Evelyn Stephens Lingo, was born March 14, 1918 in Etowah, Tennessee and passed away June 24, 2016 in Gainesville, Florida. She was the daughter of the late Thomas Watson Stephens and Reba Pearl McKenzie.

Preceded in death by her brother, Thomas "Buster" Stephens.

She is survived by her son, Leonard Lingo and daughter, Linda Lingo;her sisters, Jean David, Jackie Cianciola and Barbara McDonald; her grandchildren, Joe Schwartz and his wife Darenda; Suzanne Tucker, Jenny Gillie and her husband Scott, and Stephen Lingo; great grandchildren, Lauren Starling, Jacob Schwartz, Johnathan Hogan, Madison Tucker, twins Hannah and Julie Schwartz, and Myles Gillie; and many nieces and nephews.

Evelyn graduated from Knoxville High School in 1936; and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Santa Fe College, Alachua, Florida, with an Associate Degree in Nursing in 1975 after her Husband's death.

She grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she met Leonard Lee Lingo Jr., they got married April 1, 1940 in Knoxville, Tennessee. One year after living in Memphis, Tennessee Leonard spent the next 4 years in the army during World War II; during this time her brother, Emmet Stephens passed away, also

at this time her 2 younger sisters moved to her house in Memphis, Tennessee.

In 1946 Evelyn had twins Leonard Lee Lingo III and Linda Lee Lingo. They moved to Chicago, Illinois, for Leonard's work for 18 years, at which time Leonard passed away in Los Angeles, California on a business trip. A year afterward Evelyn moved to Bradenton, Florida to find the family that her

Dad and Mother came from.

She loved animals, like her granddaughter Suzanne. They both had many, many animals; she loved living in her cabin in the Ocala National Forest in Florida, where she could watch the animals; she also became the President of the Cuties in her VFW, she lived there for 50 years.

Graveside service will be held at 1:30 p.m., Friday, July 15, 2016 at McMinn Memory Gardens Mausoleum with Rev. Larry Sorah officiating. Family will receive friends from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Friday prior to the service in the South Chapel of Bordwine Funeral Home.