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riney evans walker

1850-1926

Life Story

A Life of Strength, Faith, and Legacy in the Altare Tradition

Early Life and Family Heritage

Riney Evans was born enslaved around 1850 in Newton County, Mississippi, to Pleasant Evans (1830–?) and Kizzie Ann Evans (1833–1924). She was raised on the Evans Plantation, owned by Henry Evans, located in the fertile lands south of Newton. Her early years were marked by the realities of enslavement—hard labor, restricted freedom, and the enduring resilience of family ties under oppression.

Before emancipation, Riney and her parents were named in Henry Evans’s will, a sobering document that reflected how human lives were catalogued and divided as property. In 1858, they were bequeathed to Henry’s twin daughters, Laurecia and Narcissa Evans, a stark reminder of the generational continuation of slavery and the lack of control enslaved families had over their own destinies. Yet, within this system of bondage, the Evans family cultivated deep bonds of endurance, faith, and hope for eventual liberation.

Marriage and Family Life

After emancipation, Riney began to build a new life rooted in freedom and faith. In 1872, she married Emanuel Walker (1850–1926), a hardworking farmer from the same region. Together, they farmed the land near the Altare community, raising crops and children in the face of continued racial and economic challenges during Reconstruction and the early Jim Crow era.

Their marriage lasted for over three decades before ending in divorce in 1909, a rare occurrence for the time and perhaps a reflection of the hardships of rural life and postwar realities. Despite the separation, Riney remained steadfast in her responsibilities as a mother and community member, raising her family with resilience and quiet strength.

By 1900, Riney had given birth to thirteen children, with seven still living—a testament to both the high child mortality rates of the era and her own perseverance through hardship. The children known to have survived into adulthood include:

Through her children, Riney’s legacy continued to shape the Altare community, as many of them and their descendants became farmers, church members, and community leaders.

Faith and Community Involvement

Riney was a charter member of Altare Missionary Baptist Church, a sacred institution that became a spiritual and social center for the newly freed African American families of Newton County. She was deeply involved in the church’s early life, helping to establish it as a foundation for worship, education, and fellowship.

Altare Church offered more than a place of prayer—it was a sanctuary of hope where former slaves and their descendants could reclaim their dignity and chart their own spiritual and communal paths. Riney’s devotion to her church reflected the moral compass that guided her life, one shaped by perseverance, compassion, and a steadfast faith in God.

Later Years and Passing

In her later years, Riney remained close to her family and community, embodying the wisdom and endurance of her generation. She lived through monumental shifts—from slavery to freedom, from Reconstruction to the dawn of the modern South—and bore witness to the evolving struggles and triumphs of her people.

Riney Evans Walker passed away on May 2, 1926, at approximately 70 years of age. Her death occurred without a doctor in attendance, as was common in rural areas of that time. The informant on her death certificate was John Chapman, her devoted son-in-law, who ensured her life was properly recorded and remembered.

She was laid to rest at Altare Missionary Baptist Church graveyard, the spiritual home she had helped to build. Her burial at Altare stands as a fitting tribute to a woman whose life bridged the painful legacy of enslavement and the enduring hope of faith and freedom.

Legacy

Riney Evans Walker’s story is one of endurance, transformation, and legacy. Born into bondage, she lived to see freedom and helped to shape one of Newton County’s most historic African American communities. Through her children and their descendants, she became a matriarchal figure whose influence rippled through generations.

Her life is a powerful reflection of the Altare tradition—rooted in faith, strengthened by family, and defined by resilience in the face of hardship. Today, her name stands among those who laid the foundations for Altare’s enduring spirit of unity, service, and devotion.

Sidebar: The Evans Plantation — From Bondage to Community

Before emancipation, the Evans Plantation, located south of Newton, Mississippi, was one of several large agricultural holdings that relied heavily on the labor of enslaved African Americans. Among them were Pleasant Evans, his wife Kizzie Ann Evans, and their daughter Riney, whose lives were bound to the property and legacy of Henry Evans, the plantation’s owner.

When Henry Evans drafted his will in 1858, he named the Evans family among those to be distributed to his heirs. Riney and her parents were bequeathed to his twin daughters, Laurecia and Narcissa Evans, symbolizing the generational perpetuation of slavery and the economic dependence of white landowners on enslaved families’ labor. Yet even within this oppressive system, enslaved families like the Evanses forged deep spiritual and familial bonds that would sustain them long after freedom came.

With emancipation in 1865, the Evans family transitioned from enslavement to independence, settling in the area that would later become known as Altare. Drawing on their agricultural knowledge, they worked as sharecroppers and tenant farmers, gradually forming the foundation of a vibrant Black farming community. Their resilience gave rise to a network of families—Evans, Walker, Chapman, Ware, Lewis, and others—who built schools, churches, and mutual support systems that defined life in Altare for generations.

The Evans family’s connection to the land transcended its painful past. By the early 20th century, descendants of Riney and her parents were among the trustees and founders of Altare Missionary Baptist Church, transforming the very soil of their former bondage into sacred ground for worship and community building.

Today, their story stands as a powerful testament to endurance, faith, and transformation—a reminder that from the hardship of slavery emerged one of Newton County’s most enduring legacies of freedom and faith.

Resting Place

Altare Missionary Baptist Church Graveyard

Photos/Albums

Rena Evans Walker Death Certificate
Rena Evans Walker 1850-1926

Sources

  • U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
  • 1860 Federal Slave Schedule
  • 1870 Federal Census
  • 1880 Federal Census
  • 1900 Federal Census
  • 1920 Federal Census
  • Mississippi, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1780-1982
  • The Newton Record, Emanuel Walker vs. Rinney Walker: Divorce granted, Thu, Dec 16, 1909 ·Page 1

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