*** UPDATE *** Service details…

* Visitation will be from 12 noon-6:00 p.m. at Esterdahl Mortuary (6601-38th Avenue in Moline) on Saturday & Sunday, November 8 & 9.

* Funeral will be at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, November 10, at Sacred Heart Church (1608-13th Street in Moline).

[ *** End Of Update *** ]

* From the Quad City Times…

Former U.S. Rep. Lane Evans, who has been battling Parkinson’s disease for years, died Wednesday night, according to his longtime friend and district director, Phil Hare.

Evans, who represented the 17th Congressional District in Illinois for 24 years and was a hero of local Democrats on both sides of the Mississippi River, had been living at the Hope Creek Care Center in East Moline. He was 63 years old.

Hare said that he got the call late Wednesday night, and that he had seen Evans as recently as 10 days ago, when retiring U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin also paid a visit.

Evans, a former Marine who won accolades for his work helping veterans who had suffered the effects of Agent Orange, was swept into office in 1982, and he maintained the seat even in the face of stiff Republican challenges in the 1990s.

* A text message early this morning from a pal in organized labor…

Lane Evans passed away yesterday. One of the most inspiring political leaders I have ever known. He dedicated everything he had to the people of Western Illinois. It will be a long time before we see another one like him. Thank heavens for Lane Evans.

Lane surprised the Republicans when he won his first race in 1982. In 1984, he won reelection by the same margin that Ronald Reagan won his district, despite voting against the President more than 90 percent of the time (if memory serves, a higher percentage than any other member except Harold Washington, who was at 100 percent). Those two wins made him a larger than life figure for many Democrats.

He was so successful politically because he never, ever forgot about his district. Unlike a lot of members of that era, he flew home every weekend and had one of the best constituent service operations in all of Congress. And he never forgot who he was and where he came from.

I didn’t always agree with him, but I sure as heck admired him.

* From Cheri Bustos…

Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17) released the following statement on the passing of former Congressman Lane Evans, who represented for more than 20 years the same Congressional District Bustos is honored to now represent:

“I was saddened to wake this morning to the news that Lane Evans passed away late last night. A native of Rock Island, and a proud Marine Corps veteran, Lane represented everything that is right about public service. He was a champion for our region in the halls of Congress and a strong advocate for veterans and working families across the country. Lane will be sorely missed by all who he touched but his legacy of service will never be forgotten.”

Bustos first got to know Lane Evans when she was a newspaper reporter, covering the region. She last visited him during the summer at Hope Creek, where Lane lived and was cared for.

* Dick Durbin…

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin today released the following statement after learning of the death of former Quad Cities Congressman Lane Evans.

“Illinois lost one of its kindest, most caring public servants with the passing of my friend and colleague Lane Evans. When I last visited him, I told him our friend Barack Obama still remembered his quiet courage as a Congressman. I recall our many common causes for veterans and our downstate districts and, of course, our many hard fought campaigns.

“Lane told me years later that it was during a joint appearance in 1996 at a Labor Day parade in Galesburg that he first felt the numbing in his hand which led to his Parkinson’s diagnosis: a disease that trapped his body but never restrained his great spirit. Thank heavens for Lane Evans.”

* Sen. Kirk…

U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) released the following statement today after the passing of former Illinois Congressman Lane Evans at the age of 63:

“For 24 years, Congressman Lane Evans dedicated his life to serving the people of Illinois. As a Marine, and senior Member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Congressman Evans gave a voice to the thousands of Illinois veterans and worked to rid the stigma that often surrounds combat-based injuries. I am grateful for the work he has done to care for our nation’s servicemen and women, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family today.”

* From the White House…

Statement from President Barack Obama on the passing of former Congressman Lane Evans

“Michelle and I were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former Congressman Lane Evans. Lane was a proud veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, and dedicated much of his public life to helping his fellow veterans, particularly those who fought in Vietnam and were exposed to Agent Orange. Lane was one of my earliest supporters when I ran for the Senate, and I was proud to have him by my side when I was elected President. Above all, Lane was an American hero, a dear friend and a beloved public servant of the people of Illinois. Michelle and I extend our thoughts and prayers to Lane’s family and friends, and the people he represented in Congress who loved him so dearly.”