Evans, George W.

George W. Evans & Geneva Brian Silman, 1965, Winn Parish, LA.
From: April 8, 1965, Winn Parish Enterprise-News American

River Pilot's Son Marks 88th Birthday
Father Was Confederate Veteran

[PHOTO of Mr. & Mrs. George W. Evans - could not be found]

[Photo caption: All his 88 years have been spent within seven miles of Winnfield. George W. Evans and Mrs. Evans are shown here during his birthday celebration Sunday. The son of a Confederate soldier and ex-river boat captain, Mr. Evans grew up around Sardis where he attended school and farmed]

A son of a Mississippi River boat pilot who quit his job to join the Louisiana Infantry during the Civil War celebrated his 88th birthday here Sunday with 13 of his 15 living children in attendance.

It was a fine day for George W. Evans and Mrs. Evans, the former Geneva Brian Silman.

All his life, Mr. Evans has lived within seven miles of Winnfield. He was born at Sardis Community in 1877.

His father and mother were Mississippians. Tillman Berry Evans, his father, was a river boat pilot who joined the Confederate cause and became a member of Louisiana's 27th Regiment. He was mustered out at Natchitoches after the war. He took a job as farm overseer, doubtless a little distasteful for a river man, but then there was little to do in the shipping business at the time.

His residence became that of a Dr. Cockerham at Clarence and he ran farms there for a few years, drifted to Sardis and married Mary Jane Spikes, whose folks had come here from Mississippi.

Four children were born of that marriage. Mrs. Hattie Weaver, new Orleans, Rev. E. W. Evans, Winnfield, W. B. "Hot" Evans, Winnfield, and Charles Evans, who died here two years ago.

The first Mrs. Evans died following childbirth.

In 1910 Mr. Evans married Mrs. Geneva Brian Silman who had four children, Mrs. Arnie Lee Silman Evans (her husband is no relation to the G. W. Evans family) and they live on 22nd Street in Winnfield, Walker Silman, Odessa, Tex., and Henry Silman, Montgomery.

And to this marriage also came eight more children. Mrs. Eugenia Smiley, Hurricane Creek Community; George Berry Evans, Montgomery; Johnny Evans, Marshall, Tex.; Mrs. Amy Shows, Tullos; Willie Evans, Cut Off; Ollie Storey, Port Arthur, Tex.; Wade Evans, Tioga; Mrs. Florella Keys, Chatham.

Winn Parish youngsters in the 1880s and forward experienced the usual hard times of most rural Southerners.

"We had school during the summer and I got to go several terms. First term was at Old Antioch on the Old Alexandria Road," recalls Mr. Evans. Allen Kelley conducted the classes. The Evans family lived nearby, but moved next year to Sardis.

That summer, Mr. Evans attended classes at Sardis taught by "Little" Jimmy Durham. Then a school was built at Evergreen, just south of Sardis and Mr. Evans took in two summer sessions under the tutorship of Jesse Drewett and Johnny Durham. Next year, a school called "Independent" rose north of Sardis and Mr. Evans listened to the lessons of Mr. Wasson.

He was 16 at the end of that term and "that wound up my education".

A farmer all his life, Mr. Evans is obviously content with his past and shows the satisfaction of having lived a full and useful life.