elmo evans
1909-1972
Life Story
Early Life and Family Roots
Elmo Evans was born in Newton County, Mississippi, between 1909 and 1911. Historical records vary regarding his birth date, with sources recording July 9, 1909, September 15, 1909, and July 10, 1911. Despite these differences, the records consistently identify him as the son of Tom Jefferson Evans, Sr. and Lillie Cooper Evans, lifelong residents of the Lawrence community in Beat 4, Newton County.
Elmo grew up on his parents’ farm as one of a large family whose roots stretched back to the first generation born after emancipation. His brothers and sisters included William, Easmond, Albert, Luella, Alberta, Thomas, Vaster, Bertha, Fannie, Dessie, and Northa. Like many African American children raised in rural Mississippi during the early twentieth century, he learned the value of hard work while helping support the family’s agricultural livelihood.
The 1910 Federal Census records Elmo as an infant in his parents’ household. By 1920, he was attending school while also working as a farm laborer on the family farm. Census records indicate that he could read and write, educational opportunities that reflected the determination of formerly enslaved families to secure schooling for the next generation.
A Young Farmer in Beat 4
As he entered adulthood, Elmo continued the agricultural traditions of the Evans family.
By 1930, twenty-year-old Elmo was farming on his own account while still residing in his parents’ household in Beat 4. Like many young farmers of the period, he gradually transitioned from assisting on the family farm to managing his own agricultural work while remaining closely connected to his extended family.
The 1940 census shows that Elmo had completed the fourth grade and was employed as a wage laborer in rural Newton County. During the previous year, he worked approximately forty-eight weeks and earned about $325, illustrating how many rural farmers supplemented agricultural income with wage labor during the years following the Great Depression.
Marriage and Wartime Years
Elmo married Dora Lee Crudup, and together they established their family in Mississippi. Among their known children was Leroy Evans.
On October 16, 1940, Elmo registered for the Selective Service in Forest, Scott County, Mississippi, as the nation prepared for the possibility of entering World War II. His registration described him as standing six feet tall, weighing 180 pounds, with a dark brown complexion, black hair, and brown eyes. At the time, he was employed by Clyde Guice, and he listed his wife, Dora Lee, as his next of kin.
Although his draft registration documents his participation in the Selective Service System, additional military records would be necessary to determine whether he entered active military service during the war.
Later Years
Sometime after World War II, Elmo relocated from Mississippi to Nicholls, Coffee County, Georgia, joining the broader movement of Southern families who sought employment opportunities beyond Mississippi during the mid-twentieth century.
He spent his later years in Georgia and passed away in August 1972 in Floyd County, Georgia, at approximately sixty-two years of age.
Although Elmo died in Georgia, he was returned to his native Newton County, Mississippi, where he was laid to rest in Union Chapel Methodist Church Cemetery in the Lawrence community. His burial there, confirmed by his gravestone, returned him to the community where he had been born and raised and placed him among generations of the Evans family whose lives were deeply intertwined with the history of Lawrence.
Legacy
Elmo Evans belonged to a generation that experienced tremendous change. Born into the rural agricultural landscape of Newton County, he witnessed the economic hardships of the Great Depression, the national mobilization of World War II, and the migration of many Southern families seeking new opportunities elsewhere.
Though his later years were spent in Georgia, his final resting place in Union Chapel Methodist Church Cemetery reflects the enduring connection that many migrants maintained with their home community. His life illustrates the resilience, adaptability, and deep family ties that have characterized the Evans family for generations.
Resting Place
Union Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1910 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, population schedule, Tom J. Evans household; National Archives microfilm publication T624.
- 1920 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, population schedule, Tom J. Evans household; National Archives microfilm publication T625.
- 1930 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, population schedule, Tom J. Evans household; National Archives microfilm publication T626.
- 1940 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, population schedule, Elmo Evans household; National Archives microfilm publication T627.
- U.S. World War II Draft Registration Card, Elmo Evans, October 16, 1940, Forest, Scott County, Mississippi; Records of the Selective Service System, Record Group 147, National Archives.
- Georgia Death Index, Elmo Evans, Floyd County, Georgia, August 1972.
- Photograph of the gravestone of Elmo Evans, Union Chapel Methodist Church Cemetery, Lawrence, Newton County, Mississippi, photographed by Cassandra Watts, author’s collection.
Research Note
- Historical records contain conflicting information regarding Elmo Evans’s birth date, with various sources recording July 9, 1909, September 15, 1909, and July 10, 1911. Likewise, his mother’s given name appears in some records as Lillie Cooper Evans and in others as Sallie Cooper Evans. Based on census records, family relationships, and the continuity of residence in the Lawrence community, these records are understood to refer to the same individuals. Until additional primary documentation is located, these variations are preserved as part of the historical record rather than reconciled through speculation.
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