ALBANY – Robert E. "Bob" Evans, age 89, Albany, died Tuesday morning at Marion VA Hospital.  Bob was born at home in Jay Co. on Dec. 2, 1923, and lived his early years with his parents who farmed various farms in Jay and Wells counties.  When he was 13 in 1937 they moved to Delaware County just north of Albany.  He graduated from Albany High School in 1941 and remained an Albany resident for the remainder of his life.  Trained as a carpenter at age 13 he spent most of his life as a skilled craftsman but had worked for Frazier Distribution as a mechanic and Hollowell Lumber as a carpenter.  He built jigs for McCormick Bros. for 17 years, was a maintenance supervisor at Warner Machine, and worked at the Albany CO-OP Elevator.  Carpentry was the vocation he enjoyed the most and later devoted all of his time to building and established Bob Evans Construction in 1972.  He retired in 2004.

He was inducted into the U.S. Army in March of 1944, landing in France sixty days after D-Day.  He was captured the first day of the Battle of The Bulge & remained a P.O.W. in a prison camp known as Stalag 9B in Bad Orb, Germany, for almost 4 months until being liberated.  He received many metals including the Bronze Star.  Bob was a devout Christian that trained for ministry by correspondence & regional lectures through Christian Life School of Theology, Columbus, GA.  He then pastored at Muncie Health Care Center for twenty-two years.  Bob was very active and held many offices in various churches over the years; he was a current member of Full Gospel Temple, Muncie.  He was a former Civil Defense Captain and an elected official in the Town of Albany having served as Clerk-Treasurer from 1950-1960 and Justice of The Peace from 1967 until the position was phased out in 1974.

Survivors include 3 sons: Philip D. Evans (wife: Nancy), Albany, Gary E. Evans (wife: Wanda), Highland, MI, and Robert K. Evans (wife: Dee), Bakersfield, CA; 2 daughters: Pamela K. Rees (husband: Michael), Albany, and Barbara A. James (husband: DeWayne), Albany; 12 grandchildren & 17 great-grandchildren; a sister-in-law: Patricia Evans, Dunkirk; 2 nieces, and 4 nephews.

He is preceded in death by his wife of nearly 60 years, Ann Louise (Kingrey) Evans, who died in December of 2001.  Also deceased are his parents: Walter & Mabel Evans; an infant daughter: Patricia G. Evans; a brother: Donald Lee Evans, and a sister: Wanda Love.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Saturday, September 7, 2013, at Meacham Funeral Service, Albany.  Burial will follow at Strong Cemetery with military rites provided by Veterans of Delaware County Honor Guard.

Visiting hours will be held on Friday from 5-9 p.m. and one hour prior to the service on Saturday at the funeral home.

Memorials may be sent to Full Gospel Temple, Muncie.

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