Sunrise: September 8, 1949 — Sunset: December 26, 2023
Jerry Leon (Fisher) Evans passed away after an illness on December 26, 2023. He was born on September 8, 1949, the second oldest of eight children born to Mary E. and Albert J. Evans, Sr. in Hattiesburg, MS.
Jerry attended elementary and junior high school at Eureka and W.H. Jones Elementary and Jr. High School in Hattiesburg, MS. In junior high school he played basketball, and the trombone in the band.
He also sang in the school choir. He played piano and harmonica at home and for friends and family. He attended R.J. Rowan High School but left during the 11th grade to complete his education in the Job Corp. where he studied auto mechanics.
Jerry finished school and joined the U.S. Navy. After leaving the Navy, he joined his family in Minneapolis, MN.
In Minnesota, he worked for Otis Elevator Company installing elevators and escalators. He worked primarily as a self-employed skilled auto mechanic.
Jerry loved nature, fishing, and being outdoors. He spent the last 20 years of his life living outdoors, even during the harsh Minnesota winters.
He spent several decades researching how food, herbs, spices, and water affect health, and learning about the edible wild perennial plants available in Minnesota landscapes. He passed this information on to friends and family members. He is remembered by friends and family for being kind, patient and humble.
Jerry was preceded in death by his father, Abert James Evans, Sr., his mother, Mary Earl Evans (Day), and his youngest brother, Joseph Ray Evans. He is survived by his daughter, Donyelle (Adam) Headington; his sons, Kenneth (Sally) Gabrelcik and Micheal Gabrelcik; grandchildren Kofi Headington, Dustin West, and Edee West; siblings Albert (Doris) Evans, Jr., Mamie (Michael) Stokes, David Evans, Brenda Evans, Pamela Henderson, Vickie (Ewell) Evans-Nash; and many other relatives, neighbors and friends.
Interment was held on Tuesday, January 9, at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN.
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