Our Unique Stories

francis wheaton evans

1920-1986

Life Story

Early Life and Family

Francis Wheaton was born on January 30, 1920, in Mississippi to Chester Wheaton and Lennie Howze Wheaton. During her childhood, her mother remarried Hunter Thomas, and by the 1930 Federal Census, ten-year-old Francis was living in Beat 4 of Newton County in the household of her mother and stepfather.

Growing up in the Lawrence community, Francis was raised alongside several brothers and sisters in a close-knit rural family. She attended school, learned to read and write, and developed the practical skills that would later make her a respected homemaker, community leader, and church worker. Like many young women in rural Mississippi during the Great Depression, she came of age in a household where education, hard work, and family cooperation were essential to daily life.

Marriage and Family

During the late 1930s, Francis married Albert Evans, joining one of Lawrence’s longstanding African American farming families.

Together they established their home in the Lawrence community, where Albert farmed and later served as a deacon at Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church. Their marriage blended two families and created a large household that reflected the extended family networks common throughout rural Mississippi.

Francis and Albert became the parents of:

She also embraced Albert’s children from his previous marriage to Rosie B. Mitchell:

Together, Francis and Albert nurtured a large blended family whose descendants would continue the Evans legacy for generations.

A Leader in the Lawrence Community

Francis was much more than a homemaker.

For decades she became one of the Lawrence community’s most active civic leaders through the Lawrence Home Demonstration Club, later known as the Lawrence Homemaker Club.

In 1962, she served as the club’s Safety Chairman, embracing the organization’s guiding philosophy:

“What You Do for Yourself Dies When You Die; What You Do for Others Lives On.”

That principle reflected the way Francis lived her life.

She frequently conducted homemaking demonstrations, teaching practical skills that helped families make the most of limited resources. Newspaper accounts describe her demonstrating how to transform everyday household items into useful objects, including making aprons from old neckties and creating wall pockets from recycled materials.

Her willingness to teach others reflected a lifelong belief that knowledge should be shared for the benefit of the entire community.

Supporting Young People

Francis also devoted considerable time to encouraging the next generation.

She worked closely with the Lawrence 4-H Club, supporting educational activities, competitions, and youth development programs sponsored through the county Extension Service.

Her participation extended beyond Newton County. As a member of the Extension Council, she joined fellow community leaders on educational tours, including a visit to the Governor’s Mansion, where local homemakers exchanged ideas and strengthened leadership skills that benefited their home communities.

Through these efforts, Francis helped connect rural families with educational opportunities that improved daily life throughout the Lawrence area.

Faith and Service

Faith formed the foundation of Francis’s life.

She was a devoted member of Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church in Lawrence, where she served faithfully for many years.

Her service included membership on the Mother’s Board, teaching Sunday School, and working with the Pastor’s Aide Committee. She also supported church recitals, youth piano programs, and community worship services throughout Newton County.

Whether mentoring children, encouraging young musicians, or supporting church ministries, Francis quietly strengthened the spiritual life of her congregation.

Death and Legacy

Francis Wheaton Evans passed away on January 3, 1986, at Riley Hospital in Meridian, Mississippi, at the age of sixty-five.

Funeral services were held on January 8, 1986, at Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church, with Rev. R. B. Denmark officiating. She was laid to rest in the Lawrence Community Cemetery.

She was survived by her husband, Albert Evans; her children and stepchildren; sixteen grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and countless relatives, friends, neighbors, and church members whose lives she had enriched through decades of faithful service.

Legacy

Francis Wheaton Evans embodied the quiet leadership that sustained rural communities throughout the twentieth century.

She devoted herself to her family, strengthened her church, mentored young people, shared practical knowledge with neighbors, and invested her time in organizations dedicated to improving community life.

Although she never sought public recognition, her influence extended far beyond her own household. Through her work in the Lawrence Homemaker Club, the 4-H program, and Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church, she helped build a stronger community—one lesson, one family, and one act of service at a time.

Today, she is remembered not only as the wife of Albert Evans or the mother of a large family, but as one of the Lawrence community’s most dedicated civic and church leaders.

Resting Place

Union Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery

Photos/Albums

Sources

  • 1930 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Beat 4, population schedule, Hunter Thomas household, showing Francis Wheaton residing with her mother, Lennie Howze Thomas, and stepfather, Hunter Thomas; National Archives microfilm publication T626.
  • 1940 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, population schedule, Albert Evans household; National Archives microfilm publication T627.
  • The Newton Record (Newton, Miss.), various issues, 1962–1985, documenting Francis Evans’s participation in the Lawrence Home Demonstration Club (later Lawrence Homemaker Club), including her service as Safety Chairman and presentations on homemaking projects.
  • The Newton Record (Newton, Miss.), various issues, documenting Francis Evans’s participation in Lawrence 4-H Club activities and Newton County Extension Council programs, including educational tours and community events.
  • The Newton Record (Newton, Miss.), various issues, documenting programs and activities at Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church in Lawrence, Mississippi, including Mother’s Board, Sunday School, Pastor’s Aide Committee, church recitals, and youth music programs involving Francis Evans.
  • Mississippi Death Index, Francis Wheaton Evans, died January 3, 1986, Newton County, Mississippi.
  • Obituary of Francis Wheaton Evans, The Newton Record (Newton, Miss.), January 1986, announcing her death, funeral services at Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church, officiating minister Rev. R. B. Denmark, survivors, and burial in the Lawrence Community Cemetery.

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