Her family was located in the 1930 census living in Hannibal, Missouri. They were renting a home at 1319 Mark Twain Avenue for $30 per month. Evelyn’s parents were both college educated and in this census, her mother, Bessie 36, was teaching at a business college. Her father, Thomas 39, was a drug salesman. Evelyn was nine years old.
In 1932, the family moved to Marion and purchased a home at 810 Prairie Street. In the 1940 census, her father was listed as a commercial teacher and her mother wasn’t working. Evelyn was 19 and attending SIU at Carbondale.
Evelyn graduated from SIU in the class of 1942. While there she was active in the Latin Club, creation of the Obelisk and the Egyptian, Sigma Phi Rho and the Southern Alumnus.
After graduating in 1942, she began her teaching career at Royalton High School where she taught for one year, while pursuing her Master’s Degree at SIU, which she achieved.
In the fall of 1943, she began teaching at Zeigler High School and remained there until the spring of 1952.
In the fall of 1952, she began teaching at Marion High School and remained there until her retirement in 1995. She taught English and the foreign languages of Latin, French and Spanish, with Latin being her favorite, and sponsored the Latin Club and Latin Honor Society for many years.
Miss Patterson was recognized by the Marion Chamber of Commerce with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her 53 years of teaching on January 20, 1996.
She never married and continued residing in her parents’ home at 810 Prairie Street in Marion since 1932.
Miss Patterson will be remembered for a lifetime of dedication to education.
She was an active and faithful member of the Church of Christ of Marion where her church family was dear to her.
She was a member of and actively involved with the following organizations: lifetime member of the National Education Association since 1942, lifetime member of the S.I.U. Alumni Association, the Marion Education Association — serving as Treasurer from 1978 until her retirement in 1995, Hearts Helping Hearts — serving as an officer — and the Marion Cultural and Civic Center board. She was a volunteer at Marion Memorial Hospital and Heartland Regional Medical Center.
Evelyn, 88 of Marion, passed away at 4:10 p.m., Monday, Dec. 29, 2008, in Heartland Regional Medical Center of Marion.
She was survived by her church family and many friends, but was preceded in death by her parents.
The arrangements for Evelyn M. Patterson were entrusted to the Wilson-McReynolds Funeral Home, 900 N. Court Street, of Marion, IL.
Her funeral service was held at 1 p.m. in Wilson-McReynolds Funeral Home with Gerald Cowan and Kip Adams presiding.
Interment followed in Maplewood Cemetery of Marion.
(Extracted from the Marion Daily Republican obits; Federal Census Records; Marion City Cemetery Records; compiled by Sam Lattuca on 02/01/2014)