ethel hill evans
1902-1929
Life Story
Laid to Rest: Bethel (Likely Evans Cemetery) – Newton County, Mississippi
Early Life and Family Background
Ethel Hill Evans was born around 1902 in Newton County, Mississippi, to Clifton Hill (1882–?) and Martha Evans Hill (1880–?). After the 1910 census, her parents disappear from available records, and by 1920, Ethel and her siblings were residing with a cousin. This suggests that the children may have been orphaned or otherwise separated from their parents—circumstances that were common due to illness, economic hardship, and limited health care in rural Black communities.
Ethel’s maternal Evans heritage connected her to the wider Evans family network that helped shape the early Black settlements of Altare, Bethel, Mt. Moriah, and surrounding areas.
Marriage and Family Life
On November 14, 1924, Ethel married Otis Evans (1904–1982), the son of:
- Joe Evans, Jr. (1871–?)
- Lizzie “Jennie” Loper Evans (1866–?)
Otis came from a large and deeply rooted Evans family line, and their marriage linked two longstanding Newton County families: the Hills and the Evanses.
Family history notes that several members of the Evans family in Otis’s generation battled tuberculosis, showing how widespread and devastating the disease was within the community.
Illness, Passing, and Burial
Ethel Hill Evans died of tuberculosis on May 22, 1929, at about 27 years old. Her father-in-law—likely Joe Evans, Jr.—served as the informant on her death certificate, indicating his role in her care and final arrangements.
Her burial place is listed as Bethel. Based on burial patterns of the time, proximity to Evans family land, and the use of “Bethel” in early documentation, it is highly likely that she was interred in the Evans Cemetery, where many of the Evans family were buried during this period.
Legacy
Though her life was short, Ethel’s memory endures within the Hill and Evans genealogies. Her life reflects:
- The fragility of health for rural African American families in the early 20th century
- The reliance on extended kin networks when parents passed away or households were disrupted
- The impact of tuberculosis on multiple generations
- The resilience of her family, who ensured her story was not forgotten
Her inclusion in the Evans Cemetery narrative ensures she remains part of the preserved history of Newton County’s Black families.
Resting Place
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1910 Federal Census
- 1920 Federal Census
- Mississippi, U.S., Index to Deaths, 1912-1943
- U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current
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