Mary Evalyn Bogan

Mary Evalyn Bogan, age 74, of Mena, was born on Monday, May 19, 1941 to M.C. and Margaret Louise Kemp in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

Evalyn was the second child of the family.  She was the only girl, and had three brothers, Wallace, Leslie, and Roy.

Evalyn’s “running around” years, as she called them, were spent in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  She enjoyed skating and spending time with her family.  She graduated from Hot Springs High School in 1959.  Upon graduation, she attended Henderson for two years then transferred to Bethany Nazarene College where she obtained her teaching degree in 1964.  She earned a Masters of Library Science from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.

She was a lifelong educator.  She taught English in Hume, MO; Hector, AR; Perryville, AR; and Acorn, AR.  She also sponsored the Yearbook Staff and worked in the Library.  After retiring in 1997, she was a substitute teacher in the Mena Schools.

Evalyn decorated cakes and taught cake decorating in schools and the community.

She was always a reader and was active in the Polk County Literacy Council, and helped organize the First Baptist Church Library.

She was involved at the Polk County Senior Center where she kept things lively.

She traveled with the RMCC Senior History Class and also with Francis Custom Tours.  The trips she particularly enjoyed were to Europe (Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and France), Alaska, Ellis Island, NYC, and several cruises.

It was important to Evalyn that her children, grands and great-grands were raised in the church and with Christian values.  She was very active in her church.  She chaired the hospitality committee and helped in the nursery.  She was an active member of the Women’s Ministry.  Across the years she taught and did crafts with many children at Vacation Bible School.  She was a cancer survivor and raised money every year for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life.

She loved swimming and attended Senior Swim at the Mena City Pool.  She helped teach her granddaughters and great-grandchildren how to swim.

Evalyn loved to cook and bake, and she was a wonderful seamstress.  She taught her niece and granddaughters to cook, bake, and sew.  She also quilted and did all of the needlecrafts.

Evalyn was preceded in death by her parents and one niece, Edith Kemp.

She is survived by one son, Tim Bogan and wife Sherry of Springdale, AR; three brothers, Wallace Kemp and wife, Ella of Akron, OH; Leslie Kemp and wife, Mary Ellen of Plano, TX; William Roy and wife, Karyl of Kansas City, MO; four nephews and two nieces, Wallace Kemp, Jr. of El Paso, TX, William Kemp of Akron, OH, Marvin Kemp of Towson, MD, Ryan Kemp of Kansas City, MO, Kelly Kemp Knight of Plano, TX and Kalah Kemp Hall of Branson, MO; two granddaughters, Katie Nichols and husband, Brian of Mena, and Jessie Beasley of Hume, MO; two step-grandchildren, Amber Hunt of Springdale, AR and Kody Hunt of Springdale, AR; four great-grandchildren: Kaelyn, Gavin, Kamae and Jaxon and she also leaves behind a host of many, many friends and a large church family.

Funeral services were Friday, August 7, 2015 at 10:00 A.M. at the First Baptist Church in Mena with Brother Steve Ellison officiating. Interment followed in the Pinecrest Memorial Park in Mena. Visitation was Thursday, August 6, 2015 from 6-8 P.M. at the Bowser Family Funeral Home Chapel in Mena.

Contributions in memory of Evalyn may be made to the First Baptist Church of Mena, or to the American Cancer Society.

Online Guestbook: www.bowserffh.com

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