Phillips, Lewellyn Robert 1861 – 1937
PHILLIPS, GRABAU, EVANS, MURRAY
Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 4/17/2013 at 10:30:00
Source: Cresco Plain Dealer October 14, 1937, Page 4
BONAIR HOMESTEADER DIED SUNDAY; AGE 75
Lewellyn Robert Phillips of Albion Township, Howard County, Ia., passed away Sunday evening, Sept. 26, 1937, at the age of 75 years and 10 months. He leaves four brothers, several nieces and nephews and many old friends to mourn his departure.
Four nephews: Earl Grabau, Lakota, Iowa; Lester Phillips, Albion Township; John Evans, Albion Township; Everett Phillips, Cresco, Iowa; and Lyle Murray, Albion Township and Ward Phillips, Albion Township, acted as pallbearers.
Lewellyn Phillips was born on the original homestead about one mile northeast of Bonair, Nov. 27, 1861. His boyhood was spent in Albion Township on and near the homestead continuously except for the Civil War years, when his father was away with the Union Army. Those years were spent at the Hurley homestead southeast of Foreston. He attended school in a log cabin school house about one mile west of the present B. W. Phillips home – a region which was at that time heavily timbered. Later he attended school at the Liberty School.
How greatly the younger people have enjoyed hearing him relate his pioneer stories – many of them replete with hardships of the early days. He witnessed the passing through of the first train on the Milwaukee railroad near the present site of Bonair. He was a lover of the hunt and of fishing. His fancy also was turned to the raising of fine horses.
In the nineties he left Howard County with his brother Ulysses and took up a claim in Oregon near the present city of Portland, but was forced to give it up to return to Howard County, Iowa, because of ill health. His last active public occupation was buying poultry around Bonair. Failing health caused him to discontinue his work and he returned home to help care for his aged father, which work he carried on faithfully. About one and one half years ago his health became so poor that he made his home with his niece Mrs. Dan Murray and her husband.
He was early interested in church and civic affairs. He attended church and Sunday School in the Liberty (illegible) for years, where he was teacher of the Sunday school. He was a member of the Methodist Church in Bonair, which he attended regularly and to the support of which he cheerfully contributed.
To those of us who knew Uncle Lewellyn know that he was sincere in his beliefs. He was practical in his Christianity, generous almost to a fault, and always sympathetic to the down-trodden and unfortunate – sympathetic enough that he did something about it usually. How he loved little children and the implicit faith they had in him will live forever a sweet recollection to those who knew him. Even in his last days he still loved to have little Rosetta Murray toddle up to his bed and talk to him. His scrupulous honesty, high ideals, and good citizenship kindly presented to many boys as he accompanied them on recreational outings will not be forgotten soon.
The Savior of men has relieved him of further physical suffering of which he endured much and patiently. He has been called Home and we shall miss him sorely, but He knows best.
Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at 2 o’clock at the Dan Murray home northeast of Bonair, and interment in the Phillips cemetery, Rev. Joseph Yates officiating.
Transcribed from a newspaper clipping submitted by Janice Sowers.
Transcriber’s Note: Other family obituaries indicate his parents were James Monroe and Rosetta Phillips.
Also, there is some variance of spelling of his first name – some spell it Llewellyn.
Phillips Cemetery
Howard Obituaries maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
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