| Evangeline Cory - "The Commander" back to 'Children of William & Catherine Booth'
EVANGELINE CORY O.F.* [b: 25 Dec 1865 d: 17 Jul 1950] (*Order of the Founder)
Evangeline Booth - 'The Commander'
Officially registered as "Eveline", she was always called "Eva". From the first, this variant, red-haired daughter, born on Christmas Day 1865, promised great things. Loudly outspoken against cruelty to animals, she early devised outreaches to the people of the slums. An early effort was a doll hospital, and in her early teens she was going about in the slums with her sisters, preaching and identifying with the poor.
Eva assisted her sister Emma at the training home, later was in charge, and at the age of 31 was given command in Canada. Her stage presence and air of command enabled her to come to the U.S. and help weld the American Army at the defection of Ballington, before the arrival of the Booth-Tuckers in 1896.
After Emma's death, Booth-Tucker was soon reassigned to Britain, and Eva became 'The Commander' in the U.S. At this time, friends persuaded her to use the name "Evangeline." Becoming an American citizen for business reasons, she remained a staunch American patriot all her days, and often used the flag to emphasise her dramatic presentations. Among her honours, Evangeline belonged to the Order of the Founder and received the U.S. Government's Distinguished Service Medal.
When World War I began, Evangeline launched a project, which, while only intended to help the war effort, did more to bring The Salvation Army into a position of prominence and respect than any other. Handpicked men and women officers (only men not of gun-bearing age) were dispatched to the front to render selfless and cheerful assistance wherever needed. These people, especially those known as the "Doughnut Girls" came to symbolize the work of the organization. Money poured into the coffers to expand an effort, which had been begun on a borrowed $25,000. This was the point at which the Army in the U.S. saw the end of ridicule and brickbats.
At the request of her father, she never married. Though he had agreed to the marriage of her sisters, he had felt that such a strong personality as hers could best serve the cause as a single officer. However, she adopted four children, one of whom, Pearl, became an officer. Evangeline resisted all efforts by her brother to transfer her, and remained in America for 30 years, until she left in 1934 to serve for five years as the Army's first woman general. She then retired to her home in upstate New York until her death in 1950.
General Evangeline Booth (1934 - 1939)
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