cora evans walker
1886-1962
Life Story
Biography
July 28, 1886 – February 12, 1962
Early Life
Cora Evans was born on July 28, 1886, in Newton County, Mississippi, to Augustus Gus Evans (1847–1926) and Iley Jane Evans (1860–1955). She was raised in the St. John community, where her family had deep agricultural, church, and civic roots. From an early age, she worked as a farm laborer on the home farm, contributing to the household economy.
Education
Cora completed the seventh grade of elementary school, a notable achievement for a rural African American woman of her generation. In later records, including the 1950 census, she was listed as keeping house.
Marriage and Family
She married Lewis Walker (1884–1963). Together, they established their home in Newton County and raised a large family. Their known children were:
- Iley Walker (1908–?)
- Donza Jerry Walker (1910–1972)
- Astoria Walker (1914–?)
- Arzola Walker (1918–1978)
- Effie Mae Walker (1918–?)
- Gladson Walker (1919–1985)
- Clardie Lewis Walker (1922–1974)
- Cora A. Walker (1923–1978)
- Pertha Walker (1925–?)
- Percy Walker (1927–1993)
- Cephus Walker (1929–1985)
During her lifetime, Cora helped rear and educate her children, many of whom later migrated to urban centers such as Chicago, Joliet, Los Angeles, and other cities, reflecting broader twentieth-century migration patterns.
Church and Community Life
Cora Evans Walker was a lifelong and devoted member of St. John Baptist Church. She joined the church in early life and remained faithful as long as her health permitted. Newspaper accounts describe her as a “mother” of the church—active in many departments and deeply respected throughout the St. John community.
In 1931, her name appears on a published list of Additional Red Cross Members, placing her among African American women who participated in organized civic and humanitarian efforts during the interwar period.
Land and Financial Records
Cora appears with her husband in Newton County deed and trustee sale records. In 1909, Lewis and Cora Walker executed a deed of trust on approximately forty acres of land located in Section 7, Township 5, Range 11 East. A subsequent trustee’s sale notice documents the financial strain placed on Black farming families in the early twentieth century and situates the Walker household within a broader pattern of land insecurity during this era.
Illness, Death, and Burial
Cora Evans Walker became ill on January 12, 1962, and her condition gradually worsened. She passed away at her home on February 12, 1962, at the age of 75, after several months of illness.
Funeral services were held on February 18, 1962, at St. John Baptist Church, with Rev. J. D. Woods officiating and Rev. J. P. Newton assisting. The service was well attended, reflecting her standing within the community. She was laid to rest in the St. John Graveyard.
Historical Context Note
Cora Evans Walker’s life reflects the central role of African American women in sustaining family, church, land, and community in rural Mississippi. As a farmer’s wife, church leader, Red Cross participant, and mother of a large family, her story anchors multiple generations of the Walker and Evans families within the St. John community.
Resting Place
Saint John Missionary Baptist Church Graveyard
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1910 Federal Census
- 1920 Federal Census
- 1930 Federal Census
- 1940 Federal Census
- 1950 Federal Census
- U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
- The Newton Record, Trustee Sale Notice, Thu, Dec 10, 1914 ·Page 3
- The Newton Record, Donza J. Walker Obituary, Wed, Nov 01, 1972 ·Page 19
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- The Newton Record, Cora Evans Walker Obituary, Wed, Feb 28, 1962 ·Page 10
Leave a Reply