Bessie Mae Evans Tims' Obituary
Our Mom was born in Atlanta, Ga to Leo and Dovie Evans. Thats where she lived her young life and attended school. She finished her high school years at Holt Smith High in Atlanta, Ga. After high school our Mom married our Dad at 19 and they moved to Munford, Alabama where their first child was born. They moved back to Atlanta and lived several years and had 2 more children. They moved and lived awhile in Winder, Georgia. Later in life and their love for Alabama, they moved back to Munford, Al. Mom was a resident of Cherokee Health and Rehab in Centre, Al. where she peacefully entered the gates of heaven surrounded by her family.
For many years Mom was a devoted housewife and mother until her children were grown. She then began working as a housekeeper and maintenance. She retired as housekeeping supervisor at Park Place Nursing facility in Monroe, Ga.
Momma is survived by her loving husband of 63 years (Jesse) Harold Tims, her devoted children Kathy (Ken) Leavell, Jenny (Steve) Lathem, Jesse (Caroline) Tims, She was MawMaw to 7 grandchildren she adored and was so proud of, Justin (Kasey) Lathem, Jared (Samantha) Lathem, Evan Leavell, Presley (Hunter) Bell, Elizabeth (Chance) Wheeler, Jacob Tims and her grandson in law Drew Cronic. She was MawMaw Tims to 8 Precious Great grandchildren, Aubrey (Cam), Kastin, Rylee, John Luke, Landan, Willow, Finn, Jett and a sweet baby girl on the way! Her loving brothers and sisters, Leroy (Donna) Evans, Tim Evans, Brenda (John) Engle, sister in laws, Keely Evans and Peggy Evans. Her brother-in-law Rodney(Marlene) Tims sister in law Faye Boswell and so many nieces and nephews she loved so much and a host of cousins.
Our beautiful Mother was welcomed into heaven by her oldest granddaughter Ashley Simone Cronic, her parents Leo and Dovie Evans, brothers, JD Evans, Neal Evans, Ted Evans, Sister Dale Evans, sister in laws, BarBara Evans, Anita Evans, and her lifelong best friend Pat Creamer! Her mother and father-in-law Grady and Alma Tims, bro in laws Buddy and Russell sis in laws Dene, Kate, Macie, Brenda, Evie.
The Memorial Service will be held at Cremations Services of East Alabama, 733 White Plains Rd. Anniston, Al 36207, on Wednesday, July 8, 2026 visitation will be 12-2pm Central Time service will begin at 2pm central time, burial will be at Hillcrest Cemetery, Lebetter Road, Munford, Al 36268 Flowers can be sent to funeral home.
Our Mother, our MawMaw was a joy and a blessing in our lives. She loved dancing in the 60's to her rock n roll music!! Elvis was her favorite! She loved all the old country music, but she loved Dolly Parton!! one of her favorite memories was taking us to concerts, Bubba was about 2/3, and Dolly was shaking hands and kissing babies, our brother was kissed on the cheek by Dolly!!! Momma, Daddy and Pat had season tickets to Dollywood, we took Evan and Presley and they got see Dolly and Presley gave her flowers! I think that's why Momma liked her so much, she has always been real with her fans!!
Momma loved a clean house and her hobby was changing the decor and rearranging the furniture every week(I'm not kidding)! We were woke up every sat morning with the record player blasting one of her favs and that meant we had to start cleaning and doing something she needed! Her gift was no matter how old the house was or how small, she turned it into a beautiful and safe home for us with her little touches and love.
She has always been a devoted wife to our Daddy, so much so, he was spoiled. She would have his clothes laid out in the bathroom every morning,his breakfast and lunch ready, he just had to get his shower and get out the door!! I remember her asking me, right after Ken and I got married if I had got up and made his breakfast, I told her I wasn't going to spoil him like she did Daddy!! She supported Daddy in everything he did.
I don't even know if Momma knew anything about football until she married Daddy. But, she married a Bama guy, she had no choice!! we all had to watch or listen to Bama football and love "The Bear"! Just like Daddy, we all love our Crimson Tide!! Momma was so funny to watch games with she couldn't sit still! She would get so nervous she would cover her eyes or go start cleaning something, if she heard us yelling and knew Bama did something good, she would yell Roll Tide Roll from wherever she was!! She went to Tuscaloosa for a few games but she said she rather watch them at home so she could clean when she got nervous!! He also taught us to love Braves baseball, I remember Ken and I going to a game with her and Daddy!! She and I went to get nachos and I got Ken and I beer and she got Daddy one, we were coming back to our seats and she said I don't want to be holding no beer if I get on tv!! I gave her the nachos and I had the beers, she told me to walk first so if she tripped or fell, somehow, I was supposed to stop her from rolling down the cement bleachers!! So, we are walking down and a young man is running up, he is going from side to side. I never heard a sound from her, we get to our row and I stop to let her in first, she has nachos and cheese on her face and all down her shirt!! She was fuming at the guy cause she said he hit her arm and nachos went flying, I said well at least if your on TV, you ain't holding no beer!! we both laughed so hard , we couldn't tell Ken and Daddy what happened!!
Mom loved going to the beach, she just couldn't walk on it. she would get swimmy headed and dizzy, I told her people are gonna think you've been drinking!! She loved Gulf Shores, she would go with me every year for Presley's spring break, all she wanted to do was get a room with a view of the beach and ocean, so she could see us on the beach and listen to the waves!! we had fun trips, Momma made me stop at every Dollar General and Fred's we passed in Bama so she could buy something with Bama on it!! She would always tell me to put our luggage on the top of my explorer, Ken would tell me no, he didn't want luggage on top, we had a luggage rack. she would tell me we could put it on the luggage rack, that's what it was meant for!! I give in one time, she goes to Dollar General and buys straps, she loads all the suitcases, her huge suitcase, she puts it on the bottom, she gets it all strapped down and she assures me it's good and Ken will never know!!! We leave the beach and head toward Munford to see Jenny, Steve and the kids, we are on interstate 65 on the outskirts of Montgomery, all the sudden we hear something!! I pull over and her big ole suitcase she had on the bottom of all the other bags, had somehow came off and was laying in the middle of the busy hwy 65!!! I start trying to back down the emergency lane to get beside it so I can try to get it!! Momma is yelling, Presley and her friend is yelling, so, I stop backing up. I park them with hazards on and I am running down the er lane, cars are flying by, no one has hit the suitcase!! I stop, I'm even with the suitcase, I'm watching traffic, I see where there is a van coming but nothing after so, I'm gonna make a run to save the suitcase!! the van is about to pass and he hits the suitcase, it explodes and all Momma's undies, clothes, is all over 65!!! I don't know what I was thinking, but, I try to save the suitcase and Momma's things!! I'm running and grabbing and the man from the van appears, he is running and grabbing stuff!! another car stops, older man jumps out and he is running and grabbing!! They both come running toward me with Momma's undies hanging from their arms, I'm thanking them and one of them even goes back for the suitcase and trying to pick up Mom's Elvis playing cards. I'm yelling and telling him not to worry about those cards, I'll get another set!! Thanking the men and God we were safe and the heroes that saved Momma's undies were safe, we get back on the road!! of course, I call and tell Jenny so Steve can tell her it was on the news! Then we go by Brenda and John's, John tells her something was on the news about a woman’s undies being all over the highway and they were looking for the woman who caused all the rukus!! she almost fell for it since they both told her they saw it on the news!!! And then she had to come home and face Ken, but, he just shook his head and said he was thankful we weren't hurt and nobody else was hurt!! But, it was a memory I laughed about and reminded her of every time she told me to use my luggage rack!
Our parents never had a lot of money, growing up our fun was simple things that revolved around family and friends!! our house was always full with Daddy, and his buddies or somebody picking and playing music! Momma and whoever was over that night talking, drinking coffee, they would send all the kids outside to create our own fun!! Those are some of our favorite memories growing up!! The list is so long of family and friends that spent their weekends together at our house!! The Evans family was huge but they were always close, Momma loved being with her brothers and sisters especially after we lost MawMaw and PawPaw! she married into a big loving family also whom she loved as much!!
We were blessed to grow up in our family God gave us!!
Momma was so happy when she became a Mawmaw. They were over the moon when Justin finally decided to join us after 4 days of sleeping on the hospital floor!!! He got all the spoiling for 2 years, then came Princess Ashley and 7 months later Jared joined us!! It was all about them for 4 years and our Evan came, he got all the attention until Sassy Presley was born(if you didn't alredy know, Momma named her) and sweet Elizabeth came 4 years later and then the caboose Jacob!! All 7 could light up her world with anything they said or did!!! she was so proud of them all and so thankful to watch them grow into wonderful adults!!! Having great grands was the icing on the cake for Momma, she was in love from the moment she laid eyes on them!! I know she will be loving and watching them grow in heaven!! Willow has loved facetiming MawMaw and PawPaw Tims since she was old enough to hold a phone. she would spend hours sitting at the table coloring with MawMaw!!!
Our mother's greatest treasure was her family and friends!! Even though she might not see you all the time, you could show up anytime and you would be welcomed and fed!! Your only payment was to sit and visit awhile!! That is one of greatest lessons to us, love your family, make time for your family and enjoy every moment you have!!
I know this is long but there is so many stories and precious memories we have o hold onto!! Thank you Momma for being the strong and loving Mother you always were and all the life lessons you taught and raised us on!!
We will miss you dearly, knowing you are whole again, rejoicing with Ashley and all your loved one's, will be our strength till we meet you in heaven!!!
We love you,
Kathy, Jenny and Bubba
Thank you to all the Staff and support at Cherokee County Health and Rehab Center! You all told us how much you loved Ms Bessie, and she was always a joy and so sweet!!! y'all loved how she would nag and get mad at Daddy!! Y'all loved our Mother and the tears I saw on Friday as y"all did her honor walk was so so sweet to me!!! I know it is not just a job for some of you, y'all truly love and care for our parents especially our mother!!
Thank you Brenda for being there for them when we couldn't and loving on them by doing so much to help them!!
Thank you Lena for being there with us, talking us through as we said goodbye to our Sweet Momma!!!
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