Obituary: Frances Stevenson, 98, of Epworth.

Frances Stevenson

Obituary: Frances Stevenson, 98, of Epworth.

Frances Elizabeth Stevenson of Dune Lodge cottage at Epworth passed away peacefully Monday, August 15, 20022 at the Westminster Health Center in St. Augustine, Florida.  She was 98 years old.

Coming to Epworth all of her life since 1923, she was the daughter of Peirce and Amy Lewis; great-granddaughter of Edward G. and Elizabeth Lewis, who built Dune Lodge in 1898.  Fran was a founding member of the Epworth Historical Society and the Epworth Library.  She was the Epworth reporter for the Ludington Daily News in the mid-1940s.

Serving Delta Gamma for 75 years, she joined the fraternity in 1947 as a field secretary (now called Collegiate Development Council) and traveled to chapters throughout the country.  After two years of service, she moved to the Delta Gamma executive offices in Columbus and became the editor of the Anchora from 1949 to 1956, and again from 1961 to 1966.  She was also director of communications and information from 1961 to 2006.  

Fran was also Delta Gamma’s historian for the 75 years she served. The Frances Lewis Stevenson Archives Gallery was created in 1965, then updated and rededicated in 2017 at the executive offices.

Fran graduated Phi Beta Kapa from Albion College and was initiated to Zeta-Albion in 1942. She completed post graduate work for a year in graduate school at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Born in Farmington on September 6, 1923, Fran is survived by her husband of 72 years, John E. Stevenson; her three children Vanstan, Lynn and Kelland; seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. From her children, “No amount of time with the astonishing Narfy would have been enough for us, – she was and will always remain our Anchor”

The family is making private funeral arrangements and suggests that donations be considered in her honor to Prevent Blindness.  Fran worked as a vision screening volunteer for the Ohio Society for the Prevention of Blindness (now Prevent Blindness Ohio) for over 50 years.