Dave Evans seems to be quite an enigmatic character.  According to his tombstone, he was born on October 9, 1838.  His family was living in Marion County, Alabama at that time, so we can assume it was there that he was born.  He claims to have been born there on documents later in his life also.  It appears as though he had between five and seven older half-siblings and one older sister of his own.  His father was most likely Thomas Evans and his mother was probably Lucinda Webb.  She was much younger than Thomas and after Dave was born, there were numerous other children to follow.  There may have been anywhere from seven to nine others after him.

We know very little about him until he marries in either 1858 (date from a pension application) or 1860 (date from later census) to Rosa Francis Tooten.  This was in Marion County, Alabama also, according to a pension application.  Their first child would be born in 1862, a girl, Julia Clementine Evans.

Whether or not Dave fought in the Civil War is an elusive question.  Our only evidence that he did comes from his card filed with the Civil War Tombstone Commission after his death.  It records a private tombstone was used for Dave Evans who died 10-6-1922 at Union in Lee County, MS.  It also says he served in Co. I, 1st Alabama Infantry, enlisting on 3-7-1861 and being discharged on 4-26-1865.  He held the rank of private.  The one other piece of evidence comes from his pension applications after the war.  In 1921 he filed for a pension and stated that he enlisted in 1861, but could not remember his company or regiment.  He lists a Col. Gholston and Capt. Crenshaw as his commanding officers.  Norbin Jones and Alec Morgan witness.  The pension was approved by the board at Tupelo: "We, the undersigned members of the Board of Inquiry, hereby approve the foregoing application of Dave Evans for pension because we believe the facts stated in the application are true and the party should receive a pension."   Norbin Jones served as one of the members of that board.

During the war, the family probably still lived in Marion County, Alabama.  If the records are correct, Dave served throughout the length of the war, but he must have been able to come home at times since Mary Frances Evans was born in 1865.  In 1872, Dave bought 200 acres of land in southeastern Lee County, in an area known as the Union Community.  It was not named in honor of the closure of the war though.  Instead, the church located there, one of the oldest in the area, had previously been two smaller congregations of different denominations.  Their union to form one church gave the name to the community.

Six years later, Dave bought 80 more acres that adjoined the 200 he already had.  The land was pretty good farm land (pretty good for southeastern Lee County, that is) with some very low hills.  Good land for keeping cattle on also.  By then, he and Rosa had already had all of the children they would have together.  Their first son, "Little Dave" was born shortly after they moved to Mississippi, and he was followed by Will Tom and Gilly.  At some point, a child was born to the couple that did not live very long.  In the 1900 census, Rosa is said to have had six children total, four of whom were still living at the time.

When Dave and Rosa moved to the Union Community, either at that same time or shortly after, Rosa's parents came to live with them also.  Her father was Zachariah "Zackie" Tooten and her mother was Mary Thomas Tooten.  Zackie died in 1877, but Mary lived another nine years.  They are both buried in the Union Methodist Church Cemetery, very close to were Dave and Rosa lived.

In 1876, Dave and Rosa's first daughter, Julia Clementine, married William Harding Patrick.  But after having two sons, Clemmie passed away at the young age of 24.  The two boys lived with their grandfather Dave for a while, but eventually they moved west with their father, who was living in Blocker, Oklahoma.

Throughout most of his life, Dave always managed to stay close to his brother Hiram Noah Evans.  Hiram Noah, probably named for their grandfather, Hiram Webb, married Rosa Tooten's younger sister, Julia, and they moved to the Union Community also, right next door to Dave and Rosa.  Of course, this enabled Rosa and Julia to both stay in close contact with their mother, who was either living with Dave and Rosa all the time, or possibly staying with each of them for periods of time.

Dave is always listed as being a farmer when the census came around.  Not many interesting stories have been passed down about him, unfortunately, though I would bet there were many if we only could have kept them alive.  One of his great-granddaughters, Erin Partlow Coggin, does remember him though.  She says that he had a long, full beard, white in color.  It went all the way down to his belt!  Erin says she was frightfully scared of him, but being a young child it isn't surprising.  She also says that he and Rosa always had a number of peacocks that they kept around the house for some reason or another, and that as a child she would love to see the peacocks parading around their yard.

Dave lived to be three days short of his 84th birthday.  A pretty long life in those days!  After he died, Rosa lived another six years.  They are buried beside each other in the Union Methodist Church Cemetery, close to the location where they lived most of their adult lives.

  

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1860 Marion County, Alabama Census (modern Lamar Co.)
Winston, Benj. 63 M SC $1500 $4700
Winston, Tallitha 59 F SC
Lewis, June 15 F AL Domestic
Evans, David 18 M AL Farm Laborer
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1871:
Township 13, Range 16 West, Section 21, "E 1/2 NE SW 1/4 SW SE 1/4", Lamar Co., AL.
Township 19, Range 16 West, Section 22, "NE NW 1/4 NE NW 1/4", Lamar Co., AL.
David and his wife Rosa F. Evans along with H.N. and his wife July D. Evans, all of Sanford County, Alabama, sells to Jacob and Samuel Pickle of Monroe County, Mississippi 140 acres of land for $600.  This transaction took place on January 23, 1871, as an indenture.  Deed Book 1, page 250.
Signed by David Evens, Hiram N. Evens, Rosa F. Evens, July D. Evens.
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1872:
Township 10, Range 6 East, Section 36, SE 1/4 Lee Co., MS.
David Evans purchased the entire SE 1/4 (160 acres) from W. B. McShan.  This is recorded in Deed Book 10, page 106. Transaction took place on November 15, 1872.

Township 10, Range 6 East, Section 36, SW 1/4 Lee Co., MS.
David Evans et al. purchased 40 acres of the SW 1/4 from W. B. McShan.  This is recorded in Deed Book 10, page 106. Transaction took place on November 15, 1872.

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1877 Lee County Tax List Index
Evans D.
Evans D.L.

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1878:
Township 10, Range 6 East, Section 36, NE 1/4 Lee Co., MS.
D. Evans purchased 80 acres of the NE 1/4 from W. H. Patrick (his son in law).  This is recorded in Deed Book 24, page 617.  The transaction took place on November 18, 1878.

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1880 MS Census, Lee County, page 165.
House #154 in District #1
Evans, David W M 39 (Head) Farmer AL, Eng., MS
Evans, Rosa W F 28 Wife Keeping House AL, SC, TN
Evans, Mary W F 14 Daughter AL, AL, AL
Evans, David W M 5 Son MS, AL, AL
Evans, William W M 3 Son MS, AL, AL
Evans, Gilly W F 2 Daughter MS, AL, AL
Tootin, Mary W F 73 Mother-in-Law TN, (SC), SC

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1900 Lee County, Mississippi Census
Page 182A - Richmond Precinct
Evans, Dave Head W M Oct. 1839 60 M 40 AL, SC, MS
     Farmer, Can read and write, Owns home free of mortgage
Evans, Rosa F. Wife W F Jan. 1839 61 M 40 MS, TN, TN
     (4/6 children still living) Can read and write
Evans, Willie Son W M Jan. 1877 23 M 0 MS, AL, MS
     Farm Laborer, Can read and write
Evans, Minnie D-in-law W F Apr. 1878 22 M 0 MS, MS, MS
     Can read and write
Evans, Gillie Dau. W F Jan. 1877 23 S MS, AL, MS
     Can read and write
Patrick, D. Evans Grandson W M Jun. 1885 14 S MS, MS, MS
     Farm Laborer, Can read and write, 4 months in school
(?Patrick), James Boarder W M May 1885 14 S MS, MS, MS
     Farm Laborer, Can read and write, 4 months in school

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1910 Lee County, Mississippi Census
Page ? -  Precinct; House 206/209
Evans, Dave Head M W 67 M1 49 AL, GA, United States
Evans, Rosa Francis Wife F W 67 M1 49 MS, AL, TN
Evans, Will Thomas Son M W 31 Wd MS, AL, TN
Evans, Winnie Davis Granddaughter F W 7 S MS, MS, MS
Evans, Thomas Moody Grandson M W 5 S MS, MS, MS

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1920 Lee County, Mississippi Census
Beat 4, Page ?; Family #422/444
Evans, Dave Sr. Head M W 78 M Alabama
     Can read and write; Owns home free of mortgate
Evans, Rosa Francis Wife F W 79 M Tennessee
     Can read and write
Evans, Will Tom Head M W 42 M Mississippi
     Can read and write
Evans, Lizzie Wife F W 28 M Mississippi
     Can read and write
Evans, Winnie D. Daughter F W 18 S Mississippi
     Can read and write; Attended school in last year
Evans, Thomas M. Son M W 15 S Mississippi
     Can read and write; Attended school in last year
Evans, J.C. Son M W 5 S Mississippi
     (Mistake in this part, result unknown)

Dave Evans Civil War Documents: 1921 Pension Application Page 1, Page 2; 1924 Pension Application Page 1, Page 2; Civil War Headstone Registry Card Page 1

Julia Clementine Evans (md. William Harding Patrick)
     Julia married Hardy Patrick in 1876.  They had two sons, named for Dave Evans and Zach Tooten.  She died young though, at the age of 23.  

Mary Frances "Fanny" Evans (md. Alexander Elias "Alec" Morgan)
     Fanny and Alec lived in Lee County their whole lives.  They had three children and lived into old age.  My (Dave Webb) family still lives in their home.

David Clifton "Little Dave" Evans (md. Johnnie Williams)
     "Little Dave" was born on January 7, 1875.  He married Johnnie Williams on February 16, 1898.  He was a farmer and kept a small dairy herd also.  They had six children, but one girl died young.  He passed away on August 27, 1954 at the age of 79.  Johnnie died on September 18, 1962.  Both were buried in the Union Methodist Church Cemetery.

William Thomas Evans (md. Minnie Lee Harris and Lizzie McNeece)
     Will Tom was born on January 29, 1877.  He married Minnie Lee in 1899 and they had two children together, but she died in 1904, at the age of 25.  He then married Lizzie McNeese and they had one son.  Lizzie died in 1954.  He was a farmer and lived a long life, drinking and smoking till he was 100 years old!  He died on August 3, 1977.  They were all three buried in the Union Methodist Cemetery.

Gillie Love Evans (md. William Asa Marsh)
     Gillie was born on January 29, 1877, a twin with Will Tom.  She married Will Marsh, who was from Vero Beach, Florida, and lived in Lee County.  They had two children, but the boy died young.  Will Marsh died in 1923 at 42 years, but Gillie lived to be 73, passing away on December 23, 1950.  They were both buried in the Union Methodist Cemetery.

Unnamed Child Evans (died young)
     In the 1900 census, Rosa says she had six children, but only five were living.  A child must have died small, but it's strange that there's no tombstone for it at the cemetery.