charley evans
1896-1973
Life Story
Early Life in Newton County, Mississippi
Charley Evans was born on May 10, 1896, in Newton County, Mississippi, to Horace (Harace) Evans and Lilly V. Evans. He grew up in the rural Lawrence community of Beat 4, where his family earned their livelihood through farming.
Raised alongside his siblings—Corena, Lilian, Curtis, Wallace, and Laurel—Charley came of age during a period when African American families in Mississippi struggled to build stable lives despite the restrictions of the Jim Crow era. Like many young men in Newton County, his childhood was shaped by the rhythms of agricultural life, where work in the fields began at an early age and every member of the household contributed to the family’s success.
Marriage and Answering the Nation’s Call
On December 31, 1917, Charley married Adeline McClure in Forrest County, Mississippi, beginning a marriage that would endure for more than fifty-five years.
Only months after their wedding, the United States intensified its mobilization for World War I, and Charley answered his country’s call to military service.
On September 1, 1918, he entered the United States Army and was assigned to Company C, 64th Pioneer Infantry, serving as a Private.
The Pioneer Infantry Regiments were composed primarily of African American soldiers who performed essential military duties including road construction, bridge building, railroad maintenance, supply transportation, and other engineering work that enabled combat operations. Although segregated military policies often limited opportunities for Black soldiers to serve in combat roles, the work of the Pioneer Infantry proved indispensable to the American Expeditionary Forces.
The war ended before Charley completed extensive military service, and he received an honorable discharge on December 15, 1918. Though his service lasted only a few months, he joined a generation of African American men whose willingness to serve demonstrated both patriotism and perseverance despite unequal treatment within the armed forces.
Building a Life Through Agriculture
Following his military discharge, Charley returned to Mississippi and reunited with Adeline to begin building their future together.
By 1920, the couple had settled in Southeast Jones County, where Charley established himself as a self-employed farmer. Farming remained his life’s work for more than three decades.
Together, Charley and Adeline raised a large family that included:
- Cleveland Evans
- Lillie Evans Moncrief
- Willie Evans
- and two children who preceded their father in death.
Life as an independent farmer demanded resilience. Charley worked through the economic hardships of the Great Depression, fluctuating crop prices, changing agricultural practices, and the challenges that confronted Black landowners and tenant farmers throughout the South.
Despite these obstacles, he continued farming across Jones County and later Jasper County, providing for his family through years of economic uncertainty.
By the 1950 federal census, Charley and Adeline were operating their farm in Jasper County while maintaining a household that reflected the close-knit, multigenerational nature of Southern family life.
Faith and Community
Faith remained an important part of Charley’s life.
He was a devoted member of Mount Nebo Baptist Church, where he worshipped faithfully and remained active until declining health limited his activities. Like many African American churches throughout Mississippi, Mount Nebo served not only as a place of worship but also as the center of community life, providing spiritual guidance, fellowship, and support across generations.
Those who knew Charley remembered him as a man of Christian character whose quiet faith influenced both his family and his community.
Final Years
After an illness lasting several months, Charley Evans died on February 6, 1973, at the age of seventy-six.
Funeral services were held on Sunday, February 11, 1973, at Altare Missionary Baptist Church, with Reverend D. Hayden officiating. During the service, Tommy Noble offered remarks honoring Charley’s Christian life, while Eddie Wheaton presented a musical solo in tribute.
Charley was survived by his devoted wife, Adeline, his children Lillie Moncrief, Cleveland Evans, and Willie Evans, along with thirty-two grandchildren and thirty-four great-grandchildren, a testament to the large family he helped nurture over more than half a century.
He was laid to rest in Altare Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery in Newton County, Mississippi.
Honoring a Veteran
Although Charley’s military service lasted only a few months during World War I, it remained an important part of his life’s story.
Following his death, his widow, Adeline Evans, ensured that his service would never be forgotten by requesting an official United States government military headstone for his grave. The marker permanently recognizes his honorable service as a Private, Company C, 64th Pioneer Infantry, preserving his place among the many African American veterans who answered the nation’s call during the First World War.
Legacy
Charley Evans devoted his life to three enduring commitments: family, faith, and honest labor.
From the cotton fields of Newton County to the military camps of World War I, from decades spent farming Mississippi soil to raising a large family and serving his church, his life reflected the experiences of countless African American men who quietly strengthened their communities through perseverance rather than public recognition.
His story also reminds us that military service is measured not only by time spent in uniform but by the willingness to answer one’s country’s call. His government-issued military headstone stands as a lasting symbol of that commitment, while the generations of descendants who followed him bear witness to a life faithfully lived.
Resting Place
Altare Missionary Baptist Church Graveyard
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1900 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, Horace Evans household.
- 1910 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Horace Evans household.
- Forrest County, Mississippi, Marriage Record, Charley Evans and Adeline McClure, December 31, 1917.
- World War I Service Card, Charley Evans, Company C, 64th Pioneer Infantry, Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
- Chad L. Williams, Torchbearers of Democracy: African American Soldiers in the World War I Era (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2010), 69–108.
- 1920 U.S. Census, Jones County, Mississippi, Charley Evans household.
- 1930, 1940, and 1950 U.S. Census records, Charley Evans household.
- Tera W. Hunter, To ‘Joy My Freedom (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1997), 189–210.
- Obituary of Charley Evans, The Newton Record, February 1973.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Application for Government Headstone or Marker, Charley Evans, requested by Adeline Evans following his death.
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