Well, we are finally starting the ancestry of Medgar’s Evers. Check out previous posts on his wife’s, Myrlie Evers-Williams, ancestry.  This post will cover only the 1930 Census and 1940 Census. Other post will cover the 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920 Census along with military records and individual biographies on selected members of his family. With all that being said, let’s get started!

The 1940 United States Federal Census
Location: Newton, Mississippi

(This household covers two pages)

Parents of Medgar: James and Jesse Evers

The Evers lived in a home, which they owned, valued at $350. Six individuals lived in the household, James (50), Jesse (50), James (17), Medgar (14), Elizabeth (13), and Mary Ruth (10). Megdar will only appear in two censuses that are accessible to the public.

Jim Evers, his father, was born around 1885 in Mississippi. His highest level of education was the third grade. He worked 56 hours a week as a laborer in a saw mill. His annual salary in 1939 was only $200 (he worked 42 weeks out of the year).

Jesses, his wife, was born between 1889 and 1890. Her marriage with Jim is her second marriage, her first was with W. Graham. This will be covered better in another post. Jesse and W. (his name was in initials) had two children together, Eugene and Eddie Graham, who stayed with their mother after the two separated. They did not appear in this census because they would have been 32 and 30 years old. According to this census, Jesse was 50 years old, however, she should have been between the ages of 45 to 46 years old. Her highest level of education completed was the 4th grade. She worked as a laundress from her home 72 hours a week every week of the year.

Children

James C. Evers was born in 1923 in Mississippi and either he was in the 8th grade or that was the highest level of education he completed. Medgar was born in 1926 and was 14 years old according to this census. He was again either in the 7th grade or this could have been his highest level of education. Both teenagers worked with their father in the saw mill 48 hours a week fro $70 to $90 a year. The younger girls Elizabeth born in 1927 and Mary Ruth born in 1930 were in the sixth and fifth grade holding no occupation.

1930 Census

Unlike the 1940 Census, the 1930 Census provides you with the age of each person first marriage. More individuals also appeared on this census including Medgar’s stepbrothers.

Parents

Jim (44 years old) and Jesse (40 years old) were both farmers in Decatur, Newton, Mississippi. They lived in a home that they owned, yet I am not sure if it is the same home as in the 1940 census.  It stated that Jim was 35 years old when he first got married while Jesse was 16 years old. Hold up, I know what you are thinking, you have to realize she was married twice, which provided me clues in finding her with her first husband and children in a 1910 census.

Children

The two Graham children both appear in this census. Eddie Graham was born in 1908 in Mississippi while his brother, Eugene nicknamed Gene on this census, was born in 20. They both worked as timber cutters. James was only 7 years old, Medgar was 4, Elizabeth 3 years old, and Mary Ruth was 10 months old.

There is a lot more that I would love to share. So, until the next post.

Christina