Evans Family Makes Rooted Impact
BY ERIN BURKETT ’20
4 MIN. READ
To walk around campus, admire the leaves in the Valley, and have conversations with a dear friend is to experience the answered prayers and efforts of the Evans family. Comprised of numerous individuals who faithfully served Anderson University, this family is responsible for building blocks that have made campus and the Raven alumni network what it is.
Last autumn, a tree was planted and dedicated to honor the four sisters of the Evans family. Two sisters, Juanita (Leonard) ’61 and Naomi (Baker) ’69, were present for the ceremony, as were numerous loved ones, alumni, and community members. Regarding the dedication, Juanita said they were, “knocked over with honor from the tree.”
The Evans family has a rich history on campus and in the community. From family members who served as faculty and staff to numerous alumni to those involved with the church, there’s hardly a life they have not touched. Juanita shared that the family was “dedicated to loving and serving all people.” Her three sisters, Naomi, Sadie ’74, and Karen ’65, have been committed to serving in various educational capacities, including special education and reading, education in Japan, social work, and caring for the aging. They had many cross-cultural experiences to learn and share with others. Juanita’s late husband, Sam Leonard, helped organize a blanket drive on campus to help efforts in Algeria, which many students participated in,
The girls were inspired from a young age to dedicate themselves to the kingdom of God. They are third generation daughters of the church. Their grandfather served as superintendent on campus. Their parents, Walter and Gertrude, met at Anderson and were both ordained ministers who were highly sought after around the country for speaking engagements. To say they come by service honestly would be an understatement, as it is clearly within their genetic and spiritual DNA.
Juanita, a familiar face to many, was an instructor of sociology and social work from 1965 to 1968. She returned as a faculty member for church and society in the School of Theology in 1987 and continued to teach and mentor doctoral students in AU’s seminary. She is an active participant in Grandmothers for Peace, a group that is dedicated to creating and educating about peace in society. This group initiated the installation of the peace pole on AU’s campus, located west of Krannert Hall, which serves as a daily reminder for those on campus and has been a place of congregation for prayer in recent years.
Juanita’s passion and dedication to helping all people moved into action at a young age, when she worked with migrant ministry with the National Council of Churches of the United States as a teenager. Her particular research and ministry focuses have been urban mission, cross-cultural mission, and women in ministry. Her reach has been deep and wide, near and far. She had the honor of singing at the celebration of life for the last President John Morrison.
Carrying the torch of love and inclusion for her family, Juanita continues to encourage others to live out these values of their faith, “being bound together for an issue bigger than ourselves.” When asked what she hopes for both current students and alumni, she shared about commitment to relationships and community. She hopes they will treasure their relationships as a gift and continue to nourish them, saying, “Put your big arms around them.”
The shade of the tree which honors the Evans family can be enjoyed just north of the prayer labyrinth on campus. If you wish to meet Juanita and glean a bit of her wisdom, attend the SOTCM chapel on April 4, 2024 at 11 a.m. in Miller Chapel.
Anderson University is on a mission to educate students for lives of faith and service, offering more than 60 undergraduate majors, 30 three-year degrees, 20 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports, alongside adult and graduate programs. The private, liberal arts institution is fully accredited and recognized among top colleges for its business, computer science, cybersecurity, dance, engineering, nursing, and teacher education programs. Anderson University was established in 1917 in Anderson, Indiana, by the Church of God.