Barbara Evans

Barbara Ann Evans, age 88 years of Niles, Michigan; wife, mother, grandmother, bookkeeper, traveler, and devout Christian died peacefully at 12:35 p.m. on Saturday, November 22, 2025 with her family gathered around at her home following a brief illness.

She was born on March 3, 1937 in Constantine, Michigan to Fred R. and Doris M. (Watson) Noecker, coming to Niles with her family in 1942. She was graduated from Niles’ former Central High School, and was first employed at the former Dean’s Drug Store at the corner of East Main and Second Street in Niles. Soon after that, she was employed in the offices of the French Paper Company in Niles, and later became an Administrative Assistant in the executive suite at the former Buchanan “World Wide Headquarters” of Clark Equipment Company. After Clark moved to another state, she moved to the office of Iam P. Bhisitkul, M.D. where she remained until his retirement.

Barb was a long-time member of the First Missionary Church (now Summit Church), where she served as a Deaconess, church board secretary, financial bookkeeper, Sunday School teacher, and Women’s Ministry leader. While at Clark Equipment, she was a member of the Clark Affiliate of the National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs. In later years, she volunteered with the Pawating Auxiliary at Lakeland Hospital (now Spectrum Lakeland).

Barb enjoyed traveling with her family, including highlights such as Hawaii and Flagstaff, Arizona, and collected souvenir bells from each location. She enjoyed cooking at home, including the family favorite cheesy potatoes, and was a very active and supportive grandmother and great-grandmother with a nearly perfect attendance record at public events featuring her grandkids, even bundling-up to sit in the bleachers of soccer games.

While working at Dean’s, a certain young grocery clerk at the former A&P store - just around the corner on Second Street - took a meal break at Dean’s, and, finding Barb to be an outstanding soda-jerk, he came around more often, quickly increasing to several daily breaks from work. On Barb’s birthday, March 3, 1956 at the Assembly of God Church at 13th & Main (now Michiana Christian Embassy, and now farther east) she married said grocer, Billy Dee Evans.

The newlyweds first lived in a few small, temporary residences, before moving to the new Oak Manor subdivision, purchasing a house on the west side of Spansail Drive, only to move a few years later across the street to their longtime home. For several years, they were winter residents of Fruitland, Florida.

Surviving family includes her husband of a remarkable Sixty-nine years, Bill Evans, and their daughter, Anita (& Orrin) Belcher of Niles; grandsons Matthew (& Cindi) Belcher and Jeremy (& Rhonda) Belcher; great-grandchildren Truen, Marissa, Jedrek, the twins Ezra and Elise, and Ivan; and Barb’s brother, Roger Noecker of Niles, a sister-in-law, Janice (Mrs. Harry) Noecker, and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Doris Noecker, and by a brother, Harry Dean Noecker, who died in 2018.

Funeral Services for Barbara Evans will be at Noon on Tuesday, December 2, 2025 at Summit Church, 1700 West River Road, at U.S.12 in Niles, with Summit’s Lead Pastor Dan Miller officiating. The family will receive relatives and friends on Tuesday at Summit from 10:00 a.m. until Noon.

Committal Services will be private, on Wednesday, at Mission Hills. Contributions in memory of Barb may be made to Summit Church, 1700 West River Road, Niles, Michigan, 49120; https://summitniles.com/home. Arrangements were completed at the Halbritter-Wickens Funeral Home, 615 East Main Street in Niles. Memories and condolences may be left at:

www.halbritterwickens.com.

Psalm 90:10 indicates that our lives might be 70 years, or if strong, 80 years, but Barb seems to have been unusually strong to remain active for another 8 years, and all of those years used well, serving others at the soda fountain, corporate offices, medical clinic, hospital and church. Perhaps more important was her love for her grand and great-grandchildren, for Anita and Orrin, and always the most love for Bill; all evidence of fulfilling the command to love God and love people.