Charles Evers, brother of Medgar Evers, dies at 97

(CNN)James Charles Evers, the older brother of civil rights icon Medgar Evers, died in Mississippi Wednesday morning of natural causes, Rankin County Coroner David Ruth told CNN. He was 97.

Known to many as Charles, Evers was the older brother of civil rights activist Medgar Evers, the Mississippi NAACP leader who was killed by a sniper in 1963.

“Rest In Peace, Charles Evers,” tweeted Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves. “He was a civil rights leader and a true friend to me and so many Mississippians. His memory will always be cherished and honored.”