Phyllis (Phyl) was born on a small farm on what her mother called "Potato Picking Day" in Amber, Wash. just outside of Cheney on Oct. 21, 1927 and passed away July 7, 2014.
Her father, Phillip Anderson, died when Phyllis was only 2. Her mother, Sigrid (Odegard) Anderson, raised Phyllis and her brother, Leslie, on her own.
Phyllis had so many fond memories that came from her childhood, where life was simple along with hard work. She remembered milking the cows, riding her horse, Dan to and from the one-room school house, a battery operated radio that was their family's entertainment, the outhouse and the chamber pot, and the old fashion telephone with the hand crank that hung on the wall. They didn't have electricity or running water.
Her mother and father were both Norwegian, of which Phyllis was very proud of her heritage. Throughout her life she often talked of her wonderful memories of her mother who she highly respected and missed with all her heart. She died when Phyllis was 15.
A very kind friend of the family, Elizabeth Norberg, took her in as one of her own and raised her as a daughter in Spokane. She became an honorary member of the Norberg, Berg and Davis families.
In her late teens she met Jack Evans at Loon Lake. They quickly fell in love and after Jack returned from World War II, serving in the Navy, they married. They moved to Seattle where Jack continued his career as a commercial photographer and Phyllis stayed home to raise their three children. When their youngest was in the fourth grade, Phyllis took a part time job at Winkleman hardware and gift shop. She worked there for many years until retirement.
In the 1960s, Jack and Phyllis bought a shell of a cabin on Canyon Creek near Granite Falls, Wash. It was their refuge and a place where family and friends liked to gather.
Phyllis will be remembered for so many wonderful attributes. She loved to cook and could always be seen standing at the kitchen window with a candle flickering, her apron on, and waving as you came home. She is famous for her sugar cookies, baklava, German sour cream twists and lamb skewers, among many others.
Phyllis was also known for her beautiful corner home lot with manicured gardens and roses. She was always busy and knew how to do just about everything and could stretch a dime farther than its limits. She also was quite a seamstress, watercolor artist and gin rummy player.
Phyllis took care of her beloved husband of 61 years while he was aging and after his passing she never quite recovered. She will be missed by her children and their families, son John (Kathy) Evans, and daughters Glennis (Don) Wilson and Jamie (Ron) Rehn. Phyllis and Jack were avid backpack hikers and now they have reached the top of the mountain.
Knowing they are together again gives great comfort to their family. Deep gratitude is given to the Summit Adult Family Home in Olympia, Wash. where Phyllis spent her last years with loving care. She will be missed but never forgotten by all that knew and loved her as being a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend. Candles have a new meaning now as we light them we will think of you, Mom, and your light lives on forever. As Phyllis would say, "Here's to the best of us - there aren't very many left of us."
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