Z 1872.000 Beets (Eva Velma Davis) Papers

Biography-History

Scope and Content

Series Identification

1. Correspondence. 1939–1987; n.d. This series consists of incoming and outgoing personal and business correspondence of Eva Davis Beets and a few items of correspondence to her husband, Ed Roy Beets. Personal correspondence focuses on family news; the religious and genealogical interests of Eva Davis Beets; and her illness in New Orleans in 1943. Business correspondence includes that with editors concerning her career as a journalist; her attempts to get her writings published; and her nomination of a teacher for the Valley Forge Classroom Teachers' Medal program of the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge in 1960.
2. Autobiographical Materials. 1986; n.d. This series includes Eva Davis Beets's unpublished autobiography, "The Narrow Road" (n.d.); a reader's report on the autobiography (n.d.); copies of Christine Wilson's edition of a portion of that autobiography in "Growing Up in Marion County: A Memoir by Eva Davis Beets", Journal of Mississippi History, 48 (1986), 199–213; and a six-page autobiographical article by Eva Davis Beets (n.d.).
3. Sylvester Magee Materials. 1976; n.d. This series consists of articles either written by Eva Davis Beets or constructed around her reminiscences concerning Sylvester Magee, an ex-slave who lived to be 130 years old, and his appearance on the Mike Douglas television show.

4. Drafts of Articles. 1927; 1986; n.d. This series contains drafts of articles by Eva Davis Beets, many of which appeared in newspapers or magazines in Louisiana and Mississippi. The articles cover a wide variety of topics, including her religious beliefs; family history; recipes; the events and history of places and people in Marion County; and issues such as abortion, nuclear waste, and race relations; and the problems of teenagers and senior citizens.
5. Clippings. 1965–1986; n.d. This series primarily contains newspaper articles written by Eva Davis Beets, including printed versions of the drafts of articles described above, as well as some clippings concerning herself and her family.
6. Poetry. n.d. Three poems, including one written by Eva Davis Beets, and two composed by her son, Edward Ingram Beets, comprise this series.
7. Awards. 1951; 1962; n.d. This series includes Eva Davis Beets's 1951 certificate of recognition (for 1950) from the Freedoms Foundation, Inc., Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; a 1962 Freedoms Foundation brochure; and an undated clipping reporting her acceptance of the certificate.
8. Legal Materials. 1918; 1955. These materials consist of the marriage license (1918) and divorce decree (1955) of Eva Davis and Ed Roy Beets.
9. Genealogical Materials, n.d. This series contains genealogical materials relating to Eva Davis Beets's maternal relatives, the Carley family.