gus hill
1872-1938
Life Story
Birth and Parentage
Gus Hill was born about 1872 in Newton County, Mississippi, to Thomas Hill (1845–?) and Delia Hill (1845–?). He was raised during the post–Civil War era, a time when African American families in Newton County were establishing stability through land-based labor, kinship networks, and church affiliation.
Marriage and Family
Gus Hill married Malissa Gipson Hill (1872–1935). From this union, the following children were born:
- Elijah Hill (1889–1971)
- Elvina Hill (1893–?)
- Delia Hill (1894–?)
- Glover Hill (1900–?)
- Judy Hill (1903–?)
- Mariah Hill (1905–1975)
- Thelma Hill (1908–?)
- Anna Hill (1909–?)
- Mattie Hill (1911–1989)
- Mary Eliza Hill (1916–1971)
This large family reflects the multigenerational household structures common among farming families in rural Newton County.
Occupation
According to his Mississippi death certificate, Gus Hill was employed as a farmer. Farming was both his livelihood and a defining feature of his daily life, tying him directly to the land and to the agricultural economy that sustained much of the Black population in the county during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Death
Gus Hill died on October 17, 1938, in Newton County, Mississippi, at the age of 66. His death certificate records that he was found deceased in a field. A coroner’s jury determined the cause of death to be from natural causes, with no evidence of external injury.
At the time of his death, he was widowed, his wife Malissa Gipson Hill having preceded him in death in 1935. His son Elijah Hill served as the informant on the death certificate.
Burial
Gus Hill was laid to rest at Bethel (Evans) Cemetery, also commonly known as the Evans Cemetery, where multiple generations of Hill, Evans, and related families are buried.
Resting Place
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1880 Federal Census
- 1900 Federal Census
- 1910 Federal Census
- 1920 Federal Census
- Mississippi, U.S., Index to Deaths, 1912-1943
- The Newton Record, Malissie Hills Obituary, Thu, Mar 21, 1935 ·Page 7
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- The Newton Record, Elijah L. Hill Obituary, Wed, Sep 01, 1971 ·Page 10
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