Margaret Jean (Jespersen) Evans was born at home in rural Audubon County, west of Audubon, Iowa on December 10, 1931, and passed away on October 28, 2023 at the Audubon County Memorial Hospital in Audubon, Iowa.
Margaret was the middle child of Knud and Dena (Poulsen) Jespersen’s nine children. She was baptized and confirmed at Elk Horn Lutheran Church. She attended rural school at Sharon #8 and graduated from Audubon High School in 1950.
After graduation she moved to Audubon and worked for the newspaper and then worked for Wilson Pharmacy. It was during that time that her sister Dorothy and her husband Bill Roth introduced her to Richard Evans. They married on December 26, 1952. They were blessed with three daughters Nancy, Patti, and Mary. They lived in Audubon until Dick’s job with the National Guard took them to Des Moines for three years (1960-1963). After returning to Audubon Margaret stayed busy caring for her family. She was a member of the Audubon Hospital Auxiliary, Friendship Home Auxiliary, Audubon Chamber of Commerce, and T.T.T. As an active member of the First Presbyterian Church she taught Sunday School, served as deacon, and participated in Mariners. Margaret was a talented seamstress. In addition to sewing clothing for her family she did alterations for others. She spent many hours sewing Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls to give as gifts and charitable donations. In her later years, the highlight of her week was gathering with her coffee friends.
Margaret and Dick spent many winters in Green Valley, AZ. They also enjoyed traveling worldwide, to Denmark, Scotland, Great Britain, France, and Hawaii.
Margaret was preceded in death by her husband, Dick, her daughter Patti, grandson Joel Figgins; her parents, Knud and Dena Jespersen; her brothers Edwin, Gerald, Donald, Russell, sisters Ellen Jensen, and Dorothy Roth.
Survivors include her daughters Nancy (Jim) Figgins of State Center, Iowa, Mary (Larry) Klever of Audubon, Iowa, seven grandchildren and nine great grandchildren, sisters Harriet Lewis of Des Moines, Iowa and Jane Davis of Audubon, Iowa; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.
The Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be conducted by Reverend Philip Beisswenger on Wednesday morning, November 1, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Audubon, Iowa. Inurnment will be in the Maple Grove Cemetery in Audubon. The family will greet friends Wednesday morning from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service at the First Presbyterian Church in Audubon, Iowa.
The family prefer memorials to be sent to the Audubon County Memorial Hospital, 515 Pacific Avenue, Audubon, Iowa 50025.
