Letha Jean Evans

Letha Jean Evans (maiden name Davis) was born in Las Animas, Colorado, September 21, 1929. Although she entered the world in Colorado, her family returned to their Phoenix, Arizona, home just a few days later by car, a long and rough journey in those days. She always considered herself an Arizona woman, and she loved the state and identified with its natural beauty and its agricultural and ranching heritage and culture. During her life in the Valley of the Sun, she saw incredible changes that she embraced, but she always fondly remembered the beauty of the Valley that she experienced as a child.

Letha grew up during the Great Depression, tough times in America, but her early life was filled with joyful play with her brother Leo and their many friends, especially their favorite playmate Don Taylor, who lived on “the lane” near J Avenue (now Indian School Road) and the 15 and ½ Parallel (now 39th Ave.). Letha, Leo, and their friends spent many hot summer days swimming in the nearby canal, joking, and creating playthings from anything they could find.

Letha’s father, Tony Davis, and mother, Grace Irene Davis (maiden name Griffith), moved to Phoenix from Leon, Kansas, beginning the long history of their family in Arizona. Tony was employed by the Stanley Fruit Company, where he was the foreman overseeing all growing operations. He gardened extensively at home as well, and Grace cooked and baked amazing foods and sweets made from the fruits and vegetables they grew.

Letha had three siblings (Audine Sirrine, Leo Davis, and Patsy Davis). When Letha was ten, she and her siblings lost their father to a tragic work accident. Following Tony’s death, Grace married Arley Tudor, with whom she had a daughter, Arlene Booth, but they later divorced.

Grace later met Frank Wilson whom she sought out to train Letha’s first horse Lady. After a time, Grace and Frank married, and Frank involved Letha in running his dairy farm, riding and training horses, horse trading, and training dogs. Letha became a talented horsewoman, even riding and training trick horses, particularly her favorite horse, Frolic, with which she performed at local rodeos. These were hard working but wonderful times in her life.

Letha married Dean Leon Guthery in 1949, and they had a daughter together, Carla Dean Guthery, who survives them. Letha and Dean traveled for work throughout the West, with Dean mostly engaging in agricultural work.

Letha and Dean later divorced, and Letha married Elwood (“Woody”) Claud Evans who grew up on the T Ranch north of Phoenix. They had two daughters, Carol Jean Evans (now Makowski) and Tina Lynn Evans (Barry Baldridge), who survive them. Letha and Elwood were married until his death in 2024, 67 years.

Letha was a devoted mother to Carla, Carol, and Tina. She was dedicated to family life and to her daughters’ learning, and she took her children to many practices and events so they could engage in activities that helped them thrive.

She drew on her experience as a young woman working as a seamstress to make beautiful clothes for her children and original doll clothes for their toys. She brought her knowledge of cooking and baking from her mother Grace to creating excellent family meals, especially during the holidays when she and Woody would prepare family feasts, including turkey dinners with all the fixings and amazing pies and Christmas candies.

Letha was an adventuresome person who loved to travel by RV. She visited many states, enjoying the natural beauty and the cultures of the places she visited. She loved the outdoors: camping, fishing, and riding motorcycles and four-wheelers. She and Woody eagerly involved their children in these activities, taking many family vacations to northern Arizona, particularly to Big Lake in the White Mountains. She was delighted by Arizona wildlife – quail, other birds, deer, elk, hummingbirds, and more – that she and her family would observe at home and in their travels.

Letha also gardened with Woody, and they cared for and trained a number of wonderful dogs in their lives. They were both talented with animals.

Letha was truly a western woman who identified as an Arizona native. She had a lifelong fascination with the Old West and with Native American history of the region, and she read many histories, stories, biographies, and novels on these subjects throughout her life and maintained a large collection of these works. She was also a lifelong lover of country music, and as a young homemaker, would play country music radio throughout the day as she went about her work. She loved western films, particularly those featuring John Wayne. Letha was also an admirer and collector of beautiful Native American arts: silver and turquoise jewelry and pottery.

Letha was an excellent grandmother to Carla’s son (with Kenneth Steele), Aron Wesley Steele, and to Carol’s daughter (with Jerry Makowski), Madeline Grace Garber. She was also a great grandmother to Aron’s two children (with Mandy Mason), Kaley Faye Steele and Aron Wesley Steele, Jr., and to Maxon James Garber, son of Madeline and Michael Garber.

Letha is dearly missed for her humorous stories, her laughing green eyes, and her adventurous western spirit that she generously shared with family and friends. She is survived by her three daughters, her two grandchildren, and her three great grandchildren.

The family would like to thank The Orchard Pointe at Arrowhead and Azul Hospice for their loving care of Letha in her final years and days.