Evie Baisden was born in Riverdale, Georgia in 1995, the daughter of Pamela Pugh Francis and Ralph Emerson Baisden III and accepted Christ at an early age.    

Brevity can be beautiful, as Evie was with us for a brief period, but had a rich life filled with vast experiences.  Those of us who were fortunate enough to experience life with Evie were left with beautiful, indelible memories. Her life was full of adventure and travel as her mother’s work as a Department of Defense teacher exposed her to different cultures, traditions and ways of life. She lived in South Korea and Turkey, and traveled to places such as Thailand, The Philippines, Japan, Vietnam, Egypt, Germany, Italy and has made friends all over the world. Her father introduced her to books related to social issues and she became an avid reader. Her travels, coupled with her love of reading, shaped her worldview where she respected all races, ethnicities, religions, and cultural traditions and sparked her passion and opinions on civil rights and social justice for all people.

Evie also suffered from sickle-cell anemia and always strived to educate people she encountered on the devastating effects of this disease on people. 

Evie was always passionate about her family and was never shy about telling her brother, mother,  father, stepfather and mother, cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents that she loved them. She always treasured the opportunities to spend with family  and you could see in her facial expressions how she savored every precious moment. When posing for  photos, you would often hear her soft, hoarse voice utter, “I love my family.”

Evie graduated from Osan American High School  in Osan, South Korea in 2014 and attended Valdosta State University. 

She is survived by her brother, Ralph Emerson Baisden IV; her father and stepmother, Ralph and Delria Baisden III; her mother and stepfather, Pamela and Alfred Francis; grandmother and stepfather Barbara and Melvin Galloway; grandmother, Alice Pugh; grandfather, Ralph Emerson Baisden, Jr.;  uncles: Philip and Patrick Pugh, Warren O’Cause and Tommy Claire; aunts: Nicole Baisden, Alice Claire, Bruna DeNuzzo,  Leslie Pugh; and numerous cousins.

Her spirit will be missed.

It was beautiful as long as it lasted, the journey of my life.
I have no regrets whatsoever
save the pain I’ll leave behind.
Those dear hearts who love and care …
and the strings pulling at the heart and soul …
The strong arms that held me up
when my own strength let me down.
At every turning of my life I came across good friends,
friends who stood by me
even when time raced by me.
Farewell, farewell my friend.
I smile and bid you goodbye.
No, shed no tears for I need them not.
All I need is your smile.
If you feel sad do think of me for that’s what I’ll like.
When you live in the hearts of those you love
remember then, you never die.