Person:James Evans (16)

James David Evans SUN LAKES, Ariz. - James David Evans, 83, born Dec. 18, 1941, a grandson of Montana pioneers, died peacefully in Sun Lakes on March 29, 2005. He was the son of Henry Valentine and Lulu Belle (Baker) Evans.Jim attended Bonner Grade School, graduated from Missoula County High School and was an Army veteran of World War II.On June 12, 1943, he married Ginette Roberts and they had two daughters, Margo Sturgis and Linda Browning. Jim and Ginette owned and operated Estes Appliance Store in Missoula for over 20 years. During that time he was involved in many civic events and downtown Missoula projects. One of his favorites was serving on the board of the Salvation Army.Jim loved the Montana outdoors. He and Ginette hunted and fished together and spent many summers with their girls camping in the Swan Valley. Eventually he built a cabin on Morrell Creek and became a member of "Highlander Hollow." Here family and friends gathered for food and good times. He enjoyed researching old Montana mining camps, finding the dump sites and digging for bottles.Jim had a lifelong love of wood, rock and construction. He valued physical labor. In his lifetime, besides the Morrell Creek cabin, he remodeled two homes and built a beautiful family home, with a lot of rock and timber, and a swimming pool on the Clark Fork River.Following the death of Ginette in 1991, Jim took a woodcarving class. This was the beginning of many happy years of involvement with the Carousel for Missoula, where several carved horses bear testimony to his skills. He made new friends with this amazing group of artisans and his baking enthusiasm earned him the title of "cookie man" because he supplied them with homemade cookies on carving nights.Jim's later years were spent with his second wife Geneva Sharron traveling the country in their RV and enjoying warm winters in Arizona.In addition to Ginette, Jim was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Phil and Marion, sister Helen Mace, and many close and dear friends.Jim is survived by his daughter Margo and her husband Nat Sturgis and their children Christine (Marco) Littig, Candice (Bill) Neaves and David Seitz; daughter Linda and her husband Bill Browning and their children Greg (Autumn) Browning, Brian (Erin) Browning and Jennifer Browning; and six great-grandchildren, Julie, Kendall, Maggie, Georgia, Liza and Benjamin. Jim is also survived by his sister-in-law Germaine (Don) Trenary and their sons Greg (Lynn) and Guy (Teresa) and their children: Geneva Sharron and her family, Stephanie (Alec) Schmitt, Kathy Burns, Laura (Brian) Cress and their families; and numerous nieces and nephews.Cremation has taken place in Arizona. Graveside services will be held at St. Mary's Cemetery in Missoula at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 16, followed by a celebration of his life at the Hellgate Lions Club barn (Bonner Exit 109, take second left onto First Street to the end). A light lunch will be served.The family requests a donation to the Shriners Hospital for Children in lieu of flowers, please.