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Katy Lee Hoover Evans, 86, formerly of Lexington,  died at home on Feb. 26, 2019.

She was born on Sept. 21, 1932 to the late Frank Hoover Sr. and Laura Brown Hoover. She was educated in the Davidson County School System and was a graduate of Dunbar High School. She graduated from Kate Bitting Reynolds School of Nursing in WinstonSalem in 1955. She relocated to Durham, later in that year after accepting a full-time position at Duke University Medical Center. She could tell many stories of how Duke was before and after desegregation; she even wrote a book about it. At Duke, she worked her way through the ranks and became one of the first black head nurses. She also founded The Nurses Breakfast Club in 1970, an organization dedicated to community service. She retired from Duke after 40 years. She was married to the late John Thomas Evans, and to this union two children were born, Jason Carlyle Evans and Malinda De Ann Evans. She had many adopted daughters, sons, and grandchildren. After retirement, she moved back to Lexington.  She was an active member of Yadkin Star Baptist Church, the Southside Senior Citizens, The Hoover Sisters, the Davidson County Chapter of the NAACP, the Kate Bitting Reynolds, Chestnut Grove School, and Dunbar Hugh School reunion committees. She also continued to attend Nurses Breakfast Club meetings in Durham. As a part of her activism, she petitioned the Davidson County Commissioners to name a street in downtown Lexington after Martin Luther King Jr. She enjoyed fellowshipping with family, friends, and visiting and helping the sick and shut in.

She was also preceeded in death by: sisters, Geneva Hoover Peoples, Nona Hoover, Gladys Hoover Holmes, Essie Hoover Mack, and Ruth Hoover Staplefoote; and brothers, Frank Hoover Jr., John Gilmer Hoover, and Baxter Louis Hoover.

Survivors: her son, Jason C. (Daniele) Evans, her daughter, Malinda D. Evans, all of Durham; 3 grandchildren, Tadja A. Evans and Jada A.K. Evans of Durham and Jaylen P. Evans of Lexington; 2 sisters, Pearline H. Moss of Winston Salem and Lois H. Andrews of Lexington; a sister-in-law, Katherine Hoover of Lexington; and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, friends, and church family.

Her funeral service was held on Sunday, March 3 at 2:30 p.m. at Yadkin Star Baptist Church in Lexington.  Dr. Timothy R. Williams officiated and the Rev. Ann Dalton delivered the eulogy.  Burial followed in the church cemetery.  The family received friends 30 minutes before the service.

Condolences: www. GrahamFuneralHome.net.