elbert evans
1907-1999
Life Story
Birth & Parentage
Elbert Evans was born on November 1, 1907, in Newton County, Mississippi, to Archie Evans (1871–1942) and Cora Walker Evans(1875–1929). He spent his early years in the Evans family community along Bethel Road, an area long associated with multiple branches of the Evans family.
Education
Elbert Evans completed the seventh grade of elementary school, reflecting the level of formal education commonly available to rural African American children in Newton County during the early twentieth century.
Occupation & Work Life
From an early age, Elbert worked as a farm hand on the home farm, contributing to the agricultural livelihood of his family. He continued farm work into adulthood, sustaining himself through agricultural labor both before and after his military service.
A later newspaper feature marking his ninety-first birthday noted that he continued to reside on the old Evans place on Bethel Road, underscoring his lifelong attachment to the family homestead and the surrounding community.
Military Service
Elbert Evans served in the United States Army during World War II. He enlisted on June 10, 1943, and was honorably discharged on May 25, 1944. His service occurred during a period when many African American men from Newton County entered the armed forces despite segregation both at home and within the military.
Marriage & Family
Around 1944, Elbert Evans married Ora D. Russell Evans (1918–2010). From this union, one known child was born:
- James Elbert Evans (1945–2005)
Their marriage endured for decades and reflects a stable family unit within the St. John community.
Church & Community Life
Elbert Evans was a faithful member of Saint John Missionary Baptist Church, maintaining close ties to the congregation throughout his life. His burial in the church graveyard reflects both his personal faith and his family’s long-standing connection to St. John.
Death & Burial
Elbert Evans passed away on April 3, 1999. He was laid to rest at Saint John M.B. Church graveyard in Newton County, Mississippi.
Legacy
Elbert Evans’s life reflects the experience of many African American men of his generation in Newton County—rooted in family land, shaped by agricultural labor, marked by wartime service, and sustained through church and community. His long life bridged the post-Reconstruction era through the close of the twentieth century, preserving a living connection to the Evans family’s enduring presence in the Bethel–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
- U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 2
- U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
- U.S., Veterans’ Gravesites, ca.1775-2019
- U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946
- U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
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