George Evans

George Evans, age 92 of Belle Fourche, died Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at the Belle Estate in Belle Fourche.

The funeral service will be held 10:30am Thursday, July 8^th, 2021 at Leverington Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche.  Visitation will be held 5 to 7pm Wednesday.  Interment will take place at Pine Slope Cemetery. 

George Orville Evans was born February 23, 1929 in Hayes, South Dakota.  He was the son of Stanley and Hazel (Johnson) Evans.  George was brought into this world by his grandmother, who delivered him.  He was the oldest of four children.  George grew up in the country, south of Hayes.  He attended grade school at the Liberty Country School and he attended high school in Midland.  He was united in marriage to Alice Willoughby on August 27, 1950 in Midland.  They made their home on the Sodak Ranch, where George worked.  In 1952 their daughter Valerie was born.  Later, George took a position with the SD Highway Department in Hayes.  In 1961 they moved to Isabel when he was promoted to Highway Maintenance Superintendent for District 4.  George retired in 1989 after 35 years with the SD Department of Transportation.  It was a job he loved.  Going to work every day for 35 years was something he really did enjoy.  The next two summers they spent at Indian Creek Memorial Campground, near Mobridge. George worked as the fee collector for the Corp of Engineers.  In 1992 George and Alice moved to Belle Fourche where he worked part time as a driver for Harold’s Delivery and Fuji Film, delivering in the Northern Hills area.  He also worked part time for the Butte County Conservation District.

George loved buying new cars, coin collecting, but most of all he loved people.  He never met a stranger, no matter where he went, he made friends who remembered his smile and “bigger than life” laugh.  He was always active in the communities he lived in.  He served as a fireman, as a member of the church council, the Isabel rodeo association, a 65-year member of the Masonic Lodge, Masons, Naja Shriners and he was a member of St. James Lutheran Church.  In 2013 he was proud to have been chosen the honoree at the Isabel Rodeo.

After an accident in 2019, George and Alice moved into assisted living at Belle Estate in Belle Fourche.  George loved it there.  The staff provided wonderful care to him, and he loved them all.

Grateful for sharing his life are his wife of 70 years, Alice of Belle Fourche; daughter, Valerie (Al) Garr of Belle Fourche; grandson, Tigh Garr of Belle Fourche; great grandson, Preston Garr of Rapid City; 2 sisters, Beverly Telford of Novato CA, Betty Shannon of Sturgis; 2 sisters-in-law, Verona Evans of Rapid City, Irene Willoughby of Pierre; numerous nieces and nephews; and many friends and relatives.  He was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Constance Marie; grandson, Harvey Albert Garr Jr; an infant brother; brother, Robert “Bob” Evans, and brothers-in-law, Gene Telford, Phil Shannon, and Wallace Willoughby.

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