Elizabeth Emma (Brown) Phillips

BENKELMAN -- Elizabeth Emma (Brown) Phillips, 93, died Tuesday (March 25, 2003) at the Dundy County Hospital in Benkelman. 

She was born June 18, 1909, to Ellen Louise Breedon and John William Brown on the homestead north of Max.  When she reached the eighth grade, she moved to Ashland, and stayed with her uncle and aunt, Louis and Ola McReynolds, and attended country school.  She then attended high school in Lincoln, where lived with families and worked as a nanny.  She moved to Eagle, and continued to work as a nanny and graduated from Eagle High School in 1927.

In 1929, she married Robert Robinson. To this union, two children, Robert Russell and Louisa Kathryn, were born.

She later married Lute Manning and to this union four children were born, Charlotte Elizabeth, Florence Florilla, and Gail Lute. 

In 1968, she married Ansen "Buck" Phillips. She spent most of her life in the Max area working and raising her family.  She took in washing, ironing, sewing and mending to supplement the income while her children were young.  She operated the Max Telephone Company from 1946 until 1958.  She also worked as a cook at the Max School and Moorehouse Hospital.  Later, she worked as a nurse's aide at the Hester Memorial Home and then at the Stratton Hospital.  For years, she served as secretary of the District 27 School Board.  At the time of her death she had been a resident of the assisted living at the Hester Memorial Home in Benkelman for three months. 

She was a lifetime honorary member of the United Methodist Women.  In 2001, she received her 50-year pin from the United Methodist Church in Max.  She was a lifetime member of the Max Woman's Club.

Preceding her in death were her parents; her husbands, Robert Robinson, Lute Manning and Ansen "Buck" Phillips; an infant son, Earl; a brother, Phillip; a sister, Dorothy Heilers; a grandchild; and two great-grandchildren.

Survivors include her five children, Russell Robinson and wife, Florence of St. Helens, Ore., Louisa Kathryn of Benkelman, Charlotte Hinshaw of Gardiner, Ore., Florence and husband, Roger Parker of Max and Gail Manning and wife, Marsha of Albany, Ore.; two brothers, Clyde Brown and wife, Ruth of Benkelman and Paul Donald Brown and wife, Wanda of St. Helens, Ore.; sister-in-law, Betty Brown of Cathlamet, Wash.; 20 grandchildren; 32 great grandchildren; and 13 great-great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be Saturday, at 10 a.m., in the Forch Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Norman Prather officiating.  Interment will follow services at the Benkelman Cemetery.

Arrangements are under the direction of Forch Funeral Chapel of Benkelman.