Thomas Cooper Evans, 81, of Grundy Center, died from natural causes on Thursday Decemebr 22, 2005. Memorials may be directed to Cedar Bend Animal Shelter, 1166 West Airline Highway, Waterloo, Iowa or to Doctors without Borders 888-392-0392 www.doctorswithoutborders.org.
Cooper was born May 26, 1924 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa the son of Thomas Edward and Ora Belle (Cooper) Evans. Cooper was raised in Grundy Center and attended School in Grundy Center. Cooper graduated From Grundy Center High school in 1942. Cooper Graduated from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland in 1948 with a degree in History and Economics. On June 21, 1948 he was united in marriage to Jean Marie Ruppelt in Grundy Center, Iowa. Cooper graduated from Iowa State University in 1949 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering in 1955. In 1956 he graduated from Oak Ridge School of Reactor Technology in Nuclear Engineering. He also was a graduate of the U. S. Army Command and General Staff College in 1962. His Scholastic Honors include Tau Beta Pi, Phi Kappa Phi, and Pi Tau Sigma. Cooper worked as a U.S. Army Engineer, Iowa State Represntative, U.S. Congressman, Advisor to the President of the United States for Agriculture and Agricultural Businessman. Cooper Evans is managing partner of Evans farms, an 1800 acre corn, soybean and black walnut operation in Grundy County, Iowa. Evans farms has been his principal Private Sector Endeavor in 1965 Cooper Evans has most recently been developing a 675 acre farm in Sullivan County, Missouri, for beef cattle production, horticultural tree crops, and aquaculture. In 1987 to 1989 Evans was the senior member of Evans and Associates, which consulted on agricultural policy.
Surviving are his wife Jean of Grundy Center, 2 sons: Jim and wife Beckie Evans of Downers Grove, Illinois, and Lieutenant Colonel Charlie and Linda Evans of Fort Polk, Louisiana; 7 grandchildren Ames Cooper Evans, Aura Marie Evans, Zachary Thomas Evans, Joseph Maxwell Evans, Nicholas Edward Evans, Theodore James Evans, and Michael Thomas Evans. Preceding him in death was his parents: Thomas Edward and Ora Cooper Evans and an infant son: Edward Giles Evans in 1969.