Evelyn Ruth Spraitzar

Evelyn Ruth Spraitzar went home to the Lord on October 8, 2014, at age 94. She was born July 12, 1920 in Somerville, AL, located near Hartselle. Her father, Scott Wilson Blackerby (1876-1959), son of Judson and Olivia nee Adams Blackerby, was a rural schoolmaster and community leader. Her mother was Carolyn ("Carrie") Eunice Blackerby (1879-1960), daughter of Boardman and Nancy nee Spearman Holcombe. Evelyn was one of nine children (Furman, Hubert, Awyer, Mayo, Edrie, Lois, Comer, Evelyn, and her twin sister Helen).

Evelyn’s ancestors were early settlers of the area which is now called Chelsea, AL. Her great-great-grandfather, Tarlton Farris Holcombe, was a Baptist clergyman and founded the first Liberty Baptist Church in 1846.

Evelyn’s early childhood was spent in Hartselle, AL, where her father was a school principal. When she was about three, her family moved to Homewood, AL, where she attended Shades Cahaba Elementary School. Her family later moved to Bessemer, AL, and at age 16, Evelyn graduated from Hueytown High School.

From 1937 to 1940, Evelyn attended St. Vincent's School of Nursing in Birmingham, AL. While in training there, she volunteered to take care of patients with contagious diseases and polio victims who were being treated in iron lungs. Upon graduation, she received her R.N. Certification. Her senior yearbook describes her as “one of the most tireless members of our class,” having “a determination to enter every field of nursing existing.”

After graduating from St. Vincent's, Evelyn worked as a nurse at Jefferson Hospital in Birmingham, AL and then at the Holy Name of Jesus Hospital in Gadsden, AL. In April 1941, she was commissioned as a Reserve Nurse, Army Nurse Corps, with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant to be stationed at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana for a period of one year. While serving at Camp Claiborne, she was nicknamed “Miss Sunshine” by her patients.

When World War II broke out in December 1941, Evelyn was retained on active duty at Camp Claiborne until she then entered the Pacific Theater in 1943, with duty assignments in Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines. During her service in Australia, she received an official commendation for the excellent nursing care given to a wounded soldier, Private Earl Blankenship, in 1943. The letter of commendation states that her “untiring efforts and devotion to duty, no doubt played a great part in saving the life of this young soldier."

In February 1945, while serving in Australia, Evelyn volunteered to go on a secret mission without knowing what it entailed. The mission actually resulted in her providing medical support to General Douglas MacArthur's wife, Jean, and young son, Arthur, Jr., aboard a Norwegian freighter ship called the Columbia Express. The journey would take them from Brisbane, Australia, to the Philippines to rejoin General MacArthur after liberating the country from the Japanese. The freighter was escorted by the USS RIXEY Convoy Commodore and 2 U.S. destroyers, the USS YOUNG and USS STEVEN, to provide protection from Japanese submarines and aircraft. Upon the arrival of the Columbia Express in Manila Harbor, General MacArthur, along with his staff officers, were piloted into the harbor on an admiral’s barge to meet them.

After this special assignment, Evelyn remained in the Philippines, working at the San Thomas Detention Camp caring for the liberated people. She was assigned to the 49th General Hospital in Manila and continued there until June 1945, when she returned to the U.S. with patients. When the war ended, she received an honorable discharge in November 1945 as a 1st Lieutenant, after more than four years of war service, of which 25 months were spent in the Pacific Theater. For her service, she was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Ribbon.

In 1946, she married Ivan William Spraitzar of Warren, Ohio. They had three sons, Stephen, Stan, and Curtis, whom she nurtured with great love and devotion.

After her children were grown, Evelyn resumed her nursing career. During her long and distinguished career as a nurse, she served as a staff nurse for ten years at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Boston, MA. She also worked at various other healthcare facilities in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Alabama, including Lakeshore Rehabilitation Center in Homewood, AL and Forestdale Health Care in Birmingham, AL. She retired from nursing at age 76.

In celebration of her lifelong commitment to serving others through her skills as a nursing professional, the St. Vincent’s Foundation presented her with a resolution stating that “Evelyn’s entire career has been devoted to helping those in need through her skilled training as a nurse and has represented the teaching of St. Vincent’s School of Nursing and our mission of helping the poor and vulnerable to countless patients and co-workers.”

Throughout her adult life, Evelyn had a passionate love for learning. In addition to her professional training as a nurse, she studied at Fairleigh Dickinson University, and later, while working as a full-time nurse in Boston, she attended classes at Boston College, Boston University, and Boston State College. In 1982, at age 61, she received her B.A. Degree in psychology from Boston State College.

One of Evelyn’s favorite avocations was gardening. She especially liked to share flowers with others to convey her sense of joy about the things of beauty surrounding us. During her retirement years, she earned a Master Gardener Certificate and continued to maintain and beautify her property in Chelsea, AL with great pride.

When she turned 90, the City of Chelsea proclaimed July 12, 2010 Evelyn (Blackerby) Spraitzar Day in Chelsea because of her “heritage, patriotism, and love for the City of Chelsea.”

Evelyn is survived by her sister Helen; her sons Stephen, Stan, and Curtis; her grandchildren Sarah, Rebekah, Michael, and Rachel; and her great-grandchildren Elisabeth and Natalie.

Evelyn was a member of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 3775 Crosshaven Drive, Birmingham, AL. Funeral services will be held at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, October 14, 2014, with a burial afterwards at the Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery in Chelsea, AL. Memorial gifts may be made to St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Birmingham, AL.