Helena "Gertie" Phillips

Dateline: Alton Helena Gertrude “Gertie” Phillips passed away peacefully at 2:45 p.m. on Sunday, December 18, 2016 at Liberty Village in Jerseyville, IL at the age of 95. As the youngest of five children, she was born to Chester C. and Addie (Graham) Crowder on November 29, 1921 in Time, IL near Pittsfield. Four days after her seventeenth birthday, she married Paul Stanley Phillips on December 3, 1938 in Bowling Green, MO. They enjoyed 39 years of marriage together before his death on July 19, 1978. She was the proud mother of two sons, Stan of Godfrey, IL and his wife Judy (deceased) and Paul Jr. and his wife Nancy of Peoria, IL, a wonderful grandmother to four grandchildren, Greg Phillips and his wife Rae Jean of Cottleville, MO, Rhonda Steinacher and her husband Doug of Godfrey, IL, Jan Burmood and her husband Brad of Morton, IL, Jeff Phillips and his wife Kathie of Norwalk, Iowa, and she enjoyed all of her twelve great-grandchildren, Karl Phillips and his wife Sarah of Kennesaw, GA, Kurt Phillips (deceased), Matthew Steinacher and his wife Katie of Sullivan, IL, Andrew Steinacher of Savoy, IL, Lauren, Joshua, Nathan, and Andrew Phillips of Norwalk, IA, and Terra, Christian and Karl Burmood of Morton, IL and Elizabeth Siegler. At the age of three, her mother passed away and her father remarried making her one of nine children and she is survived by her half-sister Hilda Douglas of Quincy, IL, two half-brothers, Paul (Jack) and his wife Kay Crowder of Louisiana, MO, and Burdette and Jill Crowder of Nebo, IL along with many nieces and nephews. Her sisters, Bertha Crowder and Neta Conner, and her brothers, Lyndle, Floyd, and Arthur Crowder preceded her in death, along with her parents and her step mother, Lucille. In 1938 she graduated from Pleasant Hill School. In the early 1950’s, after settling in the Alton-Wood River area, she attended business school at the Ursuline Convent in Alton where she learned bookkeeping. She was employed by Thrifty Drug Company for 32 years as a secretary for the Upper Alton store on Washington Avenue. During her lifetime and for many years, she was an active member of Main Street United Methodist Church in Alton, served as a volunteer at Alton Memorial Hospital and Senior Services Plus, participating in the Meals of Wheels program, was a member of the Alton Chapter #775 Order of the Eastern Star where she served as Worthy Matron several times. She was a member of the Alton Eastern Star Past Matrons Club, VFW Women’s Auxiliary Post 1308 Alton, and the Alton Wood River Sportsmen’s Club. Through her church she proudly belonged to the quilting group and was proudest of her quilting. She leaves behind many quilts that bear her name and show the love and care she put into each stitch. Those who were blessed to be a part of her life will remember her as a strong, independent, caring, happy and positive person who found the good in everyone; someone who loved her family and cherished every moment with them. She had a great sense of humor and loved a good joke, was interested in watching sports and saw every St. Louis Cardinal game she could. Gertie enjoyed people and was a friend to everyone. Her kindness and caring extended far beyond her immediate family. Sharing her joy of life with everyone she met will be missed by all who knew and loved her. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. until time of funeral service at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, December 22, 2016 at Gent Funeral Home in Alton. She will be laid to rest beside her husband in the Garden of Good Sheppard in Valhalla Memorial Park in Godfrey. The family requests people who wish to honor her make donations to Senior Services Plus or the VFW Post 1308 in Alton. Online guestbook and information may be found at www.gentfuneralhome.com

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Helena "Gertie" Phillips

November 29, 1921 - December 18, 2016