northa evans mclaurin
1918-2005
Life Story
Early Life and Family Roots
Northa Evans was born in Lawrence, Newton County, Mississippi, in May 1918 or 1919, to Tom Jefferson Evans, Sr. and Lillie Cooper Evans. She was the youngest child in one of the Lawrence community’s best-known farming families, whose roots extended back to the years immediately following emancipation.
Growing up in Beat 4 of Newton County, Northa shared her childhood with a large circle of older brothers and sisters, including Alex, William, Easmond, Albert, Luella, Alberta, Thomas, Vaster, Bertha, Elmo, Fannie, and Dessie. By the time she was born, many of her older siblings were already entering adulthood, creating a home where several generations often lived and worked together.
Raised on the family farm, Northa experienced the rhythms of rural life that shaped so many African American families in early twentieth-century Mississippi. The 1930 Federal Census records her attending school while learning to read and write, opportunities made possible through the determination of parents who valued education despite limited resources.
Marriage and Building a Family
Northa married Mack Willis (“McWillis”) McLaurin in Mississippi, and together they established a home rooted in faith, hard work, and family.
By 1950, the McLaurins were living on Poor House Road in Newton County, where Mack worked while Northa managed the household and cared for their growing family.
Together they raised a large family that included:
Sons
- E. V. McLaurin
- John Willie McLaurin
- Allen McLaurin
- David McLaurin
- Mack Willie (“Mack”) McLaurin
- Jerry McLaurin
- Larry McLaurin
Daughters
- Mattie Mae McLaurin Jones
- Dorothy McLaurin Rome
Like many mothers of her generation, Northa devoted herself to creating a stable home while raising children during years marked by economic change and expanding opportunities for African American families beyond rural Mississippi.
A New Chapter in Tennessee
Later in life, Northa and her family relocated to Tennessee, becoming part of the continuing migration of Southern families seeking new opportunities while maintaining close ties to their Mississippi roots.
Over the years she lived in Gallaway, Arlington, and Memphis, where she remained deeply connected to both her family and her faith.
Although she left Mississippi, the values she carried from the Lawrence community—faith, perseverance, and devotion to family—continued to shape her life for decades.
Faith and Community
Faith occupied a central place in Northa’s life.
She became a respected Church Mother at Union Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Gallaway, Tennessee, serving as an example of Christian faith and encouragement to younger generations within the congregation.
The title of Church Mother reflected more than age; it recognized a lifetime of spiritual leadership, wisdom, and service. Through her church, Northa helped strengthen the bonds of family and community that had guided her throughout her life.
Death and Legacy
Northa Evans McLaurin passed away on May 9, 2005, at the age of eighty-six, at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
Funeral services were held at Union Hill Missionary Baptist Church, after which she was laid to rest in Union Hill Cemetery in Gallaway.
She was survived by six of her children, her sister Fannie Evans Rankins, twenty grandchildren, fifteen great-grandchildren, and a large circle of extended family and friends.
Legacy
Northa Evans McLaurin’s life bridged two communities—rural Newton County, Mississippi, where she was born and raised, and western Tennessee, where she spent her later years serving her family and church.
As the youngest child of Tom and Lillie Evans, she carried forward the legacy of one of Lawrence’s enduring families while helping establish another generation of descendants whose roots extended beyond Mississippi.
Remembered as a devoted wife, loving mother, faithful church member, and respected Church Mother, Northa leaves a legacy measured not by public accomplishments but by the generations she nurtured, the faith she lived, and the family she helped build.
Resting Place
Union Hill Missionary Baptist Church, Gallaway, TN
Photos/Albums
Sources
- .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.
- 1950 U.S. Census, Newton County, Mississippi, Poor House Road, population schedule, Mack Willis McLaurin household; National Archives microfilm publication T628.
- Mississippi marriage records, Mack Willis McLaurin and Northa Evans, Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Jackson.
- Social Security Death Index, Northa McLaurin, born May 1918/1919, died May 9, 2005.
- Tennessee Death Certificate, Northa Evans McLaurin, May 9, 2005, Methodist University Hospital, Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee; Tennessee Department of Health.
- Obituary of Northa Evans McLaurin, The Memphis Commercial Appeal, May 2005; funeral services held at Union Hill Missionary Baptist Church, Gallaway, Tennessee.
- Union Hill Missionary Baptist Church funeral program for Northa Evans McLaurin, 2005, Gallaway, Tennessee.
- Burial record or gravestone of Northa Evans McLaurin, Union Hill Cemetery, Gallaway, Fayette County, Tennessee.
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