Evelyn Marie Sandefur

November 27, 1952 - February 23, 2022

Evelyn Marie Sandefur, 69, of Evansville passed away Wednesday morning after three months of sickness. Evelyn was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. She was born November 27, 1952, in Evansville to Mary Laverne (Hartman) and Herman George Rexing. Evelyn’s mission was taking care of those closest to her. She lived this everyday with a passion that will resonate through generations to come. Evelyn graduated from Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing in 1974 and married her high school sweetheart Mark Effinger in 1975. In 1978, an automobile accident permanently disabled her husband. Supported by her extended family, Evelyn heroically continued to build and care for her husband and five children, working night shifts for over a decade. Evelyn’s long career included many positions in Evansville, including the Mulberry Center, Dr. Ramsey’s Obstetrics and Gynecology office, and St. Mary’s surgery center. In 2002, Evelyn married Geoffrey “Junior” Sandefur, with whom she built a family home, continued to lead her family, and lived a life of love and devotion for over 20 years. Once her children were out of the nest, Evelyn struck out as a traveling nurse. She built, trained, and lead surgery nursing teams in Fort Bragg, California and Maricopa County, (Phoenix) Arizona. In Phoenix, Evelyn was introduced to Epic healthcare software. After certification in Madison Wisconsin, Evelyn began training nurses and implementing Epic software around the country. Nurses in North Carolina, Maryland, Georgia, New Jersey, Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, and Alberta Canada are better nurses and better people for having known Evelyn. Over the last 14 years, Evelyn welcomed 13 grandkids and remodeled two homes for their enjoyment. Her legacy of hard work, professionalism, caring for others, and love of family will live on in her children and grandchildren, who remember her as loving, caring, gentle and kind. Surviving are her husband Geoffrey “Junior” Sandefur; two daughters, Jenny (Mark) Koch of Evansville and Laura (Melissa) Effinger of Winnipeg, MB; three sons, Daniel Effinger of Evansville, Andrew (Tarrah) Effinger of Nashville, Tennessee, and Adam (Alicia) Effinger of Evansville; three sisters, Maryjane (Richard) Montgomery, Kathy (Ted) Niemeier and Julie (Lou) McCool; one brother, John Rexing; mother Mary Rexing (Hartman); Mark Effinger of Evansville; and 13 grandchildren, Gretchen Laverne Effinger, Herman Andrew Effinger, Graham Kristopher Effinger, Ivadell Marie Effinger, Leona Francis Effinger, Elizabeth Mary Effinger, Dorothy Cate Effinger, Bailey Mason Awe, Addison Claire Effinger, Riley Grace Effinger, Wyatt Paul Koch, Eli Thomas Koch and Evelyn Nichole Koch; and numerous nieces and nephews. Evelyn was preceded in death by her father, Herman Rexing, and sister-in-law, Joyce (Paddock) Rexing. Special thanks to Dr. Troffkin and all of the staff at Neurological Associates, and all of the nurses and doctors who cared for her, especially Nurse Julie Martin at Deaconess ICU. Visitation will be from 2:00 pm. to 8:00 p.m. Monday, February 28, 2022 at Ziemer Funeral Home North Chapel, 6300 N. First Ave., Evansville. Visitation will continue from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 5528 Hogue Rd., Evansville, IN 47712. A Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the church with Father Ray Brenner officiating. Burial will be at Maple Grove Cemetery in Boonville, Indiana. Memorial contributions may be made to Riley Children’s Hospital, 705 Riley Hospital Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46202. Condolences may be made online at www.ziemerfuneralhome.com.