Evelyn Jean Hatton

Evelyn Jean Cox Hatton, 81, of Beaumont, passed away Thursday, March 20, 2025, at home.  Born October 20, 1943, at St. Joseph Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, to Martha Jean Jones Cox and Albert Bill Cox, Evelyn lived a life driven by her family, her faith, and service to others.

At the age of 17, Evelyn married her husband, Fred Hatton, on January 27, 1961. They raised four children, three sons and one daughter. In November of 1975, the family moved from Memphis to Beaumont, Texas.

Evelyn was actively involved in and supported all her children’s activities, from being Little League Team Mom, a teacher’s aide, Secretary of the Parent Teachers Association, serving in various roles in Boy Scouts, and attending every event possible in their lives all the way into adulthood.

With three sons, her family was active in the Boy Scouts of America. Evelyn served in Cub Scouting for well over a decade. She was a Cub Scout Den Leader, Roundtable Commissioner, Pow Wow Vice Chairman, Scouting Coordinator, Den Leader Coach, District Training Chairman, and helped with Sustaining Membership drives, Scout Shows, and Cub Day Camp. She earned the Den Leaders Award, Den Leader Coach Award, Scouters Training Award, Scouters Key, District Award of Merit, and Commissioners Arrowhead.  She also received the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America for making a significant impact on the lives of youth through outstanding service of exceptional character, the highest honor the Council can bestow on an adult volunteer.

Once her children were raised, Evelyn went back to school and earned her Associate Degree of Nursing from Lamar University in 1996. During college, she received the Frank Jolley Award from the Student Government Association and was the President of the LU Texas Nurses Student Association where she received an Award of Excellence. She has always taken care of others, whether it was her siblings, her husband, her children, her mother, friends, and even strangers, so nursing was a natural choice! Evelyn worked as PRN at St Elizabeth Hospital. She retired from St. Elizabeth in 2003 and later served as a nurse in Dr. Gene Barry’s OB/GYN office for a year.

Evelyn was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and served her ward in many roles over the years, including Primary President, Young Women’s President, Relief Society President, Girls Camp Director, Activities Chairman, Visiting Teacher, Stake Young Women’s President, Seminary teacher, and as a part-time missionary for the Young Single Adults.  She enjoyed working with the youth and wanted them to see their own worth and believe in themselves. Evelyn trusted and encouraged them to take on leadership roles, where the adults stepped back to enable their growth.

Evelyn loved doing genealogy and helping others with theirs. She would’ve worked on genealogy all the time if she could get away with it. She loved and believed family is the most important thing in life and always wanted her family to support one another and pull each other up. She took great comfort in her faith and belief that families are forever.

Evelyn is survived by her husband, Fred Hatton; children, Barry Sullivan Hatton; Leslie “Les” Jay Hatton and his wife, Jaylyn; Fred Douglas “Doug” Hatton and his wife, Nicole; and Julia “Julie” Elizabeth Hatton; grandchildren, Lauren Hatton and her husband, Nick Rich; Jason Talley and his wife, Allison; Zach Young; Nick Young; Jason Hatton and his wife, Katelyn; Anne Marie Coopman and her husband, Mike; Carlee Knighton and her husband, Eric; and Jaydon Hatton; great-grandchildren, Mikayleigh Pearson, Kendra Hatton, Adelyn Talley, Cora Talley, and Natalie Talley; sisters, Nancy Wilde and her husband, Eric; Linda Clark and her husband, Lynn Jones; and Connie Kerr; and sister-in-law, Shirley Cox.

Evelyn is preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Albert “Lucky” Cox.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Donation Processing Center, P.O. Box 5041, Boone, Iowa 50950 or online.

A gathering of Mrs. Hatton’s family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont. Her Celebration of Life will be 10:00 a.m., Thursday, March 27, 2025, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 7785 Weaver Drive, Beaumont. A private family graveside service will follow over the weekend at Singleton Springs Cemetery, Sarah, Mississippi.