DATE: Tuesday, October 28, 1997             TAG: 9710280186

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B8   EDITION: FINAL 

DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE                   LENGTH:   54 lines

EVELYN C. BACON

Evelyn Crary Bacon, 81, died Friday Oct. 24, 1997, at a Charlottesville hospital.

She was born Sept. 27, 1916, in Grundy Center, Iowa, daughter of the late Elisha Avery Crary and Gertrude Elizabeth Minor Crary. Mrs. Bacon was a graduate of the University of Iowa and the University of Chicago. She served as a captain in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps from June of 1942 to January of 1946 where she was a head nurse supervisor and instructor in European Theater of Operations. She was in the battles and campaigns of Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland Central Europe and was awarded the European Theater Ribbon with Silver Battle Star and six Overseas Service Bars. The majority of her Army work was in post-operative care of neuro-surgical cases both in general and evacuation hospitals overseas.

On the 50th anniversary of the landing in Normandy, she was recognized along with military personnel from other participating countries with a ribbon and gold medal ``Liberte'' from the Council of Normandie in 1994. She was the most recent recipient of the Nancy Vance Award for her contributions to nursing in Virginia.

Mrs. Bacon was a member of the American Nurses Association and Virginia Nurses Association, National League for Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau (National Honorary for nursing); first woman chairperson of Richmond Chapter American Red Cross. She was a board member and president of League of Women Voters; Richmond League of Women Voters of Virginia; Education Chairperson, 1965-66 Commission on Status of Women, Sub-committee on Health Vice Chairperson Citizen's Committee on Status of Women; Executive Committee Governor's Advisory Council on nursing training; chairperson, board of managers, Virginia Diocesan Home; Richmond area Community Council; and City of Richmond Technical Committee, Model City Talk Force. For many years she served on the Health Services Agencies Board of the Tidewater and north Central Virginia.

Mrs. Bacon was a member of Grace and Holy Trinity Church of Richmond, where she was also a choir member, member of Richmond Choral Society and a member of Virginia Council on Health and Medical Care Committee on Nursing. She was one of three women and 39 men selected from the Richmond metropolitan area to participate in the two-year Urban Policy Conference Seminar Program presented by the Brookings Institution and University of Richmond in 1964 and 1965.

Surviving are her husband, Franklin Bacon; two nephews, Elisha Avery Crary, Oliver N. Crary, both of Newport Beach, Calif.; and a niece, Julia Ann King of Weiser, Idaho.

A memorial service will be held at noon Wednesday, Nov. 12, at Grace and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church by the Rev. Hill Brown. In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions be made in her memory to a favorite charity. Interment will be in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13. Hill and Wood Funeral Home, Charlottesville, is in charge. ILLUSTRATION: Photo KEYWORDS: DEATH OBITUARY

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