nebraska mcgowan
1916-1987
Life Story
Beloved Mother • Faithful Church Member • Lifelong Resident of Newton County
Birth and Family
Nebraska McGowan was born on December 7, 1916, in Jasper County, Mississippi, to:
- Percy McGowan (1885–1973)
- Lula Shaw McGowan (1890–1961)
She was one of the early children born to this union, before the family relocated to the St. John/Pilgrim Grove community of Newton County in 1929.
Education and Early Life
Nebraska completed the 4th grade of elementary school.
Like many young women in rural Mississippi during the early 20th century, she contributed to the household through:
- Farm work
- Helping to maintain the home
These roles reflected the shared labor structure of Black farming families in Newton and Jasper counties, where every member played a part in sustaining the household.
Adult Life and Family
Nebraska became the mother of one son:
- Rev. Joe W. “J.W.” Rigsby (1942– )
Her son became a prominent minister, reflecting Nebraska’s own deep roots in the church community and the influence of her upbringing in a spiritual household.
By the time of her passing, she was also blessed with two grandchildren.
Faith and Community
Her obituary notes that services were held at Plymouth Grove Presbyterian Church which was probably meant to be Pilgrim Grove Presbyterian Church in Newton—indicating her long association with the Presbyterian faith, the same tradition embraced by her mother, Lula Shaw McGowan, at Pilgrim Grove.
Her family requested memorials be made to Pineview Presbyterian Church in Hattiesburg, suggesting continued church ties that extended beyond Newton County.
Death and Burial
Nebraska McGowan passed away on December 9, 1987, at Rush Hospital in Meridian, Mississippi. She was 71 years old.
She was laid to rest in the Evans Cemetery in Newton, among generations of McGowan, Evans, Wesley, Walker, and related families who shaped the history of the Bethel and Altare communities.
Progressive Funeral Home of Newton handled the arrangements.
Resting Place
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1920 Federal Census
- 1930 Federal Census
- 1940 Federal Census
- 1950 Federal Census
- U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current
- The Newton Record, Negro March of Dimes (MOD) Drive Opens at Dinner Here January 4, Wed, Jan 10, 1962 ·Page 3
- Hattiesburg American, Nebraska McGowan Obituary, Sun, Dec 13, 1987 ·Page 2
- U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
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