Irene Evans

Irene Mizell was born March 21, 1924 in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, to Floyd and Viva (Smith) Mizell. There were seven children in her family. She married Stephen M. Evans, Jr., in April of 1942, also in Okmulgee. Of this union, two daughters were born, Donna Sue Evans Perry and Shirley Ann Evans Merkey. Irene loved the Lord first and served in various ways throughout her life. She taught the young boys' Sunday School class in the old church, First Assembly of God, on 3rd Street, Bartlesville, and she taught teen girls in Waco, Texas where the family moved for a couple of years when Mr. Evans was transferred with Phillips Petroleum Company in the ‘50s. She was an excellent seamstress, making costumes for grade school plays and her daughters' clothes and prom dresses. She was quite the hostess and was an excellent cook and pie maker. She was always taking meals to people who were in need. She was president of Women's Missionary Council (WMC) at Bartlesville's First Assembly of God and was in the quilting circle at church where the ladies made quilts and worked the funeral dinners, bean dinners and volunteered at Agape Mission. She also worked for Mr. Fanchier running his household for many years. She was named "Coconut Pie Queen" at church. She was such a prayer warrior….she didn't just teach her daughters, she "lived the life in front of them". She will be so missed by everyone. There are no words to express what a wonderful mother she was to her daughters. Irene was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Stephen Evans, Jr.; her parents, Floyd and Viva; sisters, Gladys Morris and Lee Whisman; her big brother, Junior Mizell; and son-in-law, Tony Merkey, Sr. She leaves behind her daughters, Donna Evans Perry and Shirley Ann Evans Merkey; two grandchildren, Michele Balduff of Aurora, Illinois, Tony Joe Merkey, Jr. of Hodgen, Oklahoma; three great-grandchildren, Shawn Balduff, Aaron Balduff and Shelby Balduff, all of Aurora, Illinois; two sisters, Oleta Baker of Muskogee, Oklahoma and Betty Edwards of Del City, Oklahoma; and brother, Johnny Mizell of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The family also wants to thank her caregivers, Clesson and Robin, who kept her going; Verla who took care of all of us; and thanks also to Faye who took care of her hair. She will be so missed by everyone who knew her, but we know she is in Jesus' arms.

Service Details

Monday, November 3rd, 2014 10:00am, Spirit Church

Interment Details

Okmulgee Cemetery