My Holiday “Puzzle” – Tipton Evans
Like many other people, it is my tradition to put together a jig-saw puzzle or two during the holidays. As I was visiting the Mission Store yesterday, I stumbled upon a challenging puzzle for myself to solve during the next few days (or weeks), which is almost like a jig-saw puzzle – putting together the pieces of research into a whole picture.
As I was browsing through the store, I came upon this portrait of a gentleman, and it always makes me somewhat sad to find family pictures that are unclaimed by their descendants.
As I turned this picture around,
I was pleasantly surprised to see, that someone had properly identified the person in this large framed photograph, not only that, but also listed his children.
So, my question and my problem:
Tipton Evans and all his children lived spread out in the USA,
how did his large portrait end up here on Prince Edward Island, Canada?
First Question: Who was Tipton Evans?
Usually my first stop is Ancestry.com – and is was quite easy to find the information on Tipton, with a name like that, even found another picture of him.
I found him in the 1850 US Census, the fifth of 8 children of George H. Evans, a farmer, and Mathilda Latham.
In the 1860 US Census Tipton, a merchant by trade, is 28 years old, and married to Lizzie – who at this time is 18 years old and they have a 1-year old daughter named Katie (1859)
In the 1870 US Census
two more children are added:
William F Evans (1862)
Hallie Evans (1863)
In the 1880 US Census
we find 4 more children:
Mary Evans (1872)
Robert Evans (1874)
Sarah Evans (1876)
John Evans (1880)
This completed the family, and it matches up with the names on the back of the portrait.
His wife Rachel Elizabeth “Lizzie” Fugate who was born Feb. 26, 1841 in Virginia dies on Feb 3, 1885 at the age of 44 – which leaves Tipton to care for a still young family.
It seems by looking at all the sources, that Tipton was born and died in Tennessee. He did not take his portrait to the Maritimes.23
Excerpt from the book, Old Time Tazewell, written by Mary A. Hansard (1825-1899), pages 17-18. shared by beancounter173 at Ancesty
“Elizabeth Fugate, oldest daughter, was married sometime in the fifties to Mr. Tipton Evans, a son of George Evans, who was raised on Chucky River. He settled in Tazewell and has been selling goods ever since. He purchased the brick house and lot above the Kelley Hotel known as the Blackburne lot. He raised a nice family of sons and daughters. Katie, their oldest daughter, married Johne Word and went to Texas. Hallie, the second daughter, married Thomas Fulkerson, a son of Dr. James Fulkerson, and lives at the stone house built by his uncle, William Graham. He owns the farm also. There are others, but I do not know their history. Lizzie, their mother, died several years ago when some of the children were small, and left them in the care of their Grandmother Fugate, who took a great interest in their welfare until she too was called away by death. Mrs. Fugate died in the fall of 1892, according to my recollection, but not until she had seen Lizzie’s family all old enough to care for themselves. Mr. Evans sill lives at the brick house, but has never married again.”
Second Question: Did any of his children move to Canada?
Katie Evans-Word
Katherine Mathilde “Kate” Evans was born August 12th, 1859 in Claiborne County, Tennessee
At age 18, on the 27th Dec. 1877, she marries 29-year old John Pogue Word (Jan. 10th, 1848 in Kentucky – 26 Feb. 1920 in Lampasas, Lampasas County, Texas, USA)
They have 3 daughters:
– Elizabeth Word born May 4th, 1879, Texas and dies on Jan 21st , 1883 at the age of almost 4
– Little Mary Ward born 27 Feb 1881 and dies June 5th, 1886 at the age of 5
– Sarah Katherine “Kitty” Word Wheeler born 1886 and dies April 1st, 1973 in Texas
In the 1930 census she is widowed and lives with her widowed sister Hallie Evans Fulkerson in Lampasas, Texas.
Katherine dies April 29th, 1947 at age 87 in Texas after fracturing her hip. She leaves behind one surviving daughter.
William Fugate Evans
William F. Evans was born in March 1862 in Tazewell, Claiborne County, Tennessee.
He married Katie Crist on Sept. 29th, 1893 in Denver, Colorado, where he was a postal clerk.
They had no children.
He died in 1925, she died in 1932 both in Denver, Colorado.
Hallie Evans Fulkerson
Hallie Jane Evans was born August 26, 1863 in Tazewell.
Hallie marries Thomas Graham Fulkerson (1842 – 1923), a farmer, on Oct. 10th, 1883 in Tazewell, Claiborne County, Tennessee. (She was 20 and he was 41)
They have 3 children:
– Tipton Evans Fulkerson was born 21 Oct 1884 in Tazewell and died 17 Dec 1957 in Gillette, Montana
– Fred Francis Fulkerson was born 17 Aug 1888 in Tazewell and died 25 Jun 1908 at age 20.
– William F. Fulkerson born Dec. 20, 1890 in Tazewell, Tenn. and died in 21 Sep 1976 in Newark, Ohio
Hallie died 18 Jan 1942 Newark, Licking, USA
Mary Evans Adkin
Mary Lou Evans Adkins
Mary was born Dec. 22nd, 1870 in Tazewell
She married Joseph Abraham Adkins, a lawyer, on Jan. 12th, 1889
Their Children:
Evans Jasper Adkins – Apr. 26th, 1891 – Lampasas, Texas – Mar. 3rd, 1958 in Brady Texas
Hubert Kenneth Adkins – July 28th, 1896 in Brady, Texas – Oct. 17th, 1972 in Laredo, Texas
Gerald Joe Adkins – Nov. 10th, 1903 in Brady, Texas – Mar. 18th, 1971 in San Antonia, Texas
Walter Fugate Adkins – Oct. 17th, 1904 in Texas – Jan. 6th, 1983 in McCulloch, Texas
Mary Jo Powell – Sep. 16th, 1906 in Brady, Texas – Mar. 17th, 1991 in Brady, Texas
John Robert Adkins – Nov. 25th, 1908 in Brady, Texas – June 18th, 1987 in Brady, Texas
James Newton Adkins – May 4th, 1911 in Brady, Texas – Dec. 15th, 2000 in Bell County, Texas
Mary Lou died June 24th, 1951 in Brady, McCulloch County, Texas, USA at the age of 80
Robert Henley Evans
Robert was born Sept. 20th, 1873
Married Lizzie Avens Kyle Divine on Apr. 24th, 1895
Merchant/Grocer
Their Children:
– Hilda Evans born Aug. 26th, 1897 in Cumberland Gap, Tenn. And died Aug. 12th, 2001 in Johnson City, Tenn. (um)
– Ada Evans born July 5th, 1901 and died Nov. 2nd, 1987 in Johnson City, Tenn. (um)
– Robert Tipton Evans was born May 7th, 1905 and died July 1984 in Johnson City, Tenn. (1 child)
– John Divine Evans born July 17th, 1908 in Bristol, Tenn. and died Jan. 7th, 1994 in Johnson City, Tenn. (um)
Robert Henley died Mar. 6th, 1935 in Johnson City, Tenn. – leaving behind one grandson.
Sarah Evans Brown
Sarah Ethel was born 20 Nov, 1875 and died 13 Oct 1939 in Bristol, Tenn.
She marries Charles Mays Brown (1875-1961) on Oct. 19th, 1898 in Claiborne, Tennessee
Their children:
Elizabeth Brown Francisco born Sept. 11th, 1899, Tenn. died 1995 in Bristol, Tenn.
Mary Catherine Brown Faucette born about 1905 and died 1964 in Bristol, Tenn.
Louise Brown McIver born July 3rd, 1908 – Oct. 8, 1986 in Bristol, Tenn.
Did you ever make a jig saw puzzle and when you get to point of finishing you realize there are some pieces missing?
This is how I feel after this research.
Sure, I have found out about who Tipton Evans was, about his life and children. All those pieces of the puzzle fit with the information I started with.
However, my original question was not answered.
Among all his descendants, there was not one that made it to Prince Edward Island, not even to Canada for that matter.
If anyone has a missing piece, please help clear up this mystery and help me finish the puzzle.
Anyone wants to claim this portrait as their heritage,
let me know.
P.S.
I did inquire at the Mission Store whether their products come from off Island and was told that they only sell used goods from the Island.