Eva Mae Donovan

Eva Mae (Tembrock) Donovan, 96 years old, passed away peacefully on May 27, 2017 at Centra Care Nursing Home in Monticello, MN. Eva was born on August 12, 1920 to Henry C. Tembrock and Eleanore Santer. She grew up in Melrose, MN and graduated from high school in 1938. Eva attended St. Mary’s School of Nursing in Minneapolis, MN and graduated in 1941 as a registered nurse. Eva (“Temmy”) joined the U.S. Army Nurse Corp in January of 1942 where she served as a second lieutenant in World War II. She embarked from Brooklyn, New York in October of 1942 for the nine day Atlantic crossing to Liverpool, England. She was stationed near Birmingham, England and later was transferred to the American general hospital outside Oxford, England where she cared for U.S. Air Force personnel wounded while on bombing missions over Germany and France. In April of 1944, orders came and their unit was transferred to an unknown area to receive extensive field training that would be used in France after “D Day”. On July 23, 1944, her unit crossed the English Channel to France in a convoy of ships that landed at Utah Beach. Her unit was stationed at various places, sometimes within four to five miles from the front lines. In late 1944, she was transferred to the American hospital in Paris and later joined her unit at a hospital in Nancy, France. Eva arrived back in the U.S. on October 12, 1945 and was honorably discharged as a Captain on April 14, 1950. While stationed in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Eva met and married Peter Joseph Donovan on November 14, 1949. They subsequently lived in New Orleans, LA and then in Bowie, MD. Eva earned numerous honors for her service in the Army Nurse Corp, including three bronze medals for taking soldiers in right off the battlefield. In June of 1994, she was honored to join other American WWII veterans for the 50th Anniversary celebration of “D Day” at Normandy, in France.
Eva is survived by her brother, Henry L. Tembrock and his wife Marion of Grey Eagle, MN, thirteen nieces and nephews, and numerous great, great-great, and great-great-great nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 42 years, her parents, and three sisters, Bernice (Arvig) Herold, Genevieve Schneider and Joan Bringe.
Eva enjoyed playing bridge, sewing, cross-stitch, needle point, cooking, and entertaining. She is fondly remembered by her friends and the many children in Bowie, Maryland whose lives she touched in a profound way. Eva was a beloved and avid parishioner of the Sacred Heart Church in Bowie for over 35 years.
Mass of Christian Burial was held Tuesday, June 6th, 2017 10:30 AM at St. Andrews Catholic Church in Elk River, MN. Interment was at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.