Nixion Evans

Rev. Nixon Evans, the county's oldest preacher and one of the pioneers of the county, answered the final summons on Thursday evening at his home in Melrose township. His death removed from the walks of men one who was a leader and teacher of men for many years and who, for more than half century, was one of the more prominent citizens of the southern part of the county.

Nixon Evans was born at Paoli in Orange county, Ind., Dec. 27, 1814, and was nearing the close of his 90th year. He was the 11th child of a family of sixteen children. His parents moved to Illinois in 1816 and settled on a farm near York which is now owned and occupied by John S. Bradbury. Mr. Evans has thus lived in one community for more than 87 years and has witnessed the scenes that have taken place to the transformation of a wilderness into a land of beautiful homes where peace and plenty reign.

When Mr. Evans was a youth there were no free public schools. Short subscription schools were taught but these he had the opportunity to attend but little. He taught one term of school of three months in a cabin on the Martin Willard farm in Melrose township. The only subjects he taught were reading, spelling, writing and arithmetic but he was quite successful in this. Along in the thirties he worked for Col. W. W. Archer. The Col. had a good library and Mr. Evans spent his spare moments reading and studying the good books of this library, and the hours thus spent were among the happiest and most profitable of his life.

Mr. Evans was first married to Miss Minerva Bartlett in 1837. He then entered the land where he now resides in Melrose township. He first built a small log cabin in the woods and then set about to clear his land. He worked hard all the week and preached on Sunday. When he had no work at home, he would hire out and many a day he worked for only 25 cents. He continued his industrious and frugal habits until old age came upon him. While he was still virorous, he had amassed sufficient of this world's goods to enable him to pass his old age in comfort and ease. In addition to farming, he operated a saw mill during the winter for 35 years, his mill being one among the first operated in the southern part of the county.

Mr.Evan's first wife died in 1853 and he was married a second time to Clarissa Hungerford of Darwin, who lived to care and comfort him in his declining years. By his first marriage he was the father of six children of whom only two, Iradell of Melrose and Warren B. of West York, are living. The fuits of this second marriage were six children of whom the floowing are living: Mrs. Minerva Fowler of Melrose township, Mrs. Julia Hagar of Crawford county, Mrs. Eliza Green of Linton, Ind. and Clarence, who resides at home. Rev. Charles Evans, who was well known to many of our readers, died in November of 1902.

Mr. Evans joined the M. E. Church early in life and soon after, in 1836, he became a local preacher. His home was used as a place of worship before any church had been erected in the community. It was due, in a great measure, to his efforts that Plymouth church was erected. He was always a liberal contributer to the church and Sunday School and for a half century he devoted much of his time to preaching, delivering during that time more than three thousand sermons. His services were often sought at weddings and he can recall scores of couples he made man and wife. He has also officiated at many funerals.

Uncle Nixon, as he has long been affectionately called by his many friends, stood as a typical representative of teh pioneer preacher and citizen. He closed a long and active life and when his summons came, it can be truthfully siad of hime "He has fought a good fight." The funeral services were conducted Saturday afternoon and were attended by one of the largest assemblages of people ever witnessed the the county.--Democrat.
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From Biography of Nixon Evans (1883, History of Crawford and Clark Counties, Illinois, p. 188):

Nixon Evans, farmer, P. O. West York. One of the principal farmers of Melrose Township is the subject of this sketch, Nixon Evans. He is a native of Paoli, In., born December 27, 1814, and is the thirteenth of a family of sixteen children of Benjamin and Rebecca (Willard) Evans. The parents were both born in North Carolina, and came from Indiana to Illinois in 1816. They settled in Crawford County, where they remained two years, coming from there to Clark County, in 1818. The mother died in 1823 and the father afterward married Mrs. Hannah Moore, by whom he had a family of eight children. He died in 1851. T

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