leola evans rigsby
1900-1941
Life Story
A Life of Strength, Family, and Devotion in the Altare Community
Early Life and Family Background
Leola Evans Rigsby was born on February 22, 1900, in Newton County, Mississippi, one of a pair of twins born to Gus Evans (born c. 1869) and Martha A. Evans (born c. 1874). She grew up in the Altare community, a rural area known for its rich farmland and strong family ties that anchored generations of African American families in faith, perseverance, and mutual support.
From an early age, Leola contributed to her family’s livelihood, working as a farm laborer alongside her parents and siblings. The Evans family, like many in Newton County, relied on the land not only for sustenance but also as a source of identity and pride.
Despite the demands of rural life, Leola completed the eighth grade of elementary school—a remarkable achievement for a young Black woman in early 20th-century Mississippi. Her education reflected both her determination and her family’s belief in learning as a pathway toward self-sufficiency and advancement.
Early Adulthood and First Marriage
By 1930, census records list Leola under the surname Johnson, with her marital status noted as widowed. Though the name of her first husband is not recorded, this brief chapter in her life suggests that she experienced loss at an early age and bore the responsibilities of independence during a time when widowed women often faced economic hardship.
Her strength during these years illustrates the resilience that characterized so many women of her generation in the Altare community—those who worked hard, raised children, and remained anchored by faith and family despite life’s uncertainties.
Marriage to Will Rigsby and Family Life
By 1940, Leola had remarried to Will Rigsby (1888–1974), a farmer from Newton County who was previously divorced and had children from an earlier marriage. Together, they formed a blended household, reflecting the extended family patterns common in rural communities, where kinship and care often extended beyond bloodlines.
The family’s home was filled with the sounds of daily work and the laughter of children. The Rigsby household included the following children, some born before the marriage and others likely born to Leola and Will together:
- Minnie Rigsby (1924–1996)
- Woodrow Rigsby (1926–2004)
- Willis M. Rigsby (born 1930)
- James C. Rigsby (born 1932)
- Ruth Rigsby (born 1933)
- Bonnie Neil Rigsby (born 1935)
- Bernice Rigsby (born 1936)
- Ernestina Rigsby (born 1938)
- Pauline Rigsby (born and died 1941)
Theirs was a home built on cooperation and love, with each family member contributing to the household’s strength. Life revolved around farming, school, and the fellowship of the Altare Missionary Baptist Church, where the family worshiped and found community support.
Tragedy and Passing
On March 26, 1941, tragedy struck when Leola and her newborn daughter, Pauline, passed away on the same day. Records indicate that Leola’s death was due to complications of childbirth, suggesting that Pauline’s brief life began and ended within hours of her mother’s passing.
Their loss was a devastating blow to the Rigsby family and to the wider Altare community. Leola was only 41 years old, a devoted wife and mother whose life reflected courage, compassion, and perseverance.
Mother and child were laid to rest together in the Altare Missionary Baptist Church graveyard, surrounded by generations of relatives who had built and sustained the community through faith and family unity. Their shared grave stands as both a symbol of love and the fragility of life in a time when maternal health challenges claimed many lives far too soon.
Legacy
The life of Leola Evans Rigsby represents the enduring strength of women in the Altare community—women who worked the fields, cared for families, and sustained the spirit of hope through faith. Her education, resilience, and nurturing role as a mother leave a legacy deeply woven into the fabric of her family’s history.
Though her years were few, her influence endured through the children she raised and the example she set of quiet strength and devotion. In the peaceful grounds of Altare M.B. Church, where she and her infant daughter rest, her memory continues to echo as part of the broader story of perseverance, love, and faith that defines the Evans and Rigsby families of Newton County.
Resting Place
Altare Missionary Baptist Church Graveyard
Photos/Albums
💐 In Loving Memory: Leola and Pauline Rigsby
A Mother and Child United in Eternal Rest
“For every joy that passes, something beautiful remains.”
On March 26, 1941, the Altare community mourned the passing of Leola Evans Rigsby (1900–1941) and her newborn daughter, Pauline Rigsby (1941–1941).
Leola, a devoted wife, mother, and daughter of Gus and Martha Evans, met life’s challenges with faith and strength. Her final hours were spent bringing new life into the world—a testament to her enduring courage and maternal love.
Pauline’s brief life began and ended that same day. Though she never took her first steps or spoke her first words, she left an indelible mark on the hearts of her family.
Together, Leola and Pauline were laid to rest at Altare Missionary Baptist Church graveyard, side by side in the soil of the community that shaped their family for generations. Their shared headstone stands as a quiet reminder of life’s fragility and the eternal bond between mother and child.
Their story—of strength, sacrifice, and love—remains part of the greater heritage of Altare, where faith transforms even loss into remembrance and hope.
Sources
- 1900 Federal Census
- 1910 Federal Census
- 1920 Federal Census
- 1930 Federal Census
- 1940 Federal Census
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
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