July 12, 1923 - Jan. 21, 2107
Evelyn Mae Shewan of Lubbock, Texas, who passed away on January 21, 2017, had lived in Carson City, Nevada from 1947 to 2005. Evelyn was born in Springfield, Missouri, on July 23, 1923, moved with her family to Sacramento, California, and eventually she and her family moved to Reno, Nevada, where she graduated from Reno High School in 1942.
Two years later she married 2Lt William H. “Bill” Shewan on March 23, 1944, before he shipped out to the European Theater where he was seriously wounded in France. Upon his return to the United States, Bill was placed in Dibble Army Hospital in Palo Alto, California, to recover from his wounds. Evelyn immediately joined him there and lived in Redwood City, California, until he recovered. Thereafter, they returned to Reno, where Bill completed his studies at UNR and graduated with a BS degree in Civil Engineering in June 1947.
At that time, Bill and Evelyn moved to Carson City, where he went to work in the Bridge Division of the Nevada Highway Department, and she became a homemaker and part-time state employee. Evelyn also participated in numerous civic activities in Carson City.
During several legislative sessions, Evelyn worked as a proofreader for the State Printing Office, and later the Legislative Counsel Bureau. She also worked as a PBX operator and in the legislative message center during several much later sessions of the legislature.
Of great importance too, Evelyn was very civic minded and cared deeply about her adopted hometown of Carson City, Nevada, leading her to participate in numerous civic organizations, including the Parent Teachers Association, the Cub Scouts as a Den Mother and Assistant Den Mother, the March of Dimes, Beta Sigma Phi, the Republican Women’s Organization, the Nevada Landmarks Society, the Friends of the Ormsby Library, the Carson-Tahoe Hospital Auxiliary, and the Association of Retired Public Employees of Nevada, including serving as the Association’s State President.
Evelyn also used her management skills after her mother-in-law, Sally Shewan, died in October 1964. At that time, Evelyn started managing the Shewan Rooming House located at the corner of West Telegraph and North Division Streets.
Evelyn’s management role ended abruptly when a natural gas explosion seriously damaged the house in November 1965, requiring the house to be razed a year later.
Of great importance to Evelyn was being a faithful and devout member of the Airport Road Church of Christ, where she taught numerous Sunday School classes as well as faithfully and regularly attending worship services until she left Carson City in October 2005 and moved to Lubbock, Texas to be near her son, Jim.
Finally, she was a life-long, faithful, and devoted fan of the San Francisco Giants and the San Francisco 49ers.
Evelyn was preceded in death by her parents, T.L. and Ferne Mary Keen; husband, Bill; and her brothers, Harold, Jack, and Aubrey Keen.
She is survived by sons, Jim of Lubbock, Texas and Michael and Pat of Charleston, South Carolina; sister, Virginia Keen of Williams, Arizona; and sister-in-law, Velma Keen of Fallon, Nevada; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Evelyn requested that there be no funeral services for her and that anyone who wishes to do so, should contribute to the William H. Shewan Memorial Civil Engineering Scholarship at UNR, the Airport Road Church of Christ Building Fund, or any other charitable organization.
