Happy 90th Birthday, Big Jack Evans
Open house scheduled in Malad for John A. Evans’ 90th birthday
By Barbara Olson (11 May 1983)
(Headshot photo of John A. Evans “Big Jack” on the upper right hand corner of this article.)
In observance of their father’s 90th birthday, the children of John A. Evans will be honoring him at an open house Sunday, May 15, from 3 to 6 p.m. This will be held at his home 152 North 70 East, Malad.
Born May 11, 1893 in Malad. Evans is the son of John J. and Margaret Adams Evans. He has spent his entire life in Malad. He was a farmer and served as sheriff of Oneida County for 22 years, retiring in 1964.
He married Catherine (Katie) Hill on November 1, 1916. They were the parents of six children: Mrs. Don (Catherine) Limb, Mrs. Gail (Margaret) Boam, J. Earl Evans, Lyle B. Evans (deceased), twins Ray Evans and Mrs. Peter (Rayma) Zagarella.
In November 1982 Mr. and Mrs. Evans celebrated their sixty-sixth wedding anniversary. Mrs. Evans passed away on Christmas Day 1982. The family invites all their father’s friends to attend the open house. They request no gifts.
Big Jack’s 90th birthday is today. His children will be honoring their father at an open house in his home Sunday, May 15, from 3 to 6 p.m.
John A. Evans, son of John J. and Margaret A. Evans was born in Malad May 11, 1893 and spent his entire life in Malad. He was a farmer and served as Oneida County Sheriff for 22 years, retiring in 1964.
He said, “When Katie Hill accepted my proposal of marriage, I built a house for us. We were married in 1916, and when we came home from our honeymoon we moved into this house and lived here ever since. We learned to satisfy our needs and not our wants-and never lived under a mortgage.”
To the marriage were born six children: Mrs. Don (Catherine) Limb, Mrs. Gail (Margaret) Boam, J. Earl, Lyly B. (deceased), and twins Ray and Mrs. Peter (Rayma) Zagarella. Mrs. and Mrs. Evans celebrated their sixty-sixth wedding anniversary November, 1982. Mrs. Evans passed away Christmas day, 1982. They have 19 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.
The following story about Big Jack was printed in the Idaho Enterprise October 15, 1964–upon his retirement from the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office:
When, in January, 1965, Sheriff John A. Evans turns his office over to his successor, the halls of the Oneida Courthouse are going to seem a little quieter without his booming laugh and hearty welcome to all and sundry who come into the building.
Sheriff Evans was elected to his first term in 1942 and has served continuously since then.
Retiring with him will be his deputy, Arthur T. Williams, affectionately known as “Little Arthur”, the name applied years ago to distinguish him from his father who weighed twice as much as his son. Deputy Williams has served for 17 ½ years.
“Big Jack” Evans knows by first name practically every resident in the county and can call by name most of the peace officers of Idaho, including the state patrolmen.
Sheriff Evans’ first deputy was James Chivers who served for 2 ½ years in that capacity.
Best Feature of Job
The best feature of his job has been the always new activity with different people, no cases ever having the same circumstances or the people involved the same. Out of his experience with many persons in many situations over the years, he asserts that “people are nice.” Working with people has been very educational and given him much satisfaction in his job.
Sheriff Evans hates most to be called in the night to break the news of an accident or a fatality to the parents of young people.
During his tenure in office, one murder and many suicide cases have been investigated, but his most dangerous moment came early in his career as an officer when he was called just before daylight by persons reporting three men stripping a car just out of town. When Sheriff Evans arrived at the scene he found the three men to be notorious thugs from Pocatello.
They requested the Sheriff to allow them to ride into town under arrest with him in his car after he prevented the trio from reaching their get-away car. Instead, he herded them ahead of him into town and to a cafe where an employee called the Malad City Police Dept. for help.
However, the “closest call” he had came in his own office while he was holding a hit-run driver in temporary custody. A special police officer came into the office; the suspect asked the make of the gun he was carrying and, as it was withdrawn from the holster; the gun discharged. The bullet barely missed the sheriff on the opposite side of the room.
Many Funny Incidents
The serious side of the job is more than over-balanced by humorous incidents, Sheriff Evans said. One in particular he remembers was the request that he attempt to trace and recover a china nest egg stolen from a chicken coop along with five of the real kind.
He has even been asked to be lenient because the accused or his parents had voted for the sheriff in the last election.
Helping Young People
Sheriff Evans has tried to help young people involved in brushes with the law rather than build a record of conviction which would give these young people criminal records. He said, “I don’t think there’s anyone who hasn’t made a mistake. As soon as they get over the age of testing their elders and the laws, the small number who do this will become our most staid citizens. In my opinion, 95 percent of the people in Oneida County don’t need law enforcement.”
Young people are easily influenced to change their ways if parents cooperate with the law enforcement agencies.
One of the problems of enforcement is that violators have been advised to make officers prove their statements; then when proof is established the parents request leniency.
Sheriff Evans has a pet hate-being used as a boogey [bogeyman] man by parents to make their children behave. He says this has a profound influence on the child in his later attitude toward all law officers.
Let Tempers Cool
Sheriff Evans has learned to make a practice of not being too hasty in making decisions as he has found that a great many problems can be worked out by dealing with both sides after tempers have cooled and before a big issue is made of an incident.
Most Frustrating Aspect
To law enforcement officers, Sheriff Evans said, the most frustrating thing is to have a person refuse to testify or sign a complaint when that individual has full knowledge about some unlawful act. The Sheriff also stated that officers must be very careful in enforcing the law as laws tend to protect violators and clear-cut evidence is highly desirable before an arrest is made.
Most Rewarding
“Most rewarding part of the job is when reference requests come to my office about young people out of high school and college and I have the ability to answer the questions on these confidential questionnaires about the character of the young people I have watched grow up. A few of these are some who I have had in my office and have made rapid changes in the right direction. It makes me feel good to give them a boost,” Sheriff Evans said.
He has tried to impress upon young people that the truth is the foundation they have to build on; that they cannot tell a lie three times in a row and get it the same. In dealing with juveniles, especially runaways, he has fed them and then questioned them-nearly always with good results.
Sheriff Evans said that the knowledge he has accumulated about people is the most valuable thing he will take from his office; it is an education he values above all the special schools he has attended since he stopped school at the seventh grade. “In the County, where I know everyone by name, I sometimes have to do things that I find unpleasant, but I have found some can be kidded; some must be handled with caution, but always I have tried to do my job without favor.”
Remains Plain John
The Sheriff has made every effort to resist polish and has succeeded in remaining “plain John”, given to quick jest and long story. His manner inspires confidence and his comments lend a spice to everyday occurrences.
When asked what he found most changed, he replied, “The thing I notice the most is that people are making so many sacrifices to provide education and advantages for their children, yet the old folks drive the jalopies and the kids, the new cars. In my day it was different. Soon the schools will have to teach only two words, got and go…’I got to have some money so I can go’…”
“I really don’t believe the kids realize how much their parents, school and churches are spending in time and money for their entertainment, and I don’t think they appreciate it.”
Longest Tenure In Office
Sheriff Evans has served in the same office longest of any elected police officer in the State of Idaho. During his long tenure as Sheriff, 10 elected county officials have died. They are Bert Willie, Ed G. Williams, W. S. Pierce, Roy O. Daniels, commissioners Khalil Kingsbury, assessor; John W. Clark, prosecuting attorney; Thomas Griffiths, justice of peace; T. F. Budge, surveyor; M. V. Reese, probate judge; John H. McAllister, clear, auditor and recorder.
The Sheriff has been a director of the Idaho State Peace Officers Association and president of the Southeast Idaho Peace Officers’ Association.
(Picture of “Big Jack” standing over a bunch of items. Caption says: Good Recovered. John A. “Big Jack” Evans, former Oneida County Sheriff, is shown with property stolen from Stone, Idaho, and recovered in Salt Lake City. Big Jack retired from Sheriff duties in 1964. He celebrates his 90th birthday today.)