Eva Gordon (McLean) Favour was born December 3, 1883, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the daughter of James Grant and Anne McLean. She came to Arizona from Montana in 1919. On June 26, 1919, in Los Angeles, California, she married Alpheus Hoyt Favour, who was an Arizona senator. She was his second wife and became a stepmother to his three young children.

Eva had one son, John McLean, born September 9, 1921; a stepson, Alpheus Lambert; and two stepdaughters, Mary Temple (Favour) Hazeltine and Catherine "Kay" (Favour) Merchant. She was active in the Monday Club, Arizona Federation of Women's Clubs and the YMCA Youth Center.   She also played the cornet as a member of the Rotarian Band. 

Both Eva and her husband were active supporters of Sharlot M. Hall's preservation of the Governor's Mansion in Prescott and the moving of the body of Pauline Weaver from California to the Sharlot Hall Museum’s grounds, where it was re-interred.  Eva was a charter member of the Historical Society of Prescott.  This historical society’s name was changed to Sharlot Hall Historical Society (SHHS) on September 30, 1946, three years following Sharlot Hall’s death.  That same year, Eva was elected president of the SHHSBoard.  She spent days sorting Ms. Sharlot’s materials, which had been stored in cardboard cartons. 

She also supported the development of the Territorial Women’s Memorial Rose Garden. The Prescott Evening Courier, dated March 8, 1954, reported that the Daughters of the American Revolution - General Crook Chapter, gave an Award of Merit to Mrs. A. H. Favour, “For establishing the Rose Garden, memorializing pioneer Arizona women, and for her zeal in carrying forward the work of the late Sharlot Hall in connection with the old Governor’s Mansion and the Sharlot Hall Museum.”

Another article in the Prescott Evening Courier dated March 11, 1955, described how Sharlot Hall had named Eva’s husband Alpheus to become the museum’s curator when she died.  Alpheus did so, until he too passed away.  Then Eva continued cataloging the museum materials.  She was one of the vital, hard-working volunteers, who carried on the work begun by Sharlot Hall.

Eva lived at 122 South Mount Vernon Street and belonged to the First Congregational Church.

She died on February 9, 1967, and is buried in Mountain View Cemetery.

Donor: Sharlot Hall Museum Rose Garden Committee
Photo Located: RGC MS-39, Box F, F-Favour, Eva
Updated: 11/14/2015, D. Sue Kissel