Marie Luise Evans

Marie Luise Evans, also affectionately known as Marlise, died on June 29th 2024. She was born in Breslau, Germany, in December of 1940. As a toddler during the war, Marie, her sister and mother became refugees within their own country, while her father fought in the Resistance. The family was reunited after the war, and in the years following, eventually made their way to Frankfurt. It was there that she met a handsome Army serviceman, James (Bennie), and they were wed in June of 1958. Coming to South Louisiana in 1959 was a culture shock that had her questioning her emigration from Germany, but love prevailed, and she braved the first few years of their apartment without air conditioning and was relieved when she finally lived in a house with central AC. She adjusted to life in Louisiana and as a young career woman, worked at the LSU Athletic Department and became a lifelong fan of the LSU Tigers. Later, she worked as a secretary for National American Life Insurance and was proud when her company also celebrated along with her when she became an American Citizen. During her work career, she was also a bookkeeper for the Catholic program for resettlement of Vietnamese Immigrants to Baton Rouge, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and then St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church. The experiences of her family as refugees and then as an immigrant herself, gave her compassion for those that had suffered the same. She loved to stay occupied, and her hands were always busy; gardening, or doing cross-stitch, needlepoint or puzzles. She always had music playing in the house and loved the music of Bach, Beethoven and Andrea Bocelli, but also embraced pop and rock music like The Beatles, Elvis and ABBA. Marie was known for having a keen and sharp wit, a sometimes-wicked sense of humor and a typically Germanic demand for perfection. Throughout their lives, Marie and James each carried a photo of the other in their wallets; James carried one of young Marie picking strawberries in a forest in Germany, and Marie had one of James as a dashing young Army man in his uniform. She always spoke fondly of him and wished for nothing more but to be reunited with him again. As she was in her last days, she said, speaking of leaving her family and home in Germany and coming to America for love, “There are many things I am sorry for, but I regret nothing.” The family wishes to thank the wonderful nurses and aides of Pinnacle Hospice. With their help and kind patience, she was able to live as stubbornly independent as she wanted and was able to pass away in her own home, as she insisted upon. Many thanks also to Patricia Cameron, beloved family friend, who helped Marie whenever she was needed for visits, hospital sits and her endless love and compassion. Thank you also to her neighbors who kept watch over her in her last years after James passed away. Marie is preceded in death by her parents, Alfred and Elisabeth Schöpl, and her beloved husband James B. Evans III. She is survived by her daughter, Karen Evans-Popsack and her husband Andrew Popsack of Dallas, TX, her sister Monika Tylla of Frankfurt, Germany and brother Wolfgang Schöpl and his wife, Ilse Schöpl, of Ingelheim Am Rhein, Germany.

Visitation from 9-10 am and Services at 10am at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, on Wednesday July 3rd 2024. Burial following at Greenoaks Cemetery