Ruth Elaine Breland Evans was born May 30, 1927 in the Soria City community of Gulfport, MS. She was the second of 11 children born to the late Longino and Edith Davidson Breland. She passed away on December 1, 2024 after a long and fulfilling life.

At an early age, Ruth confessed her faith in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and was baptized at Mercy Seat Baptist Church. She attended 33rd Avenue Elementary and High School where she met her husband Wilson Evans II. Ruth and Wilson were married in 1943, after which she moved to the Gaston Point Community where she lived for 81 years and raised eight children and one granddaughter.

As a mother, Ruth continued to attend Mercy Seat with her children until her older children began attending Little Rock Missionary Baptist Church with their friends. Eventually her children began joining the church and Ruth followed soon after. She was a faithful member of Little Rock Missionary Baptist Church for over 70 years and, at the time of her death, was the church's oldest member. At Little Rock, she served as a member of the Junior Missionary Auxiliary (JMA) where she served as president, secretary, treasurer, and also District President. She was also a member of the usher board.

Ruth valued education, and was influenced and inspired by a dear friend to return to school. They were both awarded a GED in 1966. She was a charter member of the National Council of Negro Women-Gulfport section. She was one of 16 members recognized by the organization for leading, developing, and advocating for women of African descent. She was also one of the founding members of the Jolly Social Club. At the 2018 Gaston Point Reunion, Ruth was awarded a certificate in recognition of being "Gaston Point Strong."

Ruth was truly a virtuous woman of God who was highly respected and revered in her community due to her generous nature and beautiful spirit. She loved her family, friends, and church dearly. She enjoyed fashion and social events with her friends, attending the graduations of her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews with her sisters, and hearing the Little Rock male choir sing "Silent Night" at Christmastime. She also loved games and could solve Wheel of Fortune puzzles at 97 years-old.

Ruth was preceded in death by her parents Longino and Edith Davidson Breland, loving husband of 51 years, Wilson Evans II, sisters Kate Muse and Edith Burns, brothers Longino Jr., Lawrence, Bobby, and Billy, sons Wilson Jr. and Donald, daughters-in-law Nettie and Olivia, son-in-law Phillip Porter, sisters-in-law Laura Breland and Rose Nichols, brothers-in-law Raymond Powers, Eddie Carroll, Bill Muse, Samuel Cotton, and Willie Nichols, and granddaughter Dr. Donna Evans Alexander.

Ruth's long and beautiful life will be forever cherished by her loving family. She leaves to cherish her memory her sons Horace, Tommie Kirk (Dorothy), Raymond, Keith (Martin), and daughter-in-law Hiawatha all of Gulfport; Daughters Sandra Porter of Houston, TX, Diane (Danny) Stubbs, and Aiesha Evans of Columbia, SC; and her four siblings Jane Carroll of Gulfport, Mollie Powers of Plano, TX, Marion Cotton and Anthony (Laverne) of Los Angeles, CA. She also leaves many loving nieces and nephews, twelve grandchildren, twenty-six great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild to carry on her memory.