Evelyn Blanche Cooper Day – Ensign, United States Navy

Evelyn Blanche Cooper Day, 77, a resident of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, died suddenly Tuesday, December 28, 1999, of a ruptured aortic aneurysm.

Evelyn was a woman who touched everyone with affection and warmth and was a leader in education and in the communities in which she lived.

She was born August 28, 1922 in Santa Rita, New Mexico. Evelyn was the Valedictorian of Mentone, Texas High School, graduated from Texas Tech University with a BA in Education and Speech, from Kent State University (Ohio) with an MA in Educational Counseling.

Evelyn worked as an Honors English Teacher at Bay Village, Ohio, as a Guidance Counselor at St. Raphaels; Bay Village, Ohio; St. James Elementary and Sr. Augustine Academy, Lakewood, Ohio, Director of Counseling at Bay Middle School, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and as a GED Counselor at the Grafton Prison (Ohio) and Literacy Program, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

Evelyn served as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy Waves, 1943-1946, as one of the First Women in the Military. She attended Bootcamp at Hunter College (New York) and Officer Training at Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts.

Evelyn is survived by her husband, James William Day, Jr., of Mandeville, Louisiana; children, Alan Day and his wife, Nancy Vescuso of Weston, Massachusetts, Barrett Day of Mandeville, Louisiana, Rhonda Day of Rio Rancho; one sister, Marion Ray of Deming, New Mexico; one brother, John Cooper of Tyler, Texas; Uncle George Cooper and wife, Callie Ree of Albuquerque; two grandchildren, Adam Day of Weston, Massachusetts, and Megan Day of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 2, 2000 at the Buena Vista Apartments, 1355 Meadowlark Lane, Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Literacy GED program at which Evelyn worked. Hancock County Library Literacy Program, c/o Donna Hutchings, 333 Coleman Ave., Waveland, Mississippi 39576.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard