woodrow wesley
1924-1999
Life Story
Birth and Family Background
Woodrow Wesley was born on March 10, 1924, in Bond, Mississippi, to Haught (Hawk) Evans (1905–1984) and Velma Wesley (1908–?). He was raised during a period when farming and agricultural labor formed the backbone of rural Black life in Mississippi, and his early years reflected those traditions of work and self-reliance.
Education and Early Life
In his youth, Woodrow worked as a farmer, gaining the skills and discipline that would guide him throughout adulthood. His formative years were shaped by the responsibilities common to young Black men in rural Mississippi—contributing to family survival while navigating the limited opportunities of the Jim Crow South.
Marriage and Family Life
After 1950, Woodrow married Bessie Jordan (1926–2014), a native of Newton County and a member of the extended Jordan family connected to St. John. Their marriage united two families whose roots traced back to Newton County, even as they built their adult lives elsewhere.
Together, they raised five children:
- Lovie Mae Wesley Hinton (Newton, MS)
- Juanita Wesley Hutchins (Moss Point, MS)
- Martha Lee Wesley (Gulfport, MS)
- Robert Earl Wesley (Gulfport, MS)
- Charles Earl Wesley (Gulfport, MS)
Migration to the Gulf Coast
Woodrow and Bessie Wesley settled in Gulfport, Mississippi, where they became part of a broader migration pattern that drew many Newton County families to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Woodrow lived in Gulfport for more than forty years, establishing long-term stability for his family.
He was employed with the Gulfport School District, where he devoted 33 years of service before retiring. His work in public education reflects the often-overlooked role Black men played in sustaining school systems through steady, behind-the-scenes labor.
Church Life
While living in Gulfport, Woodrow was an active member of St. James Baptist Church, where his faith and community involvement continued beyond his home county. At the same time, his enduring ties to Newton County remained evident through family, burial traditions, and church connections.
Death and Burial
Woodrow Wesley passed away on September 29, 1999, in Gulfport, Mississippi, at the age of 75. Funeral services were held at White Stone Baptist Church in Newton, and he was laid to rest at St. John Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery—returning him to the ancestral community where his family’s story was rooted.
Why This Matters
Woodrow Wesley’s life illustrates the full arc of the Newton County–to–Gulf Coast migration story: rural beginnings, decades of labor in a growing coastal city, and a final return home for burial. His biography connects work, faith, and family across geography, showing how St. John remained a spiritual and cultural anchor even for those who spent most of their lives elsewhere.
Together with the life of his wife, Bessie Jordan Wesley, Woodrow’s story reinforces a central truth emerging from your research: St. John was never just a place—it was a permanent point of belonging, binding generations regardless of where life carried them.
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, The Jordan Family Celebrates, Wed, Nov 28, 1984 ·Page 27
- Scott County Times, Lovie Mae Hinton Obituary, Wed, Jun 20, 2007 ·Page 18
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1
- U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
- U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
- Sun Herald, Woodrow Wesley Obituary, Fri, Oct 01, 1999 ·Page 7
- U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
- U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
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