Elizabeth M. Phillips, age 89, formerly of Hillside Street in Mount Gilead, died Friday afternoon, November 11, 2011, at the Woodside Village Care Center following a five year illness.
On July 19, 1922, Elizabeth was born in Fulton, Ohio, the youngest of three daughters of the late Thomas and Margaret (Lee) Edgell.
She went to Fulton schools until high school, when she transferred to Mount Gilead High School and graduated in the Class of 1940.
Shortly following graduation, Elizabeth married a young dairy and grain farmer from Marengo, Maurice O. Phillips, on April 19, 1941, at the Trinity United Methodist Church Parsonage. They stayed there on the farm until 1963, when they moved to Mount Gilead. Together they lovingly raised six children and shared nearly 45 years of marriage. He preceded her in death on January 15, 1986.
A caring homemaker first and foremost, Elizabeth made sure her husband and children were always taken care of. She was a wonderful Mother, who taught her children how to live, laugh, love, work, and play. She was also very accustomed to helping Maurice on the farm however she was needed.
A wonderful cook, Elizabeth made sure breakfast was ready on the table every morning for Maurice and the kids, and he normally requested her homemade pancakes, bacon, and eggs. Nevertheless, her cooking made nearly every meal special–especially during the holidays. Some of her family’s favorites included her fried chicken, fried doughnuts, plum pudding, pies, and the bread she made homemade for her family every week.
In addition to being a homemaker, Elizabeth also went door to door selling “the best sweeper you ever could have”, an Electrolux sweeper. She also was the custodian at the Trinity United Methodist Church for many years, where she had attended church.
Having a knack for sewing, Elizabeth made most of the clothes for her children when they were young. She also made quilt after quilt after quilt.
Elizabeth loved to play card games. Some of her favorites were euchre, rummy, and solitaire.
With a love for sports, Elizabeth enjoyed rooting on her beloved Cincinnati Reds and The Ohio State University Buckeye basketball teams. She also enjoyed watching wrestling since it first aired on television.
Including her husband and parents, Elizabeth was preceded in death by her daughter, Bonnie Shoewalter in 1988; her beloved granddaughter, Lori Goff in 2010; and by her two older sisters: Blanche and Pearl Edgell.
She will be missed by her remaining five children: Judy (Ned) Goff of Mount Gilead, Sandy (Joe) Rogers of Mount Vernon, Jack Phillips of Mount Gilead, Linda (Michael) Hoch of Stephensville, Texas, and Mary (Tim) Mueller of West Chester, Ohio; her 14 remaining grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
The Phillips family will greet friends from 4 – 7 p.m. on Friday, November 18, 2011, at the Snyder Funeral Home, 76 S. Main St., Mount Gilead. Services honoring her life will also be held there on Saturday at 10:00 a.m., with her son-in-law, Pastor Howard Joseph Rogers officiating. Burial will follow in Fulton Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Flying Horse Farms, 5260 State Route 95, Mount Gilead, Ohio 43338.
Snyder Funeral Homes of Mount Gilead is honored to have been chosen to serve Elizabeth’s family, and condolences may be expressed to them online by visiting www.snyderfuneralhomes.com.
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