Christenna Haywood EvansChristenna Reffitt Haywood Evans of Warsaw, passed away at 12:10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021, at Parkview Hospital Randallia in Fort Wayne at the age of 79. She celebrated Christmas Day by entering into Heaven to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
She was born on Feb. 26, 1942, in Prestonsburg, Ky., to Emma Hale Reffitt and Rev. Amos Reffitt. On Aug. 28, 1959, she was married to Robert “Bob” Bernard Haywood. They were blessed with 54 years together before he passed away on May 20, 2014. After her husband passed away, she was blessed again to share her life with her high school sweetheart, Robert “Bob” Bryon Evans. They were married Dec. 23, 2016.
Christenna was the ever-loving wife and mother for her family. She was a self-taught piano and guitar player. In the 1970s Christenna and her husband, Bob Haywood, along with his siblings, were the Full Gospel Singers, traveling much of the South and Midwest spreading the Gospel message … John 3:16. She enjoyed being a pastor’s wife at United Baptist Church in Tippecanoe and then at Harvest Time Ministries in Warsaw.
After marrying her high school sweetheart, Bob Evans, she became his biggest cheerleader, offering support on his endeavors as an author.
Throughout her life, Christenna worked various jobs to help raise her family, she worked in the catalog department for Sears, and as a home health care aid and at Grace Village Retirement Community in Winona Lake. Her most rewarding job of her life was simply being Mom! She was a wonderful homemaker caring for all of her family’s needs and of course she was a good disciplinarian. She always made herself available to her children while they were growing up, even serving as a Cub Scout leader. As a leader she had the patience to handle a group of boys and taught and enforced the importance of values, to the point that she had to kick out her own son Bill for fighting. That was one of many memories they will never forget. She influenced many traits carried on by her grandchildren, including music, acting and photography. Christenna will forever be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who will be dearly missed by all.
She leaves behind her husband, Robert “Bob” Byron Evans, Warsaw; two sons: Robert M. (Annie) Haywood, Warsaw; Amos W. Haywood, Roann; and one daughter, Emilie “Ami” (David) Pitt, Warsaw. Also surviving are 11 grandchildren: April (husband Kyle), Caleb, Meghan, Christiann, Emma, Skye (husband Nick), Canaan, Trey (wife Kadie), Sarah (husband Aaron), Rissa (husband Ben) and Carolyn (husband Ike); 11 great-grandchildren: Bhrett, Brady, Pyper, Lyrick, Owen, Mia, Isaac, Renley, Adam, Hudson and Anders; and she is loved by the whole Haywood and Evans families. She was preceded in death by her parents, first husband and two grandchildren.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 4 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw. Christenna’s life will be celebrated with a funeral at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 5 at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home and officiated by Pastor Terry Bradford. Burial will follow with a graveside service at Oakwood Cemetery.
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Memorial donations may be directed to Combined Community Services, 1195 Mariners Drive, Warsaw, IN 46582 and to be designated to “Toy Time.”
Online condolences may be sent through the funeral home’s website at www.redpathfruthfuneralhome.com.
