LITTLE CHUTE, WI — Fr. Leonard “Len” Evers died on February 23, 2026 at the age of 83.
Fr. Evers was born on March 11, 1942, in Little Chute, Wisconsin, the youngest son of Martin and Mary (Vander Loop) Evers. He was the nephew of Fr. Theodore Vander Loop, O. Praem., and Fr. Stephen Vander Loop, O. Praem. He graduated from high school at St. John, Little Chute, and then Sacred Heart Seminary. He studied philosophy at St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana and theology at St. John Seminary, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Notre Dame Seminary, New Orleans.
Fr. Evers was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 1968, by Bishop Aloysius J. Wycislo at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay. Fr. Evers faithfully served the Diocese of Green Bay for over five decades, beginning his ministry in 1968 at St. Philip the Apostle Parish, where he also served as chaplain of the Calix Society.
In 1971, Fr. Evers was appointed associate pastor/parochial vicar of Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Green Bay. In 1975, he was appointed pastor of Holy Family Parish in Elcho and of St. Mary Parish in Pickerel. He was named pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Seymour in 1980, where he ministered for the next nine years before being appointed pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Shawano in 1989.
In 1994, Fr. Evers was appointed pastor of St. Martin of Tours Parish, Cecil, while remaining pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawano, until the year 2000. Then, from 2000 to 2013, he served as priest moderator of St. Martin of Tours Parish.
Over the course of his ministry, Fr. Evers served as temporary administrator and priest moderator for several parishes, including St. Anthony Parish, Tigerton; St. Mary Parish, Marion; St. Rose of Lima Parish, Clintonville; St. Mary Parish, Bear Creek; St. Michael Parish, Keshena; and St. Francis Solanus Parish, Gresham.
Fr. Evers served as regional vicar for Vicariate II for two terms and was president of the Samaritan Halfway House for Alcoholics Inc. in Green Bay from 1970-74.
Fr. Evers received senior priest status in 2013. He continued to celebrate Mass and was the temporary administrator of St. Mary of the Lake Parish, Lakewood, in 2015.
Visitation will be held at St. John Nepomucene Parish, 411 Vandenbroek St., Little Chute, on Saturday, March 7, from 8:30 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. The funeral Mass will follow the visitation and begin at 11 a.m. with Bishop David Ricken as celebrant and Fr. Robert Kollath as homilist. Burial will follow the meal in St. John Cemetery.