Texas, passed away on June 22, 2022. She was born in Madisonville, Texas on September 2,1933 to Hazel Hill and Robert D. Messer. Rosa graduated from Jefferson Davis High School at the age of 16. Her first job was at the Federal Reserve Bank in Downtown Houston working her way up to the head of the Proofing Department. In the 1960s, she began managing several night clubs in the Houston area and opened Capri Pizza in 1968, which she owned for 14 years. After a move to LaGrange, Texas in 1982, she bought the Roadhouse Restaurant and Bar and a few years later the Greenhouse Diner. Over these many years of entrepreneurship, Rosa’s true passion was her family.

Rosa, Nanny to everyone she met, was an incredible woman. As a single mother of six who owned and ran numerous businesses, she was proof that women can succeed in this world on their own terms. There were successes and failures, but failures were just more opportunities for success and not reasons to quit.

Raising six children on her own should be accomplishment enough for most people, but Rosa did so much more. Whenever anyone was in need, no matter what her personal difficulties, she always set her troubles aside and tried to help. In a time when most women stayed home, raised children, and had a husband working to provide financial support, she bucked tradition and worked to provide for us, courageously taking many risks. From the early years of raising her children in the Alaska Territory where she purchased her own property at a time when women weren’t allowed to, to the years starting and running her own businesses in the Houston area and lobbying in Austin to change laws relating to those businesses, and on into the years helping to raise her grandchildren and great grandchildren, Rosa was fearless in her pursuits and grounded in her faith. Even as Rosa aged, it was hard to ever think of her as a senior citizen because her spirit was so young.

She made indelible marks on all of us with her wisdom, kindness, nurturing, and unending love. We always knew we could turn to Mom or Nanny or Aunt Rosa whenever we were in need. Rosa’s gifts to her children are family, hard work, determination, courage in the face of adversity, and strength to embrace each day. She always said her greatest accomplishment was her children.

Rosa is preceded in death by her parents Hazel and Robert Messer, brothers Robert and Gerald Messer, daughter Mary Elizabeth Callicotte, son John Bunyan Evans, III, and son-in-law Clint Callicotte.

Rosa is survived by her son Thomas Evans, daughters Nancy (William) Shreffler, Cathryn (Lawrance) Hodgetts, and Christine (Derrik) Arenal, nieces Angelgale (Robert) Reaves, and Sharon Anderson, as well as grandchildren Rickey Scott, Michael (Lisa) Callicotte, Trey (Jodi) Evans, Devan (Sina) Semora, Dustin (Teri) Barham, Justin Barham, John Hodgetts, Estree Arenal, Miriam Arenal, Thaddeus Arenal, Cayden Arenal, Magen Johnson, Sheyenne (Geoffrey) Williams, Will Shreffler, Stephen (Kat) Reaves, Michael Reaves, Jonathan (Sarah) Reaves, Randall (Dawn) Reaves, Alexis (John) Thompson, and Cheyenne Anderson. She also leaves behind great grandchildren Mary, KC, Will, Ashleigh, Cory, Elena, Kaisen, Havyn, Savanha, Kyle, Shane, Summer, Lakyn, Trigg, Tyli, Trace, Cheyenne, and Gabriela and great-great grandchildren Emery, Clifton, Roan, Mathew, Zachary, Jonathan Jr., Damien, Jackson, Greyson, and Riley. She is also survived by many beloved nieces and nephews, her sister-in-law Dorothy Messer, daughter-in-law Mary Ann Evans, adopted son Frank (Mary Ellen) Plut, and adopted grandson Jason Abke.

A visitation for Rosa will be held Thursday, June 30, 2022 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM at Brookside Funeral Home, 13747 Eastex Freeway, Houston, TX 77039. A funeral service will occur Thursday, June 30, 2022 at 12:00 PM, 13747 Eastex Freeway, Houston, TX 77039. A committal service will occur Thursday, June 30, 2022 at 1:00 PM at Brookside Memorial Park, 13747 Eastex Freeway, Houston, TX 77039.

Serving as pallbearers are Trey Evans, Devan Semora, John Hodgetts, Thaddeus Arenal, Will Callicotte and Jason Abke.

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