Genealogy

Evans-Brown Family

Written by Anna Evans Gilmer

Our Father William Evans, married Ollie Brown (Watkins) on July 22, 1909, in Saginaw. Jay B. and William J. were born. Dad worked at the Ben Franklin Hotel. During unsettling times mother moved to Charleston. Dad joined them around 1918. After a series of jobs, as a chauffer, and plant worker at Charleston Milling and a Nitro power plant, he worked as head waiter 41 years at the Holley Hotel. The family resided on Morris Street for a while, before they bought a house at 1522 Hansford St. around 1921.

Six more children were born: Gertrude L., Anna E., George (NMI), Albert L., Margaret R., and Robert F. Mother ran an orderly household, sewing, mending, quilting, canning and mentoring. We were expected to always do our best in school, graduate, attend Sunday School every Sunday and respect family mealtimes. Our mother required high personal and family standards, and was a great role model.

Dad returned to Michigan regularly and inherited the family bible dating back to 1824. Both our parents had a keen sense of history, keeping documents and photos, and passing on our vivid oral history.

The first Evans-Brown reunion in 1980 celebrated our mother’s 90th year and honored her 67 years of marriage to our father and their dedication to responsible parenthood and family history preservation.

 

  • As taken from his family bible)  by Anna Evans Gilmer.

    Our father’s people escaped from slavery to Canada in the Underground Railroad. Paternal great-great grandfather, Richard Thomas, preached his last sermon on January 1st, 1877. On January 11, he departed this world. His funeral was preached in the same house in which he died. Richard’s wife, Elizabeth, departed this world in 1887. Richard and Elizabeth were the parents of Allas Cole (1835).

    Great grandfather, Thomas (1824-1890) married Allas Cole. Their offspring were:  George Henry (1852); Ann Elizabeth (1854); John Holmes (1856); Albert Peter (1859); Rachel (1862); Sarah Ellen (1864); Allace (1867); Lucresha (1871-1949) and Mary Jane Amelia (1874). Annie married George Butler and later George Galloway and practically reared our father, William Evans. Albert Peter moved to Bridgeton, NJ and lost contact with the family. Ellen Cole Williams was the mother of Jane Beasley (1867) Maude Broadie (1885-1977) and George. Jane Beasley adopted Steve Beasley. Maudie had no children. George and Nina Williams had eight children:  George, Jr., Willard, Diane, Jane, Ellen, Lucretia (Peggy), Dan (Jiggs) and Duane. Dad’s cousin, George Williams, was like a brother to him.

    Paternal grandmother, Lucresha Cole, married William H. Evans, a traveling musician whose birthplace was North Carolina and his parents were Jeff Evans and Mary Robinson. The marriage was February 22, 1890 in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. He installed carpets and taught William, their only child, to play the piano and violin. His violin and piano are still in the family. When young Willie was about nine years of age, his father started down the walk, turned around and waved goodbye to his young son and never returned. William, our father, never learned anything about his father’s relatives, but understood that they were from the Norfolk, VA area. Lucresha later married a Smith, and then George H. Inman in 1921.

  • Maternal great grandfather, Benjamin Brown of Campbell’s Creek and Dana, WV, is believed to have moved here from Radford, VA, after slavery. His brother, William settled in London, WV, and has descendants. Brother James settled in Saginaw, Michigan, and was ancestor to Harry Browne who lived his entire life there. Brother Anthony was the father of Mary B. Clark, Dr. Andrew H. Brown of Charleston and Martha Brown. Mary Clarke was Dr. Ben Clark’s mother.

    Great grandpa Brown, “Uncle Bennie” married Margaret Ferguson who came from the same area in Virginia. Margaret took the name of her Master, Si Ferguson. Oral history credits her father as being from an adjoining plantation, and further connects Maggie to Booker T. Washington as her half brother. Maggie had relatives in RamonCity (near Charleston, WV):  Aunt Lizzie Frazier, who was a half sister, had no children. Her other half sisters, or cousins, were Emma Ferguson Irving, Biah Ferguson Meadows and Alice. Some of Maggie’s relatives are reportedly from Fayetteville, WV.

    Ben and Maggie lived off the land on a farm in Campbell’s Creek and Maggie provided room and board for teachers. She kept a nice house and was known for her cooking, which included making wedding cakes. She was a midwife, delivering babies of both races, and often received a bar of soap or an apron for delivering and caring for mother and child for ten days. Reportedly, Maggie never lost a mother or child. She had a garden of flowers and vegetables at her kitchen door. 

    Grandpa Brown was an early member of the historic African Zion Baptist Church of Malden, WV. He was called to neighbor’s bedsides to pray. We have heard that he shook his head violently as he prayed and with tears streaming down his face, he walked up and down the aisle on his knees as his prayed. He and Maggie reared seven children and two grandchildren: Daniel, Gertrude, (our mother’s mother), Benjamin Jr., William, Sarah, Albert and Bessie. The two grandchildren were Ollie Mae (Gertrude’s daughter), and Ethel (Dan’s daughter). Benjamin died while milking a cow, June 23, 1912. Maggie died of dropsy on December 23, 1921.

    Benjamin Jr. married Lavinia Farmer.  Their children were Virginia Brown West and Howard who married Stella (Dottie) Mumford.   Gayle and Benjamin are their children. William (Uncle Billy) was married to Rosalynde Friend and reared an adopted daughter, Lucy Brown Tolliver. Sarah married Garnet Principal J.F.J. Clark, but died along with her child during childbirth. Albert, Dan and Bessie never married.

    Our grandmother, Gertrude Letitia (Nanny), married Major Watkins and lived in RamonCity and Saginaw, Michigan. She sent for her daughter Ollie to come to Saginaw. Ollie helped cook for the miners who boarded there. After Major’s death, Gertrude (Nanny) married Thomas (Bill) Hale, and lived in Huntington and Charleston.

  • Will share once finalized.