virty evans
1916-1977
Life Story
Laid to Rest in the Evans Cemetery
Birth and Family
Virty Evans was born on September 16, 1916, in Newton County, Mississippi, to Shelby Evans (1893–1976) and Mollie Evans (1894–1919). Born into the large and deeply rooted Evans family, Virty entered the world just three years before the death of his mother, leaving him and his siblings to be raised within the extended Evans household.
Childhood and Early Responsibilities
By 1930, Virty was living on the farm of his grandfather, Archie Evans, where he worked as an unpaid farm laborer—a common role for boys in rural Black families during the period. Like many children of the era, his schooling was balanced with seasonal farm work and family responsibilities. He completed the 6th grade of elementary school, reflecting the limited educational opportunities available in rural Newton County during Jim Crow.
Adulthood and Later Life
As an adult, Virty eventually migrated north, joining many Southern African Americans who left the rural South during the Great Migration in search of industrial employment and greater opportunity.
He was living in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, when he passed away on March 5, 1977. Detroit was a major destination for Evans family members and many others from Newton County, offering new possibilities but also marking a profound shift away from the farm-centered lives of earlier generations.
Burial
Despite his relocation, Virty was brought home to Mississippi and laid to rest in the Evans Cemetery, returning to the ancestral ground that held generations of his family. His burial reflects the lasting pull of home and the significance of family roots for those who left the South.
Legacy
Virty Evans represents the bridge between two eras:
- The old rural world of unpaid farm work, extended families, and community churches
- And the new industrial world of northern cities that reshaped the lives of many African Americans in the mid-20th century
His life story stands as part of the broader Evans family narrative and the history of Black migration, resilience, and continuity across states and generations.
Resting Place
Photos/Albums
1916-1977
Sources
- 1930 Federal Census
- 1940 Federal Census
- Michigan, U.S., Death Index, 1971-1996
- U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current
- U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
- U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
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