Joe Dennis Evans

Family-Placed Obituary

Joe Dennis Evans Funeral services for Joe Dennis Evans, 79, will be held Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., January 18, 2005, at the First United Methodist Church in Granbury. Burial will be at Holly Hills Cemetery, Hood County, Tx. Visitation is from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Monday, at the funeral home. Joe Dennis Evans was born in Blanket, Brown County, Tx., to Frank and Fay Andrews Evans. Graduated from Blanket High and Southwestern University, Joe was Little All-American for two years at Southwestern University, ands then signed on with the L.A. Rams until a back injury took him to another occupation of Principal and Coach at Burnet High School. He ran for County Judge of Burnet in "49" and was on the bench for 12 years. The youngest Judge in Texas, he was responsible for the first book mobile library in Texas and wide highways in Burnet County. While Judge, he owned a grocery store, insurance, real estate office and ranched. He had two sons born in Burnet to Nellie Jones Evans and Joe. Joe was loved by all his former students and fellow townsmen of Burnet. Joe was very active in politics with the Governors and Senators. After leaving the bench, Joe was hired by Clint Murchinson to procure land for development in West, Central and South areas of Texas, one being in the Fulton area on the coast. He married Carolyn Suttles and extended the family with two more sons. He moved to Granbury for development around the lake and then opened his own Real Estate office. He married Merilyn Hertel Tankersley and gained a daughter. He specialized in farm and ranch sales and development properties. He helped to establish the Granbury Chamber of Commerce, Granbury Board of Realtors and the Opera House. He was Past Master of Burnet Blue Lodge 175, Past President and Secretary of the Lake Granbury Area Shrine Club, Past President and Director of Johnson County Electric Cooperative and the Brazos Electric Power Cooperative. Survivors are wife, Merilyn; sons, Joe D. Evans II and Robert B. Evans of Granbury, Weldon L. Evans and wife, Fay of Warrensburg, Mo.; daughter, Judy Melancon of Fort Worth; grandsons, Richard Melancon and wife, Casey of Granbury and Jabe E. Evans of Godley; step-grandchildren, Bobby Melancon and Debra LeRoy of Houston; great-grandsons, Jeremy and Kyle of Houston; brother, Calvin Evans and wife, Valree of Blanket; sisters-in-law, Betty Sunday of Arlington and Anne Hertel of Grand Rapids, Mich.; brother-in-law, Jerry Hertel and wife, Peg of Midland; nieces, nephews and many dear cousins and friends. Wiley Funeral Home, Granbury, (817) 573-3000.