theron evans
1925-2006
Life Story
September 6, 1925 – October 19, 2006
Early Life and Family
Rev. Theron Evans, Sr. was born on September 6, 1925, in Newton County, Mississippi, to Pete Evans (1888–1988) and Lula McDonald Evans (1894–2006). He was one of eleven children born into a large farming family rooted in faith, discipline, and shared labor.
His paternal grandparents were Jarred Evans (1858–1934) and Mary Mosley (1860–1923). On his maternal side, his grandparents were Ralph McDonald (1869–?) and Jennie (Gennie) R. Davis (1879–?).
Education and Ministerial Training
Rev. Evans received his early education through the Newton County Public School System. He later completed his ministerial training at the Meridian Branch of the Mississippi Baptist Theological Seminary, preparing him for a lifetime of pastoral leadership and service.
Employment and Early Adulthood
Before entering full-time ministry, Rev. Evans worked in secular employment to support his family. In 1950, his occupation was listed as an installation helper for a gas company. He later worked for United Gas Corporation, where he was employed for 28 years, balancing steady labor with growing church responsibilities.
Ministry and Pastoral Service
Rev. Evans served as a deacon at St. John Baptist Church until answering his call to the ministry in May 1963. Over the course of his pastoral career, he served several congregations in Newton County and surrounding areas, including:
- St. Cloud Baptist Church, Newton – 18 years
- Poplar Springs Baptist Church, Bay Springs – 1 year
- Mount Vernon Baptist Church, Hickory – 35 years
He officially retired from the ministry in June 2004, concluding more than four decades of pastoral leadership.
Community and Civic Involvement
In addition to his work in the pulpit, Rev. Evans was actively involved in civic and cultural life. He served as treasurer of the local Newton County NAACP chapter and was a manager of the Morning Doves Quartet, reflecting his long-standing commitment to both civil responsibility and church-based music ministry.
Marriage and Children
Rev. Evans was united in holy matrimony on January 18, 1947, to Catherine Donald Evans (1927–2004). From this union, three children were born:
- Attorney Ray Charles Evans
- Theron Evans, Jr.
- Mary Catherine Evans Heard
Later Years and Death
Rev. Theron Evans, Sr. passed away on October 19, 2006. Funeral services were held at St. John Baptist Church in Newton County. He was laid to rest in the St. John M.B. Church graveyard, the same sacred ground that holds generations of his family and congregation.
Sidebar: Survival, Faith, and Longevity — Lessons from Rev. Theron Evans’ Childhood
In later-life newspaper interviews, Rev. Theron Evans reflected on the conditions under which he and his ten siblings were raised on the Evans farm. His accounts reveal that longevity within the Evans family was not the result of ease or abundance, but of discipline, shared labor, and routine grounded in faith.
Rev. Evans recalled that his parents, Pete and Lula Evans, operated a subsistence farm where survival depended on collective effort. Every child had assigned responsibilities, and work began early. Education was valued but constrained by distance and resources; children walked miles to school and attended only part of the year, balancing learning with agricultural labor. Despite these limitations, the household functioned with order and purpose.
Food scarcity was a recurring reality. Rev. Evans described meals that stretched to feed eleven children, noting that there was rarely excess and never waste. Fresh produce from the farm—especially apples and other seasonal fruit—was reserved for special occasions. Clothing was practical, often handmade or shared, and worn consistently for school, church, and work alike.
Faith provided structure as much as comfort. Family worship, church attendance, and moral accountability were constant, reinforcing emotional resilience and communal responsibility. Rev. Evans emphasized that his mother, Lula Evans, managed the household with relentless efficiency, while his father maintained steady labor well into old age, modeling endurance rather than complaint.
These recollections suggest that longevity in the Evans family emerged from routine rather than relief—a life regulated by work, moderation, faith, and interdependence. Survival was collective, not individual, and strength was drawn from shared responsibility rather than material security.
Resting Place
Saint John Missionary Baptist Church Graveyard
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1930 Federal Census
- 1940 Federal Census
- 1950 Federal Census
- U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
- The Newton Record, Wed, Apr 20, 1966 ·Page 10
- The Newton Record, Pete Evans Obituary, Wed, Sep 21, 1988 ·Page 6
- The Newton Record, Theron Evans, Sr., Wed, Nov 01, 2006 ·Page 3
- U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1
- U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-current
- The Newton Record, Catherine Evans, Wed, Aug 18, 2004 ·Page 3
- U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
- U.S., Phone and Address Directories, 1993-2002
- U.S., Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 2
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
- U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
- The Newton Record, Evans Family Hold Annual Reunion, Wed, Jul 15, 1981 ·Page 6
- The Newton Record, Wed, Sep 25, 2002 ·Page 4
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