by Aris Baker
Charlie Frissel Evans was born on July 8th, 1895, in Gloucester, Virginia. Evans was raised by Rosia and Robert Evans in a Baptist household. He and his sisters, Julia, Frederica and Inez, grew up near his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins in Ware District, Gloucester County, Virginia. His father and uncle were oystermen and his mother worked as a laundress. His grandfather was a farm laborer. Charlie attended school through high school.
Charlie spent much of his adult life in Norfolk, VA, and worked as a waiter for W. H. Gary in Willoughby Beach, Norfolk, Virginia before his entry into service on October 29, 1917, at Camp Lee, VA. He enlisted into the National Army as a Private and was assigned to Delta company in the 511 Engineers Regiment, 80th Division. Charlie departed from Hoboken, NJ, on the USS Martha Washington and arrived in France on April 4th, 1918. Charlie saw combat before he reached France and was a participant in battle against a German U-Boat submarine while in transit to France and did not sustain any injuries nor did he have any distinguishing actions during this fight. He was promoted to Private 1st Class after his engagements on June 15th, 1918. After serving two years in France, Charlie Evans returned to Newport News on the USS Susquehanna on June 8th,1919, and just 10 days later, was discharged from the National Army as a Private 1st Class on June 18th, 1919. Charlie Evans returned to civilian life as a government laborer and regarded his experience and time of service as “very helpful to me.” Evans married Susie Blackwell Clayborn of Petersburg, Virginia on July 28, 1920.
Sources:
“United States Census, 1900”, database with images, FamilySearch(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMNQ-JFN : 11 March 2022), Charles Evans, 1900.
“United States Census, 1910,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MPPK-53Y : accessed 29 November 2022), Charles Evans in household of Robert Evans, Ware, Gloucester, Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 49, sheet 6B, family 115, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1629; FHL microfilm 1,375,642.
“United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918”, database with images, FamilySearch(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K6ZM-228 : 24 December 2021), Charlie Frizzell Evans, 1917-1918.
“Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, County Marriage Registers, 1853-1935,” database, FamilySearch(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:83K6-JP2M : 1 July 2022), Charlie P Evans, 28 Jul 1920; citing Marriage Registration, Norfolk, Virginia, United States, Virginia State Library and Archives, Richmond.