Lot No.30 is the burial place of the Rev. Marcus L. Evans, a pioneer Methodist preacher, and Elizabeth (Hetser) Evans, his wife. The Evans and their three eldest children arrived in Lucas County from Indiana in 1856 and settled three miles south of Russell in Section 7 of Washington Township. At that time, there was no Russell, however --- it was not planted until 1866 after the route of the new rail line through southern Iowa had been determined. Nor was there a Methodist Church. So it seems likely the Rev. Mr. Evans preached on a circuit that may have included what became the Salem congregation. When he was killed in a railroad accident in 1875, he was buried in the Salem churchyard and his wife was buried beside him in 1892. Their children who remained in Lucas County are buried in the Russell Cemetery, so Marcus and Elizabeth apparently are the only occupants of the family lot at Salem.
The Evans graves are marked by a large white marble stone flanked closely by headstones inscribed "Mother" on the north and "Father" on the south. Four short concrete posts outline the two graves and may have supported a chain originally. The inscriptons on the stone read as follows, Elizabeth's on the north face and Marcus's on the south face:
Sacred to the memory of
ELIZABETH
Wife of Rev. M.L. Evans
DIED
Aug. 14, 1892
AGED
65Ys, 2M, 27Ds
I know that my Redeemer liveth
Being dead yet speaketh,
Prepare to meet thy God
Sacred to the memory of
Rev. MARCUS L.
Husband of
ELIZABETH EVANS
DIED
June 17, 1875
AGED 52Ys, 7Ms, 5Ds
Blessed are the pure in heart
for they shall see God
While a substantial and informative obituary exists for Elizabeth Evans, none has been found for Marcus. Details of his death and burial, however, are incorporated into the long report of the collision of trains in Chariton on June 16, 1875, that killed five people, including the Rev. Mr. Evans.
The Evans children are not named in either account. They were Wilber Wesley Evans (m. Nancy Ann Wiltsey), Marcus Asbury Evans (m. Eliza Caroline Werts), Thomas M. Evans, Olin Hetser Evans, Sarah Margaret Evans (m. Francis M. Thompson), Jason Lee Evans, Mary Matilda Evans and Alice A. Evans.
Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection
Mrs. Elizabeth Evans, nee Hetser, was born in Adams Co., Penn., May 17th A.D. 1827, and died at her home near Russell, Iowa, Aug. 14th A.D. 1892. She was therefore 65 years, 2 months and 27 days old. Her childhood days were spent in her native state. When about 17 years old with her parents she removed to Owen Co., Indiana.
She was married to Rev. M.L. Evans Jan. 24th, 1850. To this union were born eight children, five sons and three daughters. The husband preceded her to the spirit world. The children all remain to find comfort in the thought that their irreparable loss is her infinite gain.
On the 8th of May 1856 after a 600 mile journey with an ox team, she with her husband and three little children pitched their tent on the present homestead. Early in life she gave her heart to God and in the new home on the wild prairie the family altar was not neglected but from it daily incense arose. Seeking the temporal interests of her family she never forgot their spiritual wants. In the home, the Sunday School, the church and everywhere she sought, first the soul's welfare believing that bodily welfare must follow. Through toil and suffering, through dangers seen and unseen, she was permitted to labor with her husband in the vineyard of the Lord until June 1875, when he who had been her earthly support and comfort was suddenly called away in a R.R. accident. In that sad hour she bowed in submission to the divine will, and took upon herself the double duties of the homestead. She constantly labored to enlist all her children in the service of the Lord early in life. She not only lived to hear them all confess Christ in their youth, but to see two of them enter the ministry. In her declining days she received the most tender care from hearts whose affection and devotion were inspired by Christian love.
Whenever she was able it was her custom upon the holy sabbath to enter the sacred sanctuary and join in prayer and praise to God. Since she was so long deprived of this sacred privilege how fitting it was that on Sabbath morning while the children of God were entering the sacred sanctuary that one so weary should in Jesus' name enter the rest that remaineth to the people of God and join with the congregation whose praises shall never cease and whose sabbath shall know no end.
The funeral services of Mrs. Elizabeth Evans were held on Monday afternoon, Aug. 15. A very large number of friends gathered from the immediate neighborhood and from a distance to follow the sacred remains from the homestead to the Salem church and cemetery. At the church the 91st Psalm was read and prayer was offered by Rev. Geo. McNeeley. A brief history of her life was presented after which Rev. T.M. Evans spoke as only a son could speak of the events and scenes in the life of his mother and preached from the words, "And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, write, Blessed are the dead which died in the Lord from henceforth; Yea saith the spirit that they may rest from their labors and their works do follow them." Rev. 14, -13. The very earnest and impressive words of the speaker will never be forgotten by those who heard them. No words can portray the character of the saintly woman whose place can never be filled. Nor can language describe the beautiful and tender devotion existing between the mother and her children.
The following lengthy account is taken from The Chariton Patriot of 23 June 1875. It incpororates the text of an "extra" edition of The Patriot published on 17 June 1875, but now lost.
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT!
On C.B. & Q. R.R.
A Freight Train Runs into another at Chariton
SCENE OF HORROR
Thunder! Lightning! Wind! Rain! Death!
Five Persons Killed and Eight Seriously Wounded
A Leap for Life - Narrow Escapes! &c., &c.
From the Patriot Extra of June 17th)
A terrible accident occurred last night between 11 and 12 o'clock near the C.B. & Q. depot, in Chariton, wherein five persons were killed, and eight others very seriously injured, two or three dangerously.
Two freight trains due here at 9:45 were about two hours late. The leading train, known as Sec. 2 of No. 12, had stopped to coal just at the beginning of the heavy wind and thunder storm that commenced just before midnight. The train that followed --- Sec. 3 of No. 12 --- approached the standing train, urged forward by the strong wind. The red signal lights were seen by the engineer and fireman of the incoming train, and the whistle sounded for "down brakes." The brake was applied on the locomotive tender, and the engine reversed, but of no avail. The sweeping wind, and driving rain, rendered it seemingly impossible to prevent the collision. The fireman, Lewis, jumped just before the engine struck the caboose, violently striking the ground, severely bruising his face and shoulder. The engineer, Nelson Best, of Ottumwa, remained at his post and was but slightly injured.
The following is a correct list of the killed and injured:
J.J. Echert, of Council Bluffs, killed. He was a freight conductor on the Chicago & Northwestern R.R. His body was found on top of the locomotive. His head and face were mangled horribly, pieces of skull and brain being found scattered along the track.
Irwin Severn, a stock man and resident of Illinois City, Ill., killed. His body was badly bruised.
J.W. Houston, of Maryville, Mo., killed. He was a stock man.
Also one unknown man, supposed to be from Bridgewater, Mo., was killed. His face and upper part of the body were frightfully discolored.
Martiin Rhine, a stock man of Falls City, Neb., seriously but not dangerously bruised.
David Woods, of Kenzers, Lancaster County, Penn., dangerously injured in upper portion of the spine. His whole body, except the head, completely paralyzed. Seemingly comfortable when seen by reporter, Woods was an uncle of Prof. Perry, of this place.
James Dick, who lives on the Fulkerson farm, a few miles south of Russell, bruised inwardly but not seriously. He is an uncle of Prof. Sim(p)son, of this place.
W.J. Mendenhall, of Quitman, Nodaway county, Mo. Severe scalp wound and otherwise bruised.
G.W. Cooper, Mo., feet and head severely bruised; thinks he escaped very fortunately; was awake at the time, and saw the car door open, and heard the shrieks of horror from passengers, and then knew nothing more until he became conscious, lying on the ground where he had been removed.
N.J. Allen, Lenox, Iowa, seriously injured in spine and back and somewhat paralyzed.
F.P. Lewis, of Creston, Fireman on incoming train, severely bruised on head and shoulders.
Nelson Best, of Ottumwa, engineer, slightly bruised.
Marcus L. Evans, an old and respected citizen of this county, who has lived a few miles south of Russell for near 20 years and who is well known throughout the county, was so injured that he died at the Chariton House about 9 o'clock this morning. He was returning from a Methodist meeting of some sort at Osceola, and took the freight in preference to the night express, simply because the latter does not stop at Russell. We called at the Chariton House just in time to see him breathe his last breath, and hear the wailings of his wife and some other members of the family, who had arrived.
The greatest damage, as might be expected, was done to the rear cars of the standing train, but the front of the engine of the incoming train was badly smashed, and the terrible force of the collision was strikingly shown by the breaking of the large bars of iron, two inches in diameter, supporting the cow catcher. The engine passed under the caboose car, containing the passengers, and the mangling of human bodies was occasioned by the next car, which was loaded with hogs, in front of the caboose, which passed entirely through or over it, crushing it to splinters.
Prof. J.B. Ferguson, was on the train returning from Osceola, and accidentally stepped to the rear platform of the car just in time to make a leap for life over the fence, running close by the track, and enclosing the reservoir. His feet had barely left the platform when the terrible crash came, and he owes his narrow escape from a terrible death to the impulse that prompted him to open the
door. Rev. H.H. O'Neal of this place, also Rev. Bartholemew of Corydon, bro. of the Col. of this place, and Rev. Austin of Russell who were at Osceola, all went to the depot to take this train, but after a parley decided to wait for the express, which would soon be due, and thus escaped the terrors of the collision.
On the whole, this was one of the most dreadful accidents that has ever occurred on the B. & M. and altogether, the worst that ever shocked our town. And nothing more was needed to convince any one of the horrors of a railroad disaster, than a walk among the dead and mangled victims of this accident. At 9 A.M., the time of our visit, the four who were killed outright, were lying in the depot building and the Coroner was preparing to hold an inquest, and take evidence concerning the casualty.
T.J. Potter, Superintendent, J.W. Backworth, road master and Dr. Ranson, reached here on a special train at 9 o'clock this morning.
Nearly all the killed and wounded were in bunks, and most of them stock men, and asleep at the time. Part of the injured are quartered at the Clinton and part at the Sherman House, and all are receiving the very best of attention from local physicians, and those in the employ of the company.
We are not prepared to speak definitively in regard to the question of carelessness as contributing to the accident, but as we get the facts nothing appears to justify any (illegible) any of the employees of the company. Whether the raging of the storm and high wind will fully exonerate them remains yet to be determined. But the storm was terrible, as was evidenced by the fact of a freight car being driven from about the depot here, with brakes down, almost to Russell, about the same time the accident occurred.
On the first page of this paper will be found a copy of our extra published on the morning after the recent railroad disaster at this place, giving a full account of the calamity. And we simply add the following items of additional interest in regard to the killed, injured, &c.
Coroner Millan impaneled a jury composed of Messrs. H.H. Day, S.H. Mallory and W.L. Alexander, who, after an investigation, decided no blame was attached to the employees of the company for the accident.
The company took charge of the dead bodies and after providing coffins for them, sent them to their friends at different points.
Messrs. Martin Rhine and David Woods, two of the injured, are still at the Sherman House and doing well, and each have relatives with them and good care. Mr. Woods was not expected to survive the injury to his spine, but we are glad to learn that there is a prospect for his recovery. James Dick has returned to his home near Russell, while Messrs. Mendenhall, Allen and Cooper, who were at the Clinton House, were all sent home on Monday, of this week. They were each doing reasonably well. We called on Messrs. Mendenhall and Cooper, at their request, and they wished that we should mention especially their physicians, Messrs. Heed & Baird, as having been unusually attentive and kind to them, and we think that as much could be said of all in any way engaged in waiting on the various unfortunate strangers, who were left temporarily in the care of our people.
Mr. Marcus L. Evans, of this county, was taken to Russell on a special train soon after his death, and buried at the Salem Cemetery in Benton tp. on Friday, an unusually large procession of his friends and neighbors following him to his grave. He was in comfortable circumstances and leaves a wife and eleven (actually eight) children.
By this accident the B. & M. accounts for the first passengers ever killed upon its road. This speaks well for the safety and management of the great trunk line of the West, over which hundreds of thousands of people have traveled. Employees have been killed, but never before a passenger.
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