susie walton chapman
1897-1943
Life Story
Early Life and Family Roots
Susie Walton Chapman was a lifelong resident of Newton County, Mississippi, born in 1897 to Tom Walton, a native of Jasper County, Mississippi, and Maggie Hamilton of Newton County. She was born and raised within the rural landscape of Newton County, where generations of Black farming families worked the land and built community through faith, kinship, and labor.
Census records indicate that Susie was literate—able to read and write—despite having completed only up to the 4th grade of elementary school. Her ability to read and write reflects both personal determination and the value her family placed on education during a time when opportunities for African Americans in rural Mississippi were limited.
Marriage and Motherhood
Around 1917, at approximately 20 years of age, Susie married Andrew Chapman. By 1930, the couple was established in Beat 4 of Newton County, where they were building their household and raising children.
Together, Susie and Andrew were the parents of five known children:
- Charlie Chapman (b. 1919)
- Katie M. Chapman (b. 1921)
- Virgie D. Chapman (b. 1924)
- Geneva Chapman (b. 1930-1987)
- Beatrice Chapman (b. 1933-2012)
By 1935, the family was living in the Roberts community of Newton County, residing on a farm. Like many women of her era, Susie’s life was defined by dual roles—homemaker and farmer—working alongside her husband to sustain their household and contribute to the agricultural economy of the county.
Community Life and Work
Susie spent her entire 46 years in Newton County. Her death certificate notes her occupation as Farmer (Industry: Farm), underscoring her active participation in agricultural labor. She lived her entire life in the community where she was born, a testament to the deep-rooted nature of family and land ties in rural Mississippi.
Her husband, Andrew Chapman, was listed as age 52 at the time of her death and served as the informant on her death certificate.
Death and Medical Record
Susie Chapman passed away on August 8, 1943, at 7:30 A.M., in Newton County, Mississippi, outside the corporate limits of the town of Newton. She was 46 years old.
According to the Mississippi Standard Certificate of Death (State File No. 11817), the cause of death was Cirrhosis of the Liver with Ascites. The medical certification was signed by Dr. Omar Simmons of Newton, Mississippi.
Her death certificate further records:
- Race: “Col.” (Colored/Black)
- Marital Status: Married
- Birthplace: Newton County, Mississippi
- Father: Tom Walton (Jasper County, Mississippi)
- Mother: Maggie Hamilton (Newton County, Mississippi)
- Informant: Andrew Chapman (Newton, Mississippi)
Burial and Legacy
Susie was laid to rest on August 9, 1943, at Evans Cemetery in Newton County, Mississippi, a burial ground closely connected to the history of African American landownership and community continuity in the area.
Her life reflects the experience of many rural Black women of the early 20th century—grounded in land, family, labor, and faith. Though census records and certificates capture only fragments of her story, they reveal a woman who lived her entire life within her home community, raised five children, and worked the soil that sustained her family.
Her resting place at Evans Cemetery situates her within a broader network of Walton, Chapman, and Evans kin whose histories are deeply intertwined with the Altare and surrounding communities of Newton County.
Resting Place
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1930 Federal Census
- 1940 Federal Census
- U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- Mississippi, U.S., Index to Deaths, 1912-1943
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