Mahala Jane Evans
  b: 30/Dec/1856 - Howard Twp., Gentry Co., MO
  d: 12/Jan/1927 - Gentry Co., MO - bur: Grandview Cem.

Father: John Thomas Evans
Mother: Elizabeth Miller

Spouse: James Thomas Hunter - b: 3/Oct/1854 - Gentry Co., MO
  d: 17/Aug/1931 - Gentry Co., MO - bur: Grandview Cem.
  m: 1876/1877

Child: Charles Franklin - b: 3/Jan/1880 - Gentry Co., MO
                                       d: 28/Dec/1958 - Gentry Co., MO - bur: Grandview Cem.
                                      m: Flossie W. Williams - 5/Sep/1899 - Gentry Co., MO - div: ~1925

Biographical Details:

The youngest child of John T. and Elizabeth Miller Evans was a daughter, Mahala Jane.  Moreover, according to her death certificate, she was born December 30, 1856, in Worth County, Missouri.  Even so, although the date is very probably correct, the location is almost certainly in error because Worth County was not formed until after 1860.  Prior to this its territory had been unorganized politically, but attached to Gentry County for administrative purposes.  Therefore, family tradition that the four youngest children of John T. and Elizabeth Miller Evans were born in Howard Township in Gentry County, Missouri, should be accepted as substantially correct.  (Howard Township lies in the northeast corner of Gentry County and abuts Worth County along its northern boundary.)  In addition, the death certificate further stated that Mahala's father was named William Evans; however, all other details concerning her parents and their origins were stated as "not known".  Again, this incorrect and incomplete information, presumably supplied by Mahala's surviving husband, probably reflects confusion and lack of knowledge caused by the tragedy of the the early deaths of both John and Elizabeth Evans.  Clearly, these circumstances imply that Mahala might not have even known either of her parents or at least remembered them quite poorly.

Very little is known of the early life of Mahala Jane Evans, who seems to have been known familiarly as "Jane".  As with the rest of her siblings, she was left a very young orphan after the death of her parents.  There are no records of her until the 1880 US Census for Gentry County, which indicated that she had already married James Thomas Hunter (or Thomas James Hunter since he was known familarly as "Tom"; even so he appears as "J. T. Hunter" in official documents).  The couple was evidntly then living in Athens Township north of the town of Albany.  They appear to have married in either 1876 or 1877.  He was the son of James B. Hunter, whose household can be found in the population schedules for Athens Township in both the US Censuses of 1860 and 1870.  Thomas and Mahala Jane Hunter remained in rural Athens Township until after 1900, but sometime before 1910 they moved into the town of Albany and were apparently living on Daniel Street at the time of the 1910 US Census.  Only one son, Charles F., born in January of 1880, can be attributed to J. T. and Mahala Jane Evans Hunter.  Subsequently, according to the 1920 US Census for Gentry County, he; his wife, Flossie W.; and their two children, Claude and Mary B., were living in the household of James T. and Mahala J. Hunter, still in the town of Albany.  Again, according to her official death certificate, Mahala Jane Evans Hunter died on January 12, 1927, after a short illness and was buried in Grandview Cemetery, but there seems to be no marker.  The cause of her death was given as "acute heart failure", viz., a heart attack.  Subsequently, the population schedule of the 1930 US Census confirms that her surviving husband, son, and grandson, viz., Thomas J., Charles F., and James Claud Hunter, remained living together in the same household.  Moreover, their marital status was given as widowed, divorced, and divorced, respectively.  J. T. Hunter died on August 17, 1931, in Gentry County (although his death certificate gives his name as Thomas James Hunter, adding to confusion).  Very few personal recollections remain of the daughters of John T. and Elizabeth Evans.1  Nevertheless, one can suppose that they were "the salt of the earth" and typical members of their family and community.

Source Notes and Citations:
1. "Also, as to the Evans Aunts, my mother used to tell that after her aunts had done their dishes that they would clean their pipes; after all people from Kentucky are likely to use tobacco."  This is from a letter written by Lester Ray Birbeck, whose mother was Mollie Birbeck, daugther of J. J. Evans.  (private correspondence from Lester R. Birbeck to Richard Evans, Nov. 14, 1996.)
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Additional Citations:

2. 1880 US Census Population Schedule for Gentry County, Missouri, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 473B, (microfilm: roll T9_687; img. 278).

3. 1900 US Census Population Schedule for Gentry County, Missouri, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 132A, (microfilm: roll T623_855; img. 269).

4. 1910 US Census Population Schedule for Gentry County, Missouri, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 138A, (microfilm: roll T624_781; img. 275).

5. 1920 US Census Population Schedule for Gentry County, Missouri, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 27B, (microfilm: roll T625_919; img. 622).

6. 1930 US Census Population Schedule for Gentry County, Missouri, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 7A, (microfilm: roll T626_1188; img. 15).

7. 1940 US Census Population Schedule for Gentry County, Missouri, National Archives, Washington DC:  pg. 2A, (microfilm: roll T627_2106; img. 365).

8. Death Certificates, Missouri State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Jefferson City, MO, (Death Certificate No. 726 - Bureau of Vital Statistics, State of Missouri, Jefferson City, MO & Death Certificate No. 27986 - Bureau of Vital Statistics, State of Missouri, Jefferson City, MO).

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9. Marriage Records, Gentry County, Albany, MO:  Bk. 5, pg. 123, (Missouri State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Jefferson City, MO (microfilm: roll 37664; img. 208)).

10. marriage notice: Albany Ledger; Albany, MO, Fri., Sep. 8, 1899.

11. World War I Draft Registration Cards, National Personnel Records Center, National Archives-Southeast Region, Morrow, GA, (microfilm: roll MO-1683214; img. 4908).

12. Death Certificates, Missouri State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Jefferson City, MO, (Death Certificate No. 58-043748 - Bureau of Vital Statistics, State of Missouri, Jefferson City, MO).

13. Robert L. Evans, "Our Family's History", November 9, 2001.

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