07/29/2026
Katherine Guttery Evans was born on May 25, 1940 and died on July 28, 2026. She lived three lifetimes in her 86 years - her early years in Dyersburg; her days married to the love of her life, raising their family; and her time in her most coveted role as ‘Nonnie’ to those who hold her dearest.
She was raised in Dyersburg, Tennessee and graduated from Dyersburg High School in 1958. She attended Southwestern at Memphis for a year before marrying Jimmy Mann Evans, in 1959.
Katherine was known for her quick wit and unparalleled beauty. She was crowned as Dyer County’s “Fairest of the Fair” and - while we might be biased - her children and grandchildren all agree with that title. She was a swim teacher for many in the community, a dedicated sister to John and Steve, a member of the Monday Night Bridge Club for over 50 years and an active member of the Sellers Sunday School class and the chancel choir at First United Methodist Church.
That choir seat played matchmaker after the town’s young new lawyer, Jim Evans, came to town. He saw Katherine singing and knew they had to meet. Their love story had all the makings of a Hollywood film. Between love letters, wooing her parents, and chaperoned dates at the Hut, they fell in love. They married in 1959. They were soon joined by Jane and Lynn, then Jimmy and Amy completed the bunch. She became a stay-at-home mother who set a high standard for that calling for their four children. She was at every sporting event and concert, a Girl Scout cookie mom, a regular on I-40 when Jim started working in Nashville, and soon, a dedicated grandmother. While her life changed shape in 1992, having lost Jim to cancer, these aspects never wavered.
Katherine’s resilience defined her next chapter, where she filled her life with those she loved most. Before she knew it, she was ‘Nonnie’ to 10 grandchildren - her favorite role to date. Her energy and presence filled every hole that might’ve been there from losing ‘Daddy Jim,’ never leaving us to feel like someone or something was missing. She became our biggest fans, there for every birth [even if two of us were born four days and 260 miles apart], every Grandparent’s Day celebration, dance recital, championship game, hockey game, lake trip, graduation or just a boring Saturday. Nonnie was there with bells on. She brought her hugs, her funny faces, her laughs and her all time one-liners with her, making even normal days some of the best memories. We all knew better than to question the rules in Rummikub or to try to get anything past her while playing.
Her legacy can be seen in the love and bonds she left behind. Our family is close, which we have learned isn’t always the norm. We still go on our annual beach trip, which Nonnie and Daddy Jim started back in the 80s; our whole crew stays together for a week, and we still all like each other afterwards. Nonnie did that. She brought us into each other’s worlds instead of making each of our families their own planet. In this metaphor, Nonnie was the sun, and we all revolved around her… just where we wanted to be. She was the constant bright spot in our family, who we looked to for light, levity and love, and she will be dearly missed. We will remember our big and small adventures alike - many summers spent together at Pickwick, our holiday seasons cozied up on Troy Circle in Dyersburg, our girl’s trip to New York City in 2016,
countless treks across Tennessee and Mississippi state lines, and too many FaceTime calls to count. Nonnie was our true north star, our matriarch, our hero and our hearts. We will miss her and love knowing she is celebrating in Heaven with Daddy Jim on what would have been his 94th birthday.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, August 1, 2026, at Dyersburg First United Methodist Church with the Reverend Wade Cox and Reverend Emily Sanford officiating. Interment will follow in Fairview Cemetery.
The family will receive friends on Saturday from 12:00 noon until the service hour of 2:00 p.m. at Dyersburg First United Methodist Church.
Serving as pallbearers will be her grandsons, Tucker Johnson, Sam Johnson, David Dennis, Jake Evans, and Ben Evans, along with her grandsons-in-law, Kevin Coll and David Hamrick.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Jimmy Mann Evans; her parents, Dr. and Mrs. John McQueen Guttery [Vivian]; her brother and sister-in-law, John and Judy Guttery; and her grandson John Walter Dennis. Survivors include: brother and sister in law Steve and Pam Guttery of Dyersburg; daughter Jane Evans Sharp and her husband Ken of Nashville; daughter Lynn Evans Johnson and her husband Rip of Nashville; son Jimmy M. Evans Jr. and his wife Michelle of Nashville; and daughter Amy Evans Dennis and her husband Michael of Oxford, MS; ten grandchildren Sarah Sharp Coll [Kevin], Katie Sharp Hamrick [David], John Tucker Johnson, Samuel Evans Johnson [Sarah], Katherine Rebecca Johnson, Jimmy Mann “Jake” Evans, III, Benjamin Thomas Evans, David Michael Dennis, Jr. [Mary Carson], Anna Slaton Dennis and Julia McQueen Dennis; and four great grandchildren, Jackson Joseph Coll, Jane Elliston Coll, Lucy Katherine Hamrick and David Michael “Mac” Dennis, III.
The family requests memorials be directed to Dyersburg First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 452, Dyersburg, TN 38025 or McIver’s Grant Public Library, 410 W. Court Street, Dyersburg, TN 38024.
Those closest to Katherine would like to express our deepest thanks to the staff at Somerfield Health Center [The Heritage] in Brentwood, Tennessee, for their dedicated care, companionship, and fellowship. Also to Aveana Hospice and their angel on Earth, appropriately named Faith.
We are privileged and honored to serve the family of Katherine Guttery Evans. You may share your condolences and your memories with the family at www.curryfuneral.com.
