Modie was born on August 31, 1931 in Thornfield, Missouri to Harrison and Iva Lawson Friend. She married Mearle S. Evans on August 2, 1950 in Mountain Home, Arkansas. Mearle died in Washington on March 5, 2005. Among those surviving is one son, Sam (Pam) Evans of Tinley Park; two daughters, Bonnie (Tim) Allen of Germantown Hills and Rose Burns of Washington; one son, Sam (Pam) Evans of Tinley Park; six sisters, Maxine DeBord of Princeville, Freda (Sonny) Loftus, Peggy (Bob) Robbins, Mamie Strong and Fern Berger, all of Gainesville, Missouri and Polly (Wayne) Ousley of Ava, Missouri; two brothers, Ed (Ina) Friend of Gainesville, Missouri and Lee Friend of Seattle, Washington; five grandchildren,Corey (Kelly) Allen, Rachel Evans, Becca Evans, Holly Bauer and Lane Weaver and two great grandchildren, Corey Allen, Jr. and Layla Allen. She was also preceded in death by two brothers, John and Joe Friend and several half-brothers and half-sisters. Modie had retired from SzoldA