Edna Mae Jones Evans, 98, of Smithdale, passed peacefully from this life on Tuesday, August 1, 2023 at her home surrounded by loving family.

Edna was born April 6, 1925 in Franklin County, Mississippi to Charles R. and Malinda Touchstone Jones, and in their happy home “Punch” learned the values of faith and family that would sustain her for almost a century.

She married Boyce Evans in November 1941, and together they raised four children as they followed the oil field across several states. Although she worked various jobs, Edna primarily was a homemaker who loved to cook and sew; her chiefest joy has always been her family.  Her love and generosity extended to all in her circle of family and friends.  She truly never met a stranger, and once she learned your name — and your birthday — she never forgot it.

She was a member of Mount Gilead Primitive Baptist Church.

It is impossible to sum up 98 years of triumphs and tragedies, challenges and conquests, laughter and tears in a few paragraphs. Suffice it to say she was a woman of wit and grit.  Throughout her life she enjoyed composing poetry and had such a knack for putting life’s experiences to rhyme.  Even when age had robbed much of her vision, she would spend hours piecing together rhymes and then recite them for us.  She was a wonderful storyteller with the most incredible memory. Her mind remained sharp until the very end. Her favorite events were family reunions and her phenomenal birthday parties.  Her positive attitude, sunny disposition, sheer determination, and quick wit endeared her to all she met.

Along with her parents and her husband Boyce of 50 years, she is preceded in death by her stepfather Ellzey Jones and stepmother Myrtle Cotten Jones; her sons Charles A. Evans and Boyce L ‘Don’ Evans; her daughter Betty Evans Ward Rodriguez; 3 grandchildren Vicki Ward, Steve Evans, and Tammy Ryder; one great-grandson Joey Harrington; and one great-great-granddaughter Bella Rae Titus; 3 brothers Charles ‘Tony’ Jones, John Cecil Jones, and Edward Jones; 4 sisters Mildred Martin, Geneva Thompson, Dorothy Godwin, and Joy Martinez; 2 stepbrothers Arnell Cotten and Gerald Cotten.

Edna is survived by one daughter Sandra Evans Berryhill Alesich (Raymond) of Smithdale; two daughters in law Linda Evans of Laurel, and Betsy Evans Hancock of Mobile, AL; one sister, Elaine Martinez, Baton Rouge, LA; stepbrother Larry Cotten, Meadville, MS; stepsister Peggy Johnson, McKinney, TX; 26 grandchildren, 66 great-grandchildren, 60 great-great-grandchildren, 2 great-great-great-grandchildren and a host of family and friends who will deeply mourn her passing.

Visitation will be at Brookhaven Funeral Home Friday, August 4, from 5-8; visitation will resume Saturday at 11 and continue until services there at 2, which will be conducted by Elder Luke Addison, Licentiate David Berryhill, and Pastor David Martinez. Pallbearers are Clint Berryhill, Cody Berryhill, Chris Evans, Caid Hogan, Jay Hogan, Tyler Salas, Ronnie Jones, and Mark Jones.  Honorary pallbearers are the remainder of her grandsons, great-grandsons, and great-great-grandsons.