Elmira Phillips

Elmira K. Phillips
Elmira K Phillips, widow of Dr. Robert L. Phillips, passed away quietly of natural causes on Saturday, February 1, 2014, with family members by her side in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Elmira was born, January 20, 1924, in Pocatello, Idaho. She was the 4th of 8 children born to Robert and Matilda (Kidd) Galloway. At age 12, her mother was left a widow, and so the older children and mother went to work, leaving Elmira to do most of the housework and child tending, while still attending school. She graduated from Pocatello High School in 1942, and then went to work as a bookkeeper for Union Pacific Railroad for the remainder of the War. In 1947 she was called as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and she served in Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. After her return from a mission, she met Robert L. Phillips, of Great Falls, Montana, and they were married in Idaho Falls, on September 5, 1950.
After their marriage the couple moved to the groom’s home town where he attended the College of Great Falls, before being accepted at the Illinois College of Podiatric Medicine, in Chicago, in 1951. Three children were born in Chicago. After graduation from podiatry school, they moved back to Great Falls where Dr. Phillips established a podiatric medicine practice and Elmira devoted herself to full-time home making. A fourth child was born in Great Falls in 1961.
Elmira enjoyed reading and also religious and scripture study, and was appointed to teach early morning religious classes to high school students for 8 years in the 1960s. After her release from that position, she worked in the family podiatric medicine practice managing the finances until her husband retired. During this time, Elmira noticed that she was losing her hearing, which gave her great compassion for the deaf. She and her husband attended signing classes at the State School in Great Falls to learn sign language and became very active in church activities for the deaf. In 1988, her husband retired from practice, and in 1990 the couple was called to serve as sign language missionaries for the LDS Church in Leeds, England. After their return home, they sold their home in Great Falls and moved to Salt Lake City in 2001. In Salt Lake City they gave many years of volunteer service in the Humanitarian Center for the LDS Church. Dr. Phillips passed away in 2008 in Salt Lake City, and in 2011 Elmira moved to Oklahoma City to live with her daughter.
Elmira leaves behind 3 children, Robert D. (wife Janice) Phillips of Orlando, Florida, Sara Joy (husband Mark) Przybyla of Stockton, California, and Mary Ellen (husband Kent) Davick of Oklahoma City. Another son, Alan A. (wife Penny) of St. Cloud, Minnesota, preceded her in death in 2008. She also leaves a sister, Rachel, of Pocatello, Idaho, and a brother Robert “Joe” Galloway of Syracuse, Utah. She also leaves 14 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Deseret Memorial Mortuary, 36 E. 700 S., with a viewing on Sunday, February 9, from 6 -8 PM, and funeral on Monday, February 10, at 11 AM. Interment will be beside her husband at Valley View Memorial Park Cemetery.