MARY BESS EVANS

Mary Bess Grant Evans Mary Bess Grant Evans, 88, of 113 Roosevelt Drive, went home to be with the Lord at St. Andrews Bay Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation in Panama City, FL on Tuesday, October 8, 2013. Graveside services will be held 2:30 p.m. Saturday, October 12, 2013 at Memory Hill Cemetery with Rev. Bob Gross officiating and Byrd Funeral Home on West Main Street directing. The family will receive friends from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Saturday at the Funeral Home. Mrs. Evans was born October 16, 1924, in Dothan, AL to Adam Giles Grant and Martha Elizabeth Redding. She lived out her life in her beloved Dothan where she graduated from Dothan High School in 1942. She proudly attended Auburn University for two years where she was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority. She remained a devout War Eagle fan all of her life. Mrs. Evans worked for the Bay Line Railroad for ten years and later worked for the Houston County School Board as an Educational Secretary. She retired from the school system in 1987 after nineteen and a half years. Mrs. Evans was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grand-mother. She used to joke that her family was her "hobby" as she had few interests outside of her role as "Nanny" to all who loved her. She was a marvelous cook and few could prepare good old southern favorites better than she could. She remained a devoted Auburn fan and listened to the Auburn network every Saturday when her Tigers played. She loved children and enjoyed her role as Secretary at both Girard Elementary and Cloverdale Elementary Schools in Dothan. Mrs. Evans was a member of First Baptist Church of Dothan following her marriage. She was a former member of First United Methodist Church of Dothan. She is preceded in death by her husband, Inos M. Evans; her parents, Adam Giles Grant and Martha Elizabeth Redding Grant; two sisters, Lucille Grant Bowden and Margaret Grant; and five brothers, Arthur Joe Grant, Adam Grant, Porter Grant, William Grant, and Charles Grant. Survivors include her children, Martha Evans Brown (Terry) of Panama City, FL, L. Grant Evans (Linda) of Nashville, TN, and Sue Ellen Evans Groger of Seattle, WA; her grandchildren, Jennifer M. Brown Fair-cloth and Teresa L. Brown Hultgren (Dale) of Panama City, FL, April G. Holton (Michael) of Eclectic, AL, Christopher Owenby (Michelle) of Titus, AL, Michael Evans of San Francisco, CA, Brian Evans and Russell Evans of Kingsport, TN; her great-grand-children, Austin Adkinson, Biana Faircloth, Richard Faircloth, Clay Faircloth of Panama City, FL, Madison Holton, Hayden Holton, Kyle Holton, all of Eclectic, AL, and Meredith Owenby and Michelle Owenby of San Diego, CA; many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. Serving as active pallbearers will be Chris Owenby, Michael Evans, Michael Holton, Terry Brown, Russell Evans, and Grant Evans. Byrd Funeral Home on West Main Street, (334) 793-3003, is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be offered at www.byrdfuneralhome.com. Sign the guest book at www.dothaneagle.com