~ IN MEMORY ~
Military veteran, WI/RC/NWA Capt. H. William “Bill”
Evans
October 27, 1926 ~ September 1, 2024
Notice of passing …. Capt. Harold William (Bill)
Evans, age 97…… hired by Wisconsin Central Airlines (formerly North Central,
Republic, Northwest and now Delta Airlines) in Oct. of 1951…..
Bill was widowed in 2021 and is survived by his
children and grand- and greatgrandchildren.
PCN memorial site
Please visit funeral home links below for online obituary
information.
https://www.mahnfamilyfuneralhome.com/obituaries/h-bill-evans
https://www.sctimes.com/obituaries/pmns0933967
H. William (Bill) Evans, age 97, died suddenly on
September 1st, 2024 at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, MN. A Memorial Service for
Bill will be at 11:00 am on Saturday, September 28th at The Church of St.
Joseph, 435 West 7th St. in Red Wing, MN, with the burial nearby at Calvary
Cemetery. A luncheon at the church will follow the burial. Visitation for Bill
will be in church narthex 1 hour before service.
Bill was born in Madison, WI to Harold and Alice
(Carey) Evans. He married Lois Coenen on November 27, 1948 at Blessed Sacrament
Church in Madison, WI. who preceded him in death, August 2021. Bill started
flying in Jan. of 1943 when he was 16 and a junior in high school. He received
his Commercial Pilots License at age 18. Shortly after, Bill was drafted and
assigned to the mechanized cavalry and to a reconnaissance squad at Ft. Riley,
KS. After seventeen weeks of training, he was sent overseas. While enroute, the
nuclear bombs were dropped and the armistice was signed. They were diverted to
the Philippines for occupation duty. It was then, that they found out, that
they were scheduled to be the 3rd wave to invade the Japanese main land. Later,
Historians figured it would have taken at least 6 waves to establish a beach
head. Bill’s always had high regard for Harry Truman, whom he figured, saved
his life.
After being discharged from the army, Bill
immediately went back to flying as a charter pilot and instructor while getting
the experience and additional ratings to qualify for airline flying. During
that time, Bill met the love of his life, Lois. They were married, Nov. 1948,
raised five children, and were together for 72 years of married life. Bill was
hired by Wisconsin Central Airlines (formerly North Central, Republic,
Northwest and now Delta Airlines) in Oct. of 1951. In addition to a regular
line pilot, Bill was also a FAA appointed Check Airman and was with the
training department for over 26 years. During his 35 years with the Airlines,
Bill accumulated over 30,000 flying hours, flying the Douglas DC3, Convair
340/440, Convair 580 ( Turbo Prop ), The DC 9 and the last six years the Boeing
727. In October of 1986 Republic Airlines merged with Northwest Airlines. That
was also the month Bill was 60 years old, at that time the mandatory retirement
age for Airline Pilots. Bill’s last trip was Oct. 24, 1986 but what was special
was that his oldest son, Pat, who had been hired in 1978, flew the last month
with his Dad as his First Officer. That was a very special time for both.
Bill, Lois and family moved from Madison, WI to
Savage, MN in 1960 and lived there for 17 years. They then moved to Prior Lake,
MN for another 17 years and then moved to Cold Spring, MN in 1993. In 2016 Bill
and Lois moved to an apartment in St. Therese of Woodbury MN to be closer to
children and grandchildren. After retirement, Bill and Lois bought a motor home
and toured the country and spent most winters in Arizona until 2005.
Bill is survived by his children, Pat (Sandy)
Evans, Red Wing MN, Tim (Alex) Evans, Littleton, CO, Carly (Christine) Evans,
Edina, MN, Teresa Evans, St. Paul MN and Steve (Susan) Evans, New Prague, MN;
six grandchildren, Kristin Ebel (Derek), Rachel Evans, James Evans (Emily),
Alec Evans, Marc Evans and Kayla Schowalter (David) and two great
grandchildren, Lane Schowalter and Benjamin Evans. Bill was preceded in death
by his parents and three sisters, Mary Collins, Ruth Coe and Betty Ganser.
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https://www.mahnfamilyfuneralhome.com/obituaries/lois-evans
Lois Evans
December 13, 1923 — August 23, 2021
Lois Rita Evans, age 97 died peacefully at St.
Therese St. Odilia Hospice in Shoreview, MN on August 23, 2021. She lived with
her husband Bill (94) at St. Therese in Woodbury, Minnesota
Lois was born December 13, 1923 in Madison,
Wisconsin to Edna and Joseph Coenen. She was one of 6 children.
She graduated from West High School in Madison and
went on to get a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Wisconsin,
Madison…………………………………….
