Two of Robert and Sally Evans' sons are Abner Evans and
Christopher Ewing Evans:
1) Son
Abner Clark Evans and his wife, Mary Catherine Morrow Evans,
moved from KY to Arkansas also. Mary Catherine's parents, the Rev. and
Mrs. David Morrow, also moved to Independence County. Rev. Morrow
became the pastor for White River Presbytery.
i
Picture from article "The Robert M. Evans
Family" by Craig Ogilvie, great grandson of Mary Frances Evans. This
picture was taken in 1893 by a J. R. Lewis. Front LtoR: Rev. Abner
and his wife Catherine (seated at opposite ends of table). Also seated
are Addison, Levi, Lizzie. Standing in middle LtoR: Leonard, Alice,
Blake, Kate, J.W. and Claud Evans. Rear LtoR: King, Dave and Frances
Geneva Evans.
Abner Evans became an apprentice preacher (licentiate)
for the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, a circuit riding ministry, at that
same time and was "...directed to 'ride and preach' with the Rev. Eli
Barton." During this first 8 months he preached 24
times for a total of $6.00. In March of 1857 he was ordained at Witten's schoolhouse in Independence County, Arkansas. His "first
charges were at Martin's schoolhouse and Rocky Bayou." Click
HERE for more information on this Arkansas ministry.
In 1860 Big Spring Arkansas' congregation was organized
as a new church by Rev. Abner C. Evans at the request of the parishioners.
A building was constructed on a hill overlooking Barren Fork Creek.
This small church boasted the warmth of a fireplace and seating upon
split-log pews within the dirt-floor cabin. The cabin was used until
1870 when a new 2-story log structure was built on the same site. Then
in 1904 a "stately Victorian frame building" became Barren Fork Cumberland
Presbyterian Church, until 1929 when it was leveled by a tornado that also
destroyed homes in that area. Today the church is known as Barren Fork
Church. Other churches he organized included Batesville Church (1892).
(Per an article in the Batesville Guard dated 12/14/1987.)
Abner and his
wife had 12 children: David Evans; James Winslow Evans
(b. 1857; d.1928; married Minnie
Street b. 1864 d. 1939 both buried Oaklawn Cemetery, Arkansas)
; William "King"
Evans; Alice C. Evans, Levi L. Evans, Sarah E. "Lizzie" Evans, Robert
"Blake"
Evans b. 7/3/1869 d.
2/13/1952 and married Ethel McGuire; b: 3/2/1874 and d. 4/19/1961 both
buried Oaklawn Cemetery, Arkansas); Frances Geneva Evans, Minnie K "Kate" Evans (who married Luther C. McSpadden); Addison "Add" Evans, Leonard E. Evans, and Claud A. Evans.
Note: James Winslow Evans is buried at Oaklawn Cemtery in Batesville
Arkansas; his dates are 1857 to 1928.
Per James Cooper
of NM: Mary E. Evans was the daughter of James Winslow Evans and
Minnie Street Evans. Mary married Ralph Atkinson of Montgomery, AL.
Mary and Ralph had a daughter Mary Jean Atkinson who married Air Force Lt.
James Cooper of Manhatten, Kan. during WWII. Mary E. Evans had a
brother also, "Bubba" Evans who was Registar of Southwestern College (now
Lyons College) in Memphis for thirty years or so. There was also a Blake
Evans of Batesville, who was getting on in years and was totally blind.
2)
Christopher Ewing (C. E.) Evans
was born to Robert M. and Sarah Evans in
Kentucky on June 27, 1829 and he grew up in Kentucky. Christopher also went by the
name Ewing.
He married a 21-year old lass by the name of Sarah Adeline Rudolph
(our direct line) in
McCracken, Kentucky on 6 January 1851. Sarah
Adeline was born on the 28th of June in 1830 in Montgomery, TN. Her
parents were Henry and Mary Hutchison Rudolph.
Sarah's mom, Mary Hutchison
was born
March 1, 1806 in Montgomery, the daughter of
James and Sarah Thomas Hutchison. Mary
married Henry Rudolph on the day after
Valentine's Day, Feb. 15, in 1827 in Montgomery. Henry was 22 years old,
having been born on July 1st in 1806 in Montgomery TN to
John and Mollie Stailey Rudolph.
On Sept. 1st 1857, son, Christopher Ewing Evans, became the
patentee (owner) of 200 acres of land land in Batesville, Arkansas.
On October 3 in 1857, he is listed as having another 40 acres. The
following are summaries of the the first owner of record for the property after
the initial survey, or the patentee. After the patent was surveyed and
issued, the property became private property and then sold with a deed, in this
case the property of Christopher Ewing Evans. Click on following images for
Arkansas Land Records of Christopher E. Evans.
Sarah Adeline and Christopher Ewing Evans had
6 children:
Mary Francis "Fannie" Evans,
born in McCracken KY. Married John G. Ogilvie and had 11
children. She was born on November 13, 1851 and died December 9, 1909.
She was living in Ashley Township of Independence, AR during the 1870
census.
Reverend Robert
Henry Evans, born 24 April
1852 in
McCracken KY. Died 13 April 1897
and is buried in
Oaklawn Cemetery, Plot #14, Independence Co., Batesville, Arkansas. Married Lydia Ann Bone and had 6
children. Ann Bone was his stepsister through the first marriage of
his stepmother to her then husband (Bone); no blood relationship.
Their son Dr. Lorenzo T. Evans,
b. 1880, was a
famous and longtime Batesville physician and delivered at least one still
living relative, Tom.) Other children were Fannie A. Evans (b. Aug 20 1887;
d. 9/23/1890; died young), Minnie A. Evans (b. 7/17/1883 died young),
James Lee Evans (b. 11/7/1889;
d. at age 78 on 8/23/1968; m. the day before her birthday on Feb 4, 1917 to
Exie Elizabeth King
(b. Feb 5, 1897 in AR and d. at age 77 on Jan 27 1975 in AR), Robert Ewing Evans
(b. 1/23/1892, d. 5/23/1967; m. Mary Olive Shirley LNU), Esther Ray Evans
and Camelia E. Evans b. 8/1894.
Virginia:
Rev.
Robert Henry Evans: It is said that he was a circuit riding preacher with
the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and that he rode his horse to the
different churches. One Sunday it was icy and he rode his horse home. When
he got there, he was frozen to the saddle. They had to break him loose and
bring him inside. His coat was so stiff that they stood it up in the corner
by the fireplace. He caught pneumonia from that trip and died from it. One
of his churches was near Sage, AR.
Virginia:
My husband called Dr. L. T. Evans, "Uncle Doctor". He tells an amusing
story of one time getting a BB stuck in his thumb. His mother took him
to "Uncle Doctor." He was crying and wouldn't let the doctor do
anything. "Uncle Doctor" sent his Mother and his brother to the
pharmacy downstairs to get something. When they left the room, "Uncle
Doctor" told him that if he didn't be quiet and let him get the BB out
that he was just going to cut the thumb off. Needless to say, he got
quiet really quickly and before his Mother and brother got back, the BB
was out of his thumb. My husband also tells that "Uncle Doctor"
amputated a man's leg on the man's kitchen table. Guess he got to the
man's house and found it so infected that he didn't have time to get him
to the hospital!
William A. Evans, born July 1855 in
McCracken, KY.
Malissia J. Evans, born 1858 in
Independence, AR. (Note that the
family is now living in Arkansas and she is the first of their children born
in this state.)
Finis T. Evans
(our direct line) born in October
1860 in Independence, AR. See Below.
John L. "Johnny" Evans, born
November 28, 1862 in Independence
County,
AR. His mother Sarah Evans died
shortly after his birth. Johnny married Leah Maxfield of Batesville AR and had 3 children. John was a Batesville
Merchant and was well known as a pearl buyer.
Their children were a daughter, May
Evans (who married a Wright), and sons John L. "Jack" Evans Jr., George
Maxfield "Budge" Evans. Budge was born December 12, 1905, married
Erma M. LNU (born 7/14/1908 in Batesville, AR; d. 5-11-1991 ) and died September
1, 1981. Budge and Erma are buried at Oaklawn Cemetery in Batesville
in Plot #14, as is his
dad, "Johnny" who died 11/3/1944 and his mother, Leah who died
1/30/1953 and was born in
3/16/1875. Also buried here is the infant son of
John L and Leah Evans, James L. Evans, Jr. He was born 12/2/1900 and
died 3/8/1901. James tombstone reads "Infant son of John L. & Leah." Unsure
as to why James is a Jr. when his father is John. Note: From Batesville Guard's "News of Other Days" published Aug. 24,
2004: This column ran previously in the Guard on August 28, 1991. 89
Years Ago:
John L. Evans, the
local pearl dealer, reports that he is purchasing a number of fine
pearls this season, despite the fact that pearl fishers are few. The
mussels have been washed and scattered until those who formerly gathered
shells for market cannot collect them in paying quantities. However, Mr.
Evans says many of those who are fishing and who are more patient have
had excellent fortune in landing a fine pearl occasionally.
And this one ran on Tuesday, June 19, 2001 from June 10, 1910:
John L. Evans is
the established buyer of pearls in Batesville. He
returned yesterday afternoon on the gasoline launch
from up the river where he had been buying pearls,
and on this trip he bought several beautiful gems.
Mr. Evans is the largest pearl buyer in this market
and none of the good ones get by him.
Sarah Adeline Rudolph Evans
died shortly after the birth of their son John L. Evans, possibly 1863, in Independence Arkansas. Her
mother Mary did not pass away until September 13, 1879 in McCracken, KY.
Her father died on May 2, 1875.
In 1863 Christopher Ewing Evans married
his second wife, another Sarah...Sarah Jane Milligan
(Widow Bone),
in Lawrence, Kentucky. Sarah Jane was born in
1834 Reeds Creek, Lawrence, AR, and died in
1922 in Mt Pleasant, Izard, AR. She was previously married on 24 May 1855
to Porter H. Bone. Sgt. Porter Bone died in battle on June 2nd 1862 at
Tupelo MS while in the 21st Infantry Co., K, of the Confederate Army. She
had three children by Sgt Bone: John H.
born 5/25/1856, James Porter Bone 9/30/1861, and Lydia Anne Bone (born 3/30/1858
in Lawrence, Arkansas/died 10/4/1934 in Mt. Pleasant AR; buried Barren Fork
Cemetery), all of whom lived
then with Christopher and Sarah Jane. Then Christopher and Sarah Jane had
five more children of their own - - 14 children in all! NOTE:
Christopher and his wife Sarah Jane Milligan may also have had a 4th child named
Ellis W. Bone, b. 1860.
Picture included in an article "The Robert M. Evans Family" written by Craig
Ogilvie, great grandson of Mary Frances Evans. Picture taken after 1900.
Seated are son Dr. Lorenzo T. Evans next to his mother (widow) Mrs. Ann Bone
Evans. Standing LtoR: Ewing, Lee and Esther Evans
Finis and John L. Evans lived with their father and Sarah Jane (see 1880 Census
below), but the older children were evidently already living in their own
households.
Christopher died on March 9th, 1880 in Big Springs Township, Izard, Arkansas
of Consumption. He had lived in the area of Barren Forks/Big Springs for
24 years. He is buried at Barren Fork Cemetery near Mt. Pleasant, AR.
His 2nd wife Sarah Jane Evans lived with her daughter Ann and stepson Robert H.
Evans till she died.
PER: US Census Mortality Schedule 1850-1880, Arkansas, Izard,
Pleasant Spring and Big Spring.
GENERATION #3
FINIS T.
EVANS AND AGNES TENNIE EVANS
Beginning Around 1860
Finis and Agnes Tennessee Hodge Evans with children Clarence Ewing (tall boy),
Clara "Grace" Evans (tall girl), William Earl "Bill" Evans (short boy)
and Cleo Evans (boy on right)
Donna: The walking cane of Finis (pronounced
"Fine-es") Evans belongs to my Uncle Tom now. Tom shared the story that
Finis, who always sported a great mustache, would get up early to start the
morning fires to warm his house before getting his children up for school.
Finis used a cane and would keep his cane between his legs when sitting so the
kids couldn't get it!
1870 Census for Jefferson Township, Independence County, Arkansas, Polk Bryan
Post Office, September 20, 1870
Finis Thomas Evans is 9 years old
in 1870 and living with his father Ewing Evans and stepmom, Sarah J. Dad
Ewing is 38. His siblings living with Finis are Robert H. (17),
William A. (11), John (7), Stepbrothers Joseph (5) and Samuel L (2). Also living
in the home are children from Sarah J. (Bone)'s first marriage, John Bone (14),
Porter Bone (10), and Ann Bone (12). Note that no mention is made of a "Malissa"
Evans who would be only 13 if she were living. The family living next door
to Christopher Ewing Evans is that of his older brother Abner, and wife
Catherine Evans.
1880 Census for Big Spring Township, Izard County, Arkansas, District 2 taken
on June 30, 1880
Finis Thomas Evans at 19 is a
stepson of the head of household, Sarah J. Evans, age 45. Another stepson
is, John L. Evans, age 17. The remaining children appear to be the
offspring
of Finis and John's father's marriage to his second wife, Sarah: Joseph
S. Evans, Age 13, Samuel S. Evans, Age 11, Beatrice C. Evans, Age 9, Amanda S.
Evans, Age 8, and Alexander T. Evans, Age 6. The sons who are 11 and up
farm; Sarah keeps house. Sarah reigns from Arkansas, born to a dad from
Virginia and a Mom from Tennessee. All the children are born in Arkansas
to a Kentucky-born father. John and Finis' mother is listed in this census
as being born in Kentucky also, though other info lists Montgomery TN.
On the website with the
Elizabeth Rudolph Journal entries, there is a notation that on May 4, 1893,
Finis had a very sick baby in his home. There are a couple of other Finis
references in the journal at:
http://www.geocities.com/thurlane/Elizabeth2.html
BARREN FORK TOWNSHIP
Donna: The middle, and tallest, roof peak was Uncle Joe's store where my Uncle
Tom went to school - behind the store in a room for 1st and 2nd graders.
After that they went on to regular school.
Barren Fork Township in Izard County, Arkansas was founded on the Barren Fork
of the Polk Bayou. Today it is known as Mount Pleasant. The history
of this name change in 1914 is at this website:
Barren Fork,
Izard County, AR .
Barren Fork was sympathetic towards the Confederacy with men serving in the 7th
and 9th Arkansas Freeman's Cavalry and Shavers' Regiment. The remaining,
and few, men who supported the Union served under Capt. Toney, Rolla, Missouri.
Prominent merchants in the county were O. P. Moore ) general
store, cotton gin, wagon sales); William King Evans (general store and drug
store) and Joe Evans (general store).
Finis' first cousin, Claud A. Evans, owned a drug store.
Claud rented the back room to the Bank of Barren Fork on 10/30/1913.
Within two years the bank was able to build its own facility.
Storefronts were built close to the ground on Main Street and
each had connecting low porches, just 5 feet above ground. Whenever the
rain was hard, the street would wash away and the porches allowed the customers
to be above the flooding or muddy streets.
One of Finis' uncles was Dr. Lorenzo T. Evans, son of Robert
Henry Evans, the Cumberland Presbyterian minister. Dr. Evans graduated from
Memphis Medical College (now Univ. of TN). He practiced in Mt. Pleasant
for 18 years at which time he moved to Batesville, Arkansas (1924). The
good doctor served as President of the Bank of Barren Fork; married Cora M. Bass
in 1908; and he died on October 10, 1963. His full name was Lorenzo Tipton
Evans. He is buried in Oaklawn
Cemetery in Batesville AR with his wife Cora M. Evans. Cora's dates are 1881 to
1974; Lorenzo's 1880 to 1963.
Note: Info, in part, gleaned from The
Independence County Chronicle, Oct 1967, Vol IX.
1910 Census for Barren Fork Township, Izard County, Arkansas, District 45 taken
on April 23, 1910
Finis Thomas Evans is the head of household. He was born in Arkansas, as was his
mother per this census! His dad was born in Kentucky. Finnie married Agnes
"Tennie" Tennessee Hodge who was born
in TN - as were her parents (see end of
this paragraph).
Possibly Agnes Tennie/marriage
1885.
Agnes Tennie,
b: 18 Apr 1866 Tenn. D. 10 Aug 1911
and buried at Barren Fork Cemetery in Izard County Arkansas (near Mt. Pleasant).
(Agnes'
father was James Marion Hodge b: 1837 in Giles County, TN, moved family to
Arkansas around 1885, and died in 1916 in Mt. Pleasant, Izard County, Arkansas;
buried at Barren Fork Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant. Agnes' mother was Martha
Jane Wells Hodge b: 1840 in TN.
She died the year before James and is buried in the same cemetery.)
This the the Giles TN
1880 Census which lists Agnes at age 14 as "Tennessee" Hodge.
Finis and Agnes
Tennie Evans' children were
**Clarence Ewing Evans, age 18, Clara Grace Evans, age 15
(eventually was placed in a mental institution, but reason is unknown);
Cleo M. Evans, age 12, and William Earl Evans
(Direct Line), age 10...all born
in Arkansas. Dad and three children, Clarence, Clara, and son Cleo were
listed as working the home farm. No occupation for William or his mom
listed. Note that one child died after birth (5 born*; 4 living).
Finis 49 and Agnes is 44. They married when he was 28, and she was 24.
*Note: The daughter that died young was Emma F. Evans B. 4/23/1886 and died
10/20/1890. **Note: Clarence E. Evans was born 8/19/1891 and died
12/13/1918. He married Iola Cargill Evans).
By 1920 Finnie T. is
listed in the census as age 59 (born about 1861) and "married" although his wife is not listed.
Living with him are daughters, Grace Evans (who would marry Moser)(25/single) and Maggie
(who would marry Dobson)
(9/single). The Balches and the Evans were all able to read and write. 1920
Census in Barren Fork on Jan.
25:
NOTE: Maggie owned a little house
until she married Dobson at which time she got another house on 80 acres.
A manganese mining company bought the mining rights to the land and they made
millions from the agreement.
At age 69, Finis was
still alive (widowed) in the 1930 Census for Barren Fork, taken on April 5th.
He and his daughter Maggie, now 19, lived next door to his son's home, William Earl and Lucille
Balch Evans. This census indicates that Finis married when he was 22. Note that
in this census Fin's father is listed as born in Arkansas (instead of Kentucky
as the 1910 Census indicated) and his mother born in Tennessee (instead of
Arkansas as the 1910 Census indicated.) (See 1930 Census below).
In
the early 1920s a baseball team included Ewing Evans as pitcher; Cleo "Slim"
Evans as Right Field; Lee Evans as Left Field; and Will Evans as Shortstop.
GENERATION #4
WILLIAM
EARL "BILL" EVANS AND LUCILLE M. BALCH EVANS
Beginning Around 1900
1930 Census for Barren Fork Township, Izard County, Arkansas, District 3, taken
on April 5, 1930
William Earl Evans is
the head of household. He was born in Arkansas to an Arkansas-born father
and a Tennessee-born mother in 1900 PER 1930 Census. At age 27 he married the 16 year old
Lucille Balch, born 26 June 1909 (see SSDIÜ) They had two
children, Wanda Bernice Evans born about 1927 and Thomas Bernard Evans
born in 1929. Lucille, Wanda and Thomas were all born in Arkansas to
Arkansas parents. William supported his family by farming.
Note: Two doors down from
William's home is the home of Farmer William W. Balch and his wife
Myrtle. William W. is 24 and has been married for about a year to the
22 year old Myrtle.
Lucille was the daughter
of Bradford Henry (used a cane) and Iona Francis Balch of Barren Fork. "Henry" was
born in Arkansas to a Tennessee Dad and an Arkansas Mom. Lucille's brothers were
Jakie H. (15), William W. (14) and Lanceford (5). They
operated a family farm.
1920 Census in Barren
Fork Arkansas on Jan. 25:
Lucille N. Balch Evans
died on May 8, 1988 in Batesville, AR, at which time she had 16 grandchildren
and 11 great grandchildren. She is buried at Barren Fork Cemetery.
Children LtoR:
Bernice 14, Bernard 13, Don 11,
Jerry 5, Louise 2. Taken in Mt. Pleasant Arkansas.
William Earl Evans
died in April 1977 in Batesville, AR. He too is buried at Barren Fork
Cemetery.
Barren Fork Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant, Arkansas
Please share information....
Questions? Comments?
catorfamily@gmail.com
NOTE: In the 1870 Census below Abner and Christopher Ewing families live
next to each other in Jefferson Arkansas. Robert M. and Sarah Evans live
nearby.
