Frances Evans

FRANCES MAE CARSON was born Saturday, February 5, 1938 in Charleston, South Carolina to Margaret Washington. Frances attended primary school in New York City as a young girl. 

Frances married Araritta Evans on July 18, 1956 in New York. She then changed her name to Frances Evans. 

Initially, she worked as a seamstress and then later worked as a telephone operator for the Ma Bell Company for several years. She later partook in a pilot program with The City of New York Agency for Child Development from June 1975 until April 1977, establishing the Family Day Care Program that still exists today, which is a self-sufficient, self-owned business for people to care for children in their homes. Frances Evans then went on to earn her Associate Degree of Arts in the study of Human Services from LaGuardia Community College in 1983. While attending college, running her own Family Daycare business and maintaining a family, she earned placement into the Dean’s list for attaining a grade point average of 3.5 or better. 

Frances is a true New Yorker and has lived in Harlem, the Bronx, the Upper West Side and returned to Harlem in her final years. She enjoyed going out to eat, going to the casino, shopping, travelling, art projects and any excuse to use her sewing machine. Even though Frances only stood 4 feet 11 inches tall, she once paneled an entire living room, dropped a ceiling, installed flooring and on numerous occasions she designed drapes for her home with 22 windows. She also was a devout member of Canaan Baptist Church of Christ, under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Wyatt T. Walker. 

On Monday, November 11, 2019 at 8:31 p.m., Frances Evans passed away in her residence in Harlem, NY surrounded by her family. Frances died of terminal renal failure after both she and her family battled this disease. 

Frances leaves behind to cherish her memory and legacy: husband of 63 years, Araritta Evans. Three children: Evelyn Evans-Mitchell and ex-husband, Johnny Mitchell Sr., Eric Evans and Gregory Evans. One grandson: Johnny Evans Mitchell Jr., wife, Shazell Mitchell, and step-son, Devell Mirjah. Two great-grandchildren: Natalyah Maya Mitchell and Jayce Carter Mitchell.

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