Thomas Duane Evans

Thomas Duane Evans was born 2/11/1936 to Henry and Etta Evans.After beating Stage IV stomach cancer in 2008 with the help of his veterinarian friend, Ken Larson; Tom succumbed to Alzheimer’s Disease 7/5/2018. As a young boy, Tom traveled from his home in Merino by train to school in Geyser for most of primary school.The family then moved to a ranch near Stanford on Surprise Creek where he would spend most of the rest of his life.He graduated from Stanford High School in 1953 and then Montana State College (later MSU) in 1957 where he was a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity.He subsequently enlisted in the Army to fulfill his military obligation and spent from 1957 to 1959 in Korea as a radio operator.Upon reentering the States, he returned to his beloved ranch.On 5/1/1971 Tom married Freda Neumann, a widow with four children that Tom and his extensive family would take in as their own. A nimble financial wizard and respected leader, Tom served in many capacities throughout his lifetime.The governor at the time, Forrest Anderson, appointed him to the Board of Livestock to serve from 1969 to 1975 with one year as President. He was a member on the Board of Directors of Basin State Bank from 1989 until 2014. At various times, he also served on the Montana Tax Appeal Board and the Farm Credit Board. At St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Stanford, he regularly served as Eucharistic Minister and tallied the offering. Tom loved being on the cutting edge of new technology, embracing the computer and sharing his knowledge with the locals. He owned one of the first digital cameras and loved catching many candid moments with his family and friends. This would include his legendary (and at times life threatening) adventures on canoe trips down the Missouri, hiking “Old Baldy”, and various other outdoor adventures.One of his favorite holidays was April Fool’s Day and the many pranks he was able pull on unsuspecting victims.Tom made many lifelong friends of hunters and other visitors that grew to appreciate the beauty of his ranch. Tom is survived by his wife, Freda; children Gordon (Reba) Neumann, Worland, WY, Bruce (Sue) Neumann, Geyser, MT, Sharon (Kelly) Dubbs, Billings, MT, and Karen (Mike) Latka, Helena, MT.He is also survived by his brother Jerry (Sue) Evans, Geyser, MT, nine nephews, two nieces, nine grandchildren, and one great-grandchild with another on the way.He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Bob (Dorothy) Evans Sr.He is also survived by many lifelong friends. A service will be held Thursday, 7/12/2018 at St. Ann’s Cathedral in Great Falls at 10:00 am.A luncheon will follow in the Parish hall.Tom’s ashes will be scattered at a later date with family on his ranch.In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the Alzheimer’s Association or a memorial of your choice in Tom’s name.