"Medgar was a happy man with a rich smile and a warmth that touched many people....

"Medgar was a happy man with a rich smile and a warmth that touched many people. He was never too busy to listen or too tired to help. But beneath that gentle sympathy lay strength that could not be intimidated. Lord knows, enough people tried. But it never worked and that, I suppose, is why they killed him." - Myrlie Evers, LIFE magazine, June 28, 1963 . . 55 years ago today, on June 12, 1963, civil rights activist Medgar Evers was fatally shot in Mississippi by a member of the White Citizens Council. Evers was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. Pictured here is his widow Myrlie Evers comforting their son at his funeral. This image ran on the cover of June 28, 1963 issue of LIFE. (John Loengard—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images) #LIFElegends #CivilRights #MedgarEvers